HDTV Almanac - LED Backlights Gaining

CCFL backlights also contain small amounts of mercury, making them hazardous to the environment...

Yes, I see this being touted as another reason to obsolete fluorescent-backlit displays. Of course, if the newer LED backlighting is perceived as "better", dumping many of the current CCFL displays before their time will never happen, right?

Naturally, amidst all this, there's no mention of the fact that the "new" and "improved" lightbulbs we're getting crammed down our throats by mandate, are fluorescent as well, and ALL contain mercury. Doh! Of course, we only use millions (eventually, billions) of those, so luckily that won't be a problem for the environment at all.

- Tim

Actually, the household fluorescent bulbs do save you money, and fairly quickly. Yes, they need to be disposed of safely -- don't just put them in the trash -- for the most benefit, but that's pretty much the case with just about any electronics these days. You're also supposed to recycle batteries (but lots of people don't). The LED lights will save you even more once the prices come down, as they can be many times more efficient than the fluorescents, which in turn are many times more efficient than the traditional incandescent light. And if consumers weren't so ready to spend $1 ten times instead of $7 once, I expect that government regulation would not be as common as it is.

Alfred

I got a rack (8) of CFLs from Home Depot last week for 59 cents a piece. A dump price, but goes to show they are mainstream.

I have not heard of any mandates on bulb use in America. Sure, it will come if it is not by market force, but here is a review of some of what is available in Europe from Phillips as of September:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/g ... light-bulb

One is stated to use 1/10 the power of it's replacement - lumen for lumen. And they last forever (okay, about 40k hours). In the end, they are free given the cost savings. Oh, and they dim correctly.

This was just announced today (for Canada):

Philips' new range of LED retrofit bulbs are a direct replacement for traditional incandescent bulbs and are currently available nationally at The Home Depot:


- AmbientLED GU10 - These GU10 base bulbs offer a 25 degree flood beam
and consume just 7 Watts of energy (80 per cent less energy than the
35 Watt bulb it replaces) and lasts 35,000 hours. Available in both
cool and warm white tones to suit your preference or home décor.

- AccentLED MR16s - These indoor spot lamps consume just 4 Watts of
energy and last 35,000 hours. Available in both cool and warm white
tones to suit your preference or home décor.

- AmbientLED R20 - These medium base indoor flood lamps are ideal for
recessed and track fixtures, consume just 7 Watts (77 per cent less
energy than the 30 Watt bulb it replaces), and have a rated average
life of 40,000 hours. Available in both cool and warm white tones to
suit your preference or home décor.

- Ambient LED Household bulbs - These standard A-shaped bulbs are ideal
for table lamps and consume just 7 Watts (over 70 per cent less
energy than the 25 Watt bulb it replaces), and it has a rated average
life of 35,000 hours. Available in both cool and warm white tones to
suit your preference or home décor.


Philips consumer LED range balances sophisticated design and quality performance with the market's desire for simplicity and comfort. Philips has invested over $4.4 billion in the last two years on LED lighting acquisitions and research to help ensure its leadership in the emerging LED arena and recently unveiled a record 600 lumen A-shape LED bulb prototype designed to replace 40 Watt incandescent bulbs due in the market in late 2010.

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We are on the verge of a change not unlike gas lights and candles to incandescents. And if you've touched a regular bulb - you know the analogy works! Soon enough, we will wonder why we ever though incandescent and CFL (of any type) made any sense at all.

As I understand it, laws are already in place in the U.S. to phase out incandescent bulbs for household use. CFL will work for now, but LED and OLED lights are likely to take over in the near future.

Alfred

http://www.vdeglobalservices.com/en/new ... 09-03.aspx

The United States

California will phase out the use of incandescent bulbs by 2018.

All the government buildings switched to fluorescent lightings in all the states. Many of these state efforts became moot when the federal Clean Energy Act of 2007 was signed into law on December 19, 2007. This legislation effectively banned (by January 2014) incandescent bulbs that produce 310 - 2600 lumens of light. Bulbs outside this range (roughly, light bulbs currently less than 40 Watts or more than 150 Watts) are exempt from the ban. Also exempt are several classes of specialty lights, including appliance lamps, "rough service" bulbs, 3-way, colored lamps, and plant lights.

Oh...thanks for pointing that out. Pretty far out there though and with LEDs being so effective, I expect we will not notice the demise.