The European Union has set itself the objective of eliminating the least efficient products from the market. Problem: 8K TVs consume too much energy.
The 8K definition (7,680 x 4,320 pixels) is a reality, but let’s be honest: adapted content is non-existent and native sources are extremely rare. That hasn’t stopped several manufacturers from jumping in, however, with surprisingly good results thanks to the efficiency of modern scaling engines. We even have a buying guide dedicated to these televisions. Today, however, it is a question to ban these 8K televisions from 2023.
Why might 8K TVs be banned?
Let’s go back to March 2021, Europe changed the energy labeling framework regulation. Thus, since September 1, 2021, each television and screen label has included various information, including the electricity consumption in kWh for 1,000 hours in HDR mode with its energy efficiency category (from A to G).
From March 2023, the European Commission could go further by validating a new EEI (Energy Efficiency Index) scale. The latter introduces a maximum energy consumption not to be exceeded. As a reminder, EU legislation on energy labeling and ecodesign is designed ” to eliminate the least efficient products from the market ยป.
Thus, the maximum energy efficiency index (EEI) (EEImax) would be 0.90 for 4K and 8K TVs. The specialist FlatpanelHD therefore calculated the EEImax for different TV sizes.
According to these first calculations, current 8K televisions, whether LCD or OLED, will not be able to comply with the new legislation. What they mean they would be banned from sale. By the way, some 4K TVs could also be banned.
TV manufacturers have several answers to offer. First of all, the Energy Efficiency Index (EEI) can still move between now and December 2022. Finally, nothing prevents them from updating the software of their televisions to reduce their energy consumption. Some modes, including Filmmaker or Eco mode, consume less and could thus avoid blocking sales.
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