Quote:
Originally Posted by KaptKaos
Which type of TV uses the most power?
Plasma
LCD
Old style CRT
Other?
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From the interwebs...
The 45 watts that a 20-inch LCD TV uses is about what it takes to charge a notebook PC, while the 55-inch plasma's 507-watt consumption is closer to that of a large refrigerator. Of course, some sets, such as Panasonic's 50-inch TH-50PHD8UK plasma, can be more efficient than others. It's the same size as Maxent's MX-50X3 plasma, but it used a little more than half as much power when we engaged its power-saving mode.
Size matters as well, so we divided each set's power use by its screen area to get a watts-per-square-inch rating. This way, small and large screens can be compared. While there is some overlap, the TVs we tested form neat groups based on technology:
*Microdisplay rear projector: 0.11 to 0.15 watt per square inch
*LCD: 0.16 to 0.41 watt per square inch
*CRT: 0.25 to 0.40 watt per square inch
*Plasma: 0.30 to 0.39 watt per square inch
If power efficiency is all you're after, the clear choice is rear-projection technology, but these sets rarely get as bright as the others. While CRTs and LCDs are brighter, they are currently limited to about 36 and 40 inches, respectively. Of the four, plasma screens are generally the most power hungry, but on a square-inch basis, they are roughly equivalent to a large CRT set. Also, newer TVs are likely to be more efficient than older ones, and new technologies promise to make TVs more efficient.