Flat Panel Displays Devour Power

That Giant Sucking SoundMay Be Your New TV

Flat-Panel Displays DevourPower, Even Before Add-Ons;Energy Star Blurs the Picture

By REBECCA SMITH (Wall Street Journal)

December 13, 2007; Page D1
Prices for big-screen television sets are dropping, but the cost of home entertainment may still be headed up. That is because the fancy screens shoppers are lugging home this holiday season consume far more electricity than their old-school predecessors.

Consider that a 42-inch plasma set can consume more electricity than a full-size refrigerator -- even when that TV is used only a few hours a day. Powering a fancy TV and full-on entertainment system -- with set-top boxes, game consoles, speakers, DVDs and digital video recorders -- can add nearly $200 to a family's annual energy bill.

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