CES 2009: Sony's Eco-line Bravias

By sandv blog
Posted January 8, 2009

While everyone is talking about Blu, Sony is going green. In all fairness, almost every company mentioned some environmentally-friendly comments in their press conferences - from energy-saving designs to electronics recycling programs. Sony's new Eco-line of Bravia TVs are being debuted at CES, and stand out from the rest of the greening of consumer electronics.

The VE5 Bravia TV reduces power consumption by 40%. And, it exceeds Energy Star 3.0 standards. In addition to reduced power consumption by using HCFL, it has some other power-saving features that are pretty interesting.

The light sensor will dim backlighting depending on ambient light. With the eco-switch, the set uses absolutely no power in the stand-by mode. Most amusing - there is a presense sensor that will shut off the TV if it thinks no one is in the room after a certain amount of time. Guess you can't leave Animal Planet on for your Schnauzer.

Keep reading for the full press release. --Leslie Shapiro

SONY SAVES ENERGY WITH NEW BRAVIA “ECO” TELEVISIONS

LAS
VEGAS (CES BOOTH 14200), Jan. 7, 2009 – Sony took another important
step on the environmental front today by unveiling a series of highly
energy efficient televisions.

The
new BRAVIA VE5-series models offer substantial power savings thanks to
a zero-watt standby power switch, along with motion and light sensors
that minimize energy usage without compromising performance.

The
52-inch KDL-52VE5, the 46-inch KDL-46VE5 and the 40-inch KDL-40VE5
models (all measured diagonally) are also the first to incorporate
Sony’s exclusive micro-tubular Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (HCFL). The technology helps reduce power consumption by almost 40 percent compared to the company’s other LCD HDTV models.

“Sony
is constantly ranked as one of the most environmentally conscious
consumer electronics companies in the industry,” said Randy Waynick, senior vice president of Sony Electronics’ Home Products Division.
“Our new Eco TVs represent the company’s commitment not only to saving
the environment, but also to saving consumers money through lower power
consumption.”

Televisions
often are left unattended by children or others who become busy and
forget to turn the set off when they leave the room.
Sony’s Presence Sensor feature solves the issue by automatically
turning off the picture when no one is present in the vicinity after a
user-set timeframe. When the sensor detects motion, the TV turns it self back on instantly.

The VE5 models are also Sony’s first LCD televisions to offer a zero-watt standby Energy Saving Switch. When not in use, the standby switch can also be manually turned off, cutting power to nearly zero watts. Simply flip the switch back on and the TV is fully operational.

Additionally, the sets feature a light sensor that will automatically adjust the backlight depending on ambient room light.
The setting saves energy and improves image contrast by lowering the
backlight when it is set unnecessarily high in dimmer room light.

All of Sony’s new 2009 LCD high-definition televisions exceed Energy Star® 3.0 requirements. By employing a range of innovative power-saving features, the VE5-series sets a new standard for HDTV energy efficiency.

On the performance front, the sets feature Sony’s Motionflow™ 120Hz technology for improved sharpness and detail in fast-moving images.
The models also offer a USB input for playing audio files from a USB
storage device or connecting a compatible digital camera to display
photos.

The models are compatible with Sony’s BRAVIA Link modules including the
BRAVIA Wireless Link, BRAVIA Input Link and BRAVIA DVD Link.

The models also feature:

The BRAVIA Engine™ 2

BRAVIA Sync™

24p True Cinema™

4 HDMI inputs

Single PC, component, composite and S-video inputs

Favorites menu