Sharp Corporation was the first to shut down production of old-style CRT televisions in favour of LCD flat panels, and now the company is first with another first. Its LCD52LE700EX is the first to receive a seven star energy rating under the government’s Minimum Energy Performance (MEPs) labelling scheme.
Large-screen TVs typically use more power and generate more heat than smaller screen models, so the seven star rating is no small shakes for a television with a whopping 52 inch (132cm) diagonal.
Introduced in 2009, the MEPs system helps consumers identify electronics that are better for the environment and cheaper to run. Most current plasma and LCD television models display a rating out of six stars, but the Sharp stands above them all by qualifying under the ‘Super Efficiency Rating’ scheme, which rates performance out of ten.
Like all current model LCD televisions with super-stellar (cough!) energy ratings, Sharp’s telly employs LED backlighting to reduce power consumption, which it rates at 173 watts. Multiply this figure by the rate your electricity provider charges (on average, between 10-15 cents/kilowatts hour) and you’ll arrive at the dollar amount the TV will cost you to run.
Eco cred aside, the LCD52LE700EX’s performance credentials include contrast ratio of 2,000,000:1, a bakclight life of 100,000 hours, compatibility with 1080/24p signals (ie. Blu-ray), Fine Motion Advanced Technology, SRS TruSurroundHD, Bass Enhancer as well as HDMI and Aquos Link.
The LC52LE700X sells for $3899.
