8K TV in trouble in Europe for too high consumption?

In March 2021 have entered into force in Europe the new energy labels for all electronic devices and household appliances, including televisions and monitors. In the case, in particular, of televisions, the standard has developed a new one energy efficiency index which now includes much more stringent parameters, which also take into account the resolution, the panel technology and also a distinction between “normal” use (with relative luminance as a function of ambient light), SDR and HDR.

The first evident impact of the new label was to discover how all apparently “efficient” TVs (some even in “class A”) suddenly found themselves in class G (which is the worst), with TVs with OLED technology, microLEDs and those with 8K resolution that have benefited from an exemption in order to continue to be sold in Europe.

But the European Commission immediately set itself the energy efficiency targets to be achieved for the years to come and the next date to mark on the calendar is that of March 1, 2023the day it should come into effect on new Energy Efficiency Index (EEI), which will impose new restrictions on consumption and the equation of display technologies. Basically, this means the end of the waivers for 8K, microLED and OLED panels.

Until a few months ago, the industry seemed rather confident about the possibility of finding a compromise that would have allowed the sale of the most “energy-consuming” display solutions to continue, but the current geo-political situation, with soaring costs energy and the need to reduce consumption throughout the continent, seems to have made the interlocutors in Brussels decidedly less flexible.

According to the new index provided for by the “Ecodesign” directivewhich is expected to take effect in March 2023, a 40 “TV will not be able to go beyond 48W of consumption and an 88” will have to stop at 178W and this regardless of the technology and resolution 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) or 8K Ultra HD (7680 x 4320 pixels). Obviously we are not talking about absolute maximum consumption, but consumption with the “default” mode of sale of televisions.

This means that the user – as is already the case today – will be able to disable the energy saving features or select a different image preset that will increase performance and, consequently, consumption. However, everything must be clearly highlighted with pop-ups that warn of the use of a less efficient picture mode (and those who have bought a new TV over the last few years know what we are talking about).

To prevent manufacturers from getting around the rules fine-tuning “out of the box” presets that are very dim (and therefore able to fall within the expected parameters), the legislation also provides for minimum luminance peaks: 220 nits in an environment with 100 lux lighting (therefore a daytime situation) for TVs, with the value dropping to 150 nits in the case of monitors. You can also go below these values, but the peak of luminance on the white cannot in any case be less than 65% of the peak of luminance that can be reached with the brightest video mode in SDR (see the various “Dynamic”, for example) .

Now, according to this new legislation, all current 8K TVs would be taken out of business (both LCD and OLED), as well as microLED displays (regardless of resolution) and Several more advanced LCD mini LED models would also risk big (those with a higher number of mini diodes and local-dimming zones).

To date, it is difficult to predict what will happen between now and March 2023but we know that the industry is engaging in intense talks with the European Commission to try to find a solution that can “please everyone”. The deadline to proceed with a review in Europe is that of next 25 December. Some brands have clearly made it clear that under these conditions it will not be possible to offer 8K TVs (see TCL, for example), while others (like Samsung, for example) appear more optimistic.

One thing is certain, the European market is crucial for the industryespecially for the “Premium” segment which obviously includes the 8K resolution models, but also the more advanced 4K mini LED models. It is unthinkable that a regulation imposed in Europe will not have a decisive impact on a global level as well. If on the one hand, therefore, the new “Energy Efficiency Index” could impose an acceleration in the direction of more efficient technological solutions, on the other it could represent a brake on evolution.

And by this we mean the risk of a depletion of the backlight solutions (fewer local-dimming areas), less HDR performance and also from a setback on the processing front (image processing processors also affect part of consumption).

We will certainly have a first sign in this sense at the next one CES 2023 in Las Vegas. We are curious to understand how the industry will react and how much the European Commission will decide to keep the point, also by virtue of the ambitious goal of cut consumption of European televisions by 39 TeraWatt / hour by 2030.