Politics & Policy News

According to the LATimes, the California Energy Commission is actively considering banning sales of "energy-hungry" HDTVs, setting a new efficiency standard that will help offset the massive energy use in the state.

If the proposal goes through, sales of all non energy-efficient models will be banned by 2011 and even more strict standards will occur in 2013.

The public has a 45-day period to comment on the proposal, beginning Monday, and approval goes to vote in November. If approved, California's electricity consumption will drop enough to save $8.1 billion USD in 10 years.

If approved, the Consumer Electronics Association says about 25 percent of all HDTVs available will have to be removed from store shelves. The group also notes that any would-be customer could simply drive over a state and buy a non-restricted TV if they choose to however.Permalink | Comments

Hollywood's bid to force a yet-to-be-agreed-upon number of households to buy new home theater gear is back in business. The Motion Picture Association of America has once again asked the Federal Communications Commission for the right to selectively control output streams to the TV entertainment systems of consumers. "The pro-consumer purpose" (!) request "is to enable movie studios to offer millions of Americans in-home access to high-value, high definition video content," three MPAA biggies explained during a meeting they held with seven FCC Media Bureau staffers last Thursday.
Consumer groups, electronics makers, pro-consumer bloggers, and consumers, it should be noted, think this idea is a very stinky dog. So did former FCC Chair Kevin Martin. But that does not seem to dissuade the MPAA, whose principals just can't seem to let the issue go. What's interesting about the group's latest filing, however, is that it effectively ...

A leading UK broadband comparison service has warned that users taking advantage of the BBC's new HD iPlayer could run into trouble with their Internet service provider. Even on many unlimited broadband packages, fair usage policies apply which could see users either charged, speed throttled or facing dropped connections if they exceed certain download limits, particularly during peak times. Whil ...

A few of Sharp's LCD HDTV line has been banned from import to the United States today, following the ruling against the company in a patent dispute with Samsung.

The two companies have been fighting for months over patents relating to the "apertures formed in the conductive layer comprising the electrode." The patents in question are used in widescreen LCD panels.

Not all of Sharp's LCDs ...

We know, we're just being greedy at this point, but hey -- did you honestly expect anything less? We knew Intel's new Atom N280 processor, when paired with the equally fresh GN40 chipset, could deliver silky smooth 720p video playback. What we didn't know, however, was how well it could handle 1080p material. According to Fudzilla, an Intel product manager has stated that the GN40 is "designed ...

The average price of an HDTV had been falling since May 2008, but not so in February, when price tags jumped 10%, according t -More- ]]> ...

Sky has decided that it's time to get really aggressive when it comes to high definition in the UK, and to that end has slashed the price of its Sky+HD box to just £49. That's a third of the price it was early last year (£150) and is the satellite broadcaster's hope of getting many more subscribers hooked on pay-for-HD. In fact, thanks to a lot of enticing marketing and the lure of a variety ...

Wall Street Journal writer Christopher Lawton offers tips on making the HDTV transition more affordable, by opting for a less -More- ]]> ...