Study: HDTV Gets More Efficient

New HDTVs manufactured in recent years are dramatically more efficient than they once were, according to a study released Thursday by the Consumer Electronics Association.

CEA's “Power Consumption Trends in Digital TVs Produced Since 2003" found that manufacturers have made "huge strides" in improving the efficiency of the products, in the plasma category in particular. The active power use of plasma TVs between 13 and 65 inches dropped 41 percent between 2008 and 2010, while plasma standby use dropped 85 percent in that time.

“This study proves that it does not take government mandates to produce incredibly efficient TV sets. Intense competition, the voluntary Energy Star labeling program, and physics favoring less heat and thus less power drove these efficiency gains,” Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of CEA, said as part of the announcement.