Sony develops green flat-panel TV

Sony's new flat-panel TV consumes less energy than comparable regular models without compromising image quality, the latest in Japanese manufacturers' efforts to woo buyers with green products.

The 150,000 yen (US$1,400; euro900) Bravia KDL-32JE1 goes on sale in Japan on July 30, and is planned later for overseas markets although dates and other details aren't decided, Sony Corp's Emi Nagahara said on Tuesday.

In a demonstration at Tokyo headquarters, a watt-counter attached to the new 32-inch Bravia consumed 82 watts of energy to show a Blu-ray disc image of a Spanish city on its liquid crystal display.

A comparable regular model that cost about 10,000 yen (US$90; euro60) less required 125 watts of energy to show the exact same image. Sony achieved the energy savings by developing a brighter back light and better filtering that delivers light more efficiently, officials said. Both models have liquid crystal displays and high-definition digital broadcast features.

Compared to an old-style TV with a cathode-ray tube monitor, the new TV consumes about 70 per cent less energy a year.

By consuming less energy, the new "green" TV reduces carbon dioxide emissions totaling 79 kilograms (174 pounds) a year, equivalent to the amount consumed by about six cedar trees, it said. Consumers also save on their utility bill.

In Japan, the green TV delivers about 4,300 yen (US$40; euro25) savings in electricity payments a year compared to an old-style CRT TV, Sony said. "We think ecology is going to become an important standard that consumers use in choosing products," Nagahara said.