With the digital revolution on our doorsteps, Jane Turner looks at what televisions are doing to the environment

This report covers the manufacturers of televisions, whether they be conventional CRT models or the new LCD, plasma and other technologies. Cathode ray tube (CRT) TVs currently account for 92% of TVs in the UK but this is set to change. LCDs are likely to be the dominant technology by 2010 with CRTs having disappeared from the scene by 2020.(10) The new TV technologies currently available on the market are explained in more detail below.

POWER STRUGGLE
As we discovered when we looked at flat screen computer monitors in the last issue, LCDs consume much less power than CRT models - on average, 50% less. The table below shows that on energy consumption alone, LCDs are the best option, followed by CRT, then DLP, and plasma way behind.

(All data for 2003 apart from CRT best standby which is for 2004. Taken from Performance Standards Information database - www.mtprog.com/psib/)

THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION
The digital revolution in the UK is just round the corner. The digital switchover will be phased in gradually, region by region or channel by channel. The proposed completion date is 2012, but the process could start as early as 2007. Digital broadcasting allows more channels to be squeezed into a smaller broadcasting space (or 'bandwidth') than the existing analogue system. The space that's freed up can then be used for improvements in broadcasting and communication services.

A few manufacturers make integrated digital TVs (IDTV) but other types can receive digital signals with a separate set-top box. Set-top boxes will feature as a separate buyers' guide later in the year. You don't need a new TV to pick up a digital signal, but if you have a very old TV without a Scart socket, it will be more difficult to connect up a set-top box (with some set-top boxes, it is not possible at all).

STANDBY!
One of the biggest potential users of standby power is digital television. The integrated receiver decoder (IRD), which processes the digital signal and comes either as a separate set-top box or as part of an integrated digital TV, is designed not to be switched off but to remain permanently in standby mode. It can only be switched off completely at the socket or by unplugging it. Check the IDTV or set-top box manual to check whether switching it off at the mains will lose any settings. Some set-top boxes actually recommend you do this if you are going to leave the machine unattended for a long period. The function of standby mode in non-digital TVs is usually to facilitate the use of the remote control, so they should be turned off at the on/off switch or at the plug when not in use.

Clearly this issue is something that the Government has decided to ignore when planning to switch off the analogue broadcasting signal. By 2010, the official estimate is that the switch to digital television will result in an increase in CO2 emissions of 1.2 million tonnes of carbon - equivalent to 6% of the emissions reduction needed to meet the Government's target of cutting CO2 emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2010.(6)

SOLUTIONS
In 2003, the European TV industry voluntarily agreed to reduce stand-by power consumption of new TVs ( but not IDTVs or 'combi' TVs) to a maximum of 1W by 2007, compared to 3-8W for older models.(5) From June 2004, the industry also agreed to include on and standby power consumption information and estimated annual consumption on or alongside the products at the point of sale.(12) However, our shop survey in March 2005 did not find this information was being displayed.

DEFRA criticised the agreement as undemanding because all the major television manufacturers were already selling models that met the 1W standard, and there were no targets for set-top boxes. As can be seen from the table below, set-top boxes can still consume as much power in standby mode as in on mode.

Unfortunately, there is no EU Energy Label for televisions or set-top boxes, despite the fact that digital television will result in a doubling of standby power consumption alone by 2010. The EU Energy Label is mandatory rather than voluntary but it does not include a requirement to state a product's standby power consumption. Clearly an Energy Label for TVs and set-top boxes with this requirement is a matter of urgency. An Eco-label does exist for televisions limiting standby and on power consumption but no manufacturers have applied for the label.

TOXIC TVS
Conventional CRT TVs contain a number of toxic materials, as we discovered when we looked at computer monitors in the last issue. The main hazards associated with CRTs are their heavy metal content such as lead, and the phosphor dust coating, which contains cadmium and other heavy metals. Inside the CRT is a range of powders containing selenium, strontium, arsenic and phosphorus.(8) Lead causes damage to kidneys and nervous, circulatory and reproductive systems. Children are particularly at risk, as even low levels can affect brain development.

CRTs also emit low level, non-ionising electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation is emitted from all mains-powered electrical equipment and has been associated with childhood leukaemia, adult cancers, miscarriage, immune system problems, depression and mood changes.(14) Magnetic fields drop off with distance, so it is advised to sit at least 5 to 10 feet from the front or back of the set. The radiation can travel through walls so be aware of what is on the other side of the wall. TVs even give off radiation when they are turned off, so switch off at the mains, especially TVs in the bedroom.(13)

LCDs, on the other hand, use the least amount of energy of all TV technologies and emit much weaker electromagnetic fields than CRTs. But their screens may contain mercury (see 'the new kids on the box' overleaf), which can damage the brain and kidneys.

Brominated flame retardants can be found in the plastic cases of all electrical equipment and they are suspected endocrine disrupters.

LEAVE IT OUT
Fortunately, electronics companies have been particularly active in substituting hazardous chemicals. A key driver has been the EU directive on the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) in electrical and electronic equipment. From 1st July 2006, the RoHS directive will ban the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, and two brominated flame retardants (polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)).

Greenpeace has singled out Samsung for special praise because it has publicly committed itself to establishing timetables for the phase-out of PVC, organotins and all types of brominated flame retardants from all of its products worldwide by the end of 2005. It will phase out the six RoHS directive substances 12 months before the deadline.

Greenpeace has upgraded Samsung's ranking on its 'chemical home' website from red to orange, making it the first and only producer to have its rating upgraded since the start of the campaign last year. The website was established as a consumer guide to the chemicals present in a wide range of products found in the home, ranging from lipsticks and toys to carpets and mobile phones.

Hitachi, Philips and Sony may soon be upgraded to amber but Panasonic, Sanyo, Toshiba, Daewoo, Grundig and Sharp are all still in the red.

HAZARDOUS WASTE
New TVs from 2006 may be less toxic but what about all the existing TVs that will be disposed of before then? According to the Government, 9.4 million TVs were discarded in the UK in 2004, most of them ending up in landfill where their toxic materials can leach into groundwater. It is predicted that 62 million CRT televisions will be discarded between 2004 and 2010 because people will be upgrading their TVs to the new technologies.

Although the export of electrical waste to developing countries was banned in 2002, it is estimated that around half a million old TVs are illegally exported per year.(8) With the likelihood of poor working conditions in recycling plants, workers can be exposed to dust containing lead and other hazardous substances.

The glass from CRT must be recycled if the UK is to meet the recycling targets set by the EU directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). The target is for 75% of electrical equipment to be recovered and 65% to be reused or recycled by December 2006. According to the Government's Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the glass could be used to makes bricks or insulation material, or reused to make new CRTs. Collection facilities for electrical waste are meant to be in place by August 2005, allowing consumers to return their waste free of charge. The manufacturers are meant to foot the bill for collection and recycling. However, negotiations between Government and industry are ongoing, so the deadline and targets are likely to be missed. Until the system is operational, holding onto your TV, selling it or giving it to a good home are the best options.

WHICH? RECOMMENDS
According to Which?, LCDs are expensive and the picture quality is currently no better or often worse than a CRT TV. But their thin design means they make sense if you want a really large screen, 42 inches or more. Which? recommends you buy a widescreen TV because the main digital channels tend to show more widescreen programmes. It also recommends separate set-top boxes, rather than most integrated digital TVs.(7)

Which? did a reliability survey of widescreen and conventional TVs in October 2003. It found that for widescreen TVs: JVC, Panasonic and Sony were above average; Goodmans, LG, Philips, Sanyo, Toshiba and Thomson were average; Bush, Grundig, Hitachi and Sharp were below average. For conventional TVs: Panasonic was above average; Bush, Daewoo, Grundig, Hitachi, LG, Philips, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony and Toshiba were average; Goodmans was below average.

TURN OFF, TUNE IN
Clearly, the best way to save energy is never to turn the television on. For those seeking an alternative to TV, the Canadian group Adbusters campaigns against the homogenising effect of TV and the impact that the commercials have. To protest against the brain drain, they organise an annual 'TV Turnoff' week, which this year is April 25th to May 1st. This year Adbusters have teamed up with TV-B-Gone who make a keyfob which turns off any television set. The aim is to reclaim public spaces that have TVs on, such as airports and bars.

You can also get the keyfob from White Dot who have an office in Brighton and give suggestions of what to do without a TV.

The new kids on the box
LCD: With liquid crystal display (LCD), light from behind the screen is shone through a matrix of tiny coloured liquid crystal cells that make up the screen. Signals control each cell, letting varying amounts of colour through, and a picture is built up. Currently, most LCD screens are backlit by fluorescent lights which contain mercury, but LED lights are currently being developed to do the same job.
Plasma: A plasma display is an array of tiny gas cells sandwiched between two sheets of glass. Each cell acts like a mini fluorescent tube, emitting ultraviolet light which then strikes red, green and blue spots on the screen. These spots glow to build up a picture. Plasma TVs use around three times as much electricity as the best conventional TVs.
DLP: Digital light processing (DLP) bounces coloured light off a microchip containing more than half a million tiny mirrors that pivot up or down. The reflected light from each mirror is projected onto the screen. They're much thinner than a normal TV, but are u sually 35cm deep so, unlike plasma and LCD models, aren't suitable for hanging on the wall.(7)

References
1 ENDS Report 359, December 2004
2 ENDS Report 354 July 2004
3 Greenpeace's Chemical Home website viewed February 2005 - www.greenpeace.org.uk
4 Things that go blip in the night - International Energy Agency, 2001
5 ENDS 350 March 2004
6 ENDS 324 January 2002
7 Which? May 2004
8 ENDS 353 June 2004
9 ENDS 352 May 2004
10 Market Transformation briefing paper 'Changes and issues in television technology' - DEFRA, 2005

11 EICTA - 'Industry Self Commitment on the energy efficiency of household products', 1 July 2003
12 Which? July 2004
13 The Green Home Handbook - Gillian Martlew and Shelley Silver (Fontana, 1991)
14 The Green Home - Karen Christensen (Piatkus, 1995)