Consumers who are conscious of energy saving may be disappointed by the recording function of iDTVs.
The first study of iDTV, conducted by the Consumer Council in a German laboratory, found unreasonable energy consumption in some iDTV models when timer recording was set.
The test covered 20 models of iDTV marketed under different makes. All are of the most popular 32" screen size with 1920 X 1080 screen resolution, price ranges from $3,990 to $7,000.
The test revealed that some samples were unable to submit to true standby mode if the timer recording function was being used. When timer recording was set, the standby power consumption was as high as 15 to 31 watt. 5 samples even failed to switch to true standby after recording was finished, resulting in unnecessary wastage of energy. Such design has lots of room for improvement.
The 20 samples were compared for their performance on picture quality, sound quality, ease of use, versatility, special feature and energy efficiency.
3 samples stood out on picture quality and scored 4 points on a scale of 5. However, one sample had serious screen reflection problem. Motion pictures were also found to be unsmooth in 18 samples. While it might be possible to correct such defect by using motion enhancer function such as 100 Hz, but it usually causes digital artefacts.
Sound quality was less than satisfactory in more than half of the samples. It is the drawback associated with the "thinness" of the television sets. Users can consider connecting the television set to hi-fi systems, but 7 of the samples are only equipped with digital audio signal output which is not compatible with traditional hi-fi system.
On energy efficiency, the annual running costs range from $106 to $200 assuming daily stand-by mode for 20.5 hours and 3.5 hours watching. 7 samples scored 4.5 points with running costs below $125 a year.
Judging from the overall test results, higher price does not translate into better performance of the samples. Consumers contemplating purchasing iDTVs are advised to consult the report in the July issue of CHOICE.
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