BNCE TV07: Power Impacts of Quick Start Standby Functionality in Televisions Version 1.0 This Briefing Note and referenced information is a public consultation document and will be used to inform Government decisions. The information and analysis forms part of the Evidence Base created by Defra s Market Transformation Programme. 1 Summary This briefing note provides an explanation of the Quick Start standby functionality, currently emerging in television sets. It discusses reasons why Quick Start standby has been introduced by some manufacturers, and the different technical solutions that exist to achieve this fast start-up functionality. It also provides examples of products where this functionality is available, and details power consumption levels for Quick Start standby as stated in user manuals or derived from testing. 2 What is Quick Start standby? 1 Quick Start standby is an option made available to the user on some high end television sets. The user can select this mode instead of normal standby (as per standby regulation) in order to view an image on the screen more quickly. There appear to be two current means of achieving the quick start function: i) Through maintaining power to the picture and digital tuner processors prior to product switch on ii) Through provision of additional non volatile random access memory (NVRAM) to store the active configuration of the picture and tuner processors. 3 Why is Quick Start standby available? 1 The power consumed in quick start mode is additional to that required for networking functions taking place when the television is in a standby mode. These additional power requirements will not be considered in this Briefing Note. Last reviewed: 25/01/2011 1 of 7 0845 600 8951
Televisions are becoming increasingly complex, with high end products incorporating advanced functionality that often requires powerful processors and, in some cases, longer start-up times. These could be in the region of 11 seconds, but possibly as high as 20 seconds. Previous research has suggested that user tolerance of product start-up delays of more than 7 seconds after a button action requesting activity from an off state is low 2. Above this level of delay, it is possible that users may become frustrated, and could press additional buttons that may result in product malfunction and adversely impact user experience. A Quick Start mode could achieve a much reduced start-up time, in the region of 3 to 5 seconds. 4 How common is Quick Start standby functionality? research in November suggested that this functionality was only present in the high end models of three manufacturers. High end products could be estimated to represent around 10% of their total market. However, this feature could become much more prevalent in televisions of screen diagonal size greater than 32 inches in future, especially as mainstream products become more complex, with features such as full HD, 3D TV, and internet connectivity as standard. In the case of DVD /BluRay Disc recorders, where start up times can sometimes be very slow (around 1 minute in some cases - affecting the feasibility of quick record options), the Quick Start standby mode is often flagged to users at the front of the user manual or in an additional insert. As a result, a high number of these recorders are likely to have the Quick Start mode enabled by the user as default. Similar approaches may be taken in future to communicate this functionality to TV users. 5 Quick Start standby technical solutions Two technical solutions to Quick Start standby have currently been observed: 1. Maintaining power to the processors. 2. Provision of additional memory. Whilst the standby requirements within the television regulation (EC) No 642/2009 require power down from an on mode to a standby (or equivalent) mode after 4 hours of inactivity, there is no specification of the need to power down from other operational modes (such as a Quick Start standby mode). Therefore once a product is in this mode, the regulation does not require it to leave this mode to a lower power consuming mode. The prevalence of the Quick Start setting will therefore vary depending upon product design. Some products will remain in that mode indefinitely once it is 2 UK Consumers Association Ergonomic Testing Benchmarking (focus group on remote controls 2004) Last reviewed: 25/01/2011 2 of 7 0845 600 8951
by the user. Other products have more sophisticated configuration approaches that reduce the likelihood of the product remaining in this higher power consumption standby mode unnecessarily for example, specifying set time periods in which the user would like the setting to be active, or even auto-configuring Quick Start functionality to become active around the time of normal TV viewing. 6 Environmental and running cost implications As explained in Section 2 of this note, there are different ways of achieving Quick start functionality. research (full data provided in Table 1) indicates that the environmental implications as well as running costs to TV owners, in the form of energy consumption in use are significantly different depending upon the solution implemented: Where power is maintained to the processor, additional power consumption requirements (above the 1W regulatory level) may be around 11 to 12 W, but could be as high as 30 to 38W for high specification products with separate media receivers. Where additional memory (NVRAM) is provided, the additional power consumption can be negligible (fractions of a watt). Over the lifetime of a television, additional impacts of processor-power based quick start functionality could be: At the 12W level: o Approximately 40 in electricity and around 170 kg CO 2 At the 30W level: o Approximately 100 in electricity and around 410 kg CO 2 3 With a memory based (NVRAM) solution instead, the additional lifetime impacts of quick start requiring only an extra 0.2W could be): o Less than 1 in electricity and around 3 kg CO 2 Preparatory studies carried out under the Energy Using Products directive have highlighted that energy in use is more significant than component manufacture in terms of environmental impacts 4. Taking into account the considerable differences in energy consumption of the two solutions, it can therefore be considered that the NVRAM solution has negligible additional environmental implications when compared with the alternative approach of maintaining power to the processor. Whilst memory based solutions could imply some additional cost to the 3 Assumes standby time of 3,833 hours with settings remaining in Quick Start mode for all this time once enabled, lifespan 7.5 years, Price electricity 2011 of 11.99p per kwh, Carbon factor 2011 0.48 kgco 2 per kwh 4 For example, European Commission DG TREN Preparatory studies for Eco-design Requirements of EuPs (Contract TREN/D1/40-2005/LOT3/S07.56313) - Lot 3 - Personal Computers (desktops and laptops) and Computer Monitors - Final Report (Task 1-8) - IVF Industrial Research and Development Corporation Last reviewed: 25/01/2011 3 of 7 0845 600 8951
manufacturer, this cost premium could be reflected to the consumer and compensated for by the end energy savings. 7 Suggestion for minimising environmental and running costs impacts In order to minimise negative environmental and running cost implications of quick start functionality, both a range of soft policies and upcoming European policy developments could aim to address the issue: 1. Engagement with industry to discuss the use and energy impacts of the quick start functionality, in order to raise awareness of the higher energy impacts of the functionality when powered by processor power-based solutions. 2. Soft policies could address the issue, by including criteria for quick start standby in voluntary schemes, such as the Energy Saving Trust Recommended criteria for televisions, the Eco-label for televisions and other voluntary initiatives with retailers and manufacturers. 3. Use of harder policies, such as: a) An ecodesign preparatory study on networked standby has been carried out, with the aim of either reviewing the existing EU standby measure (EC 1275/2008) or producing a regulatory measure with cross cutting networked standby requirements. Within this, the following requirements could be considered: An upper limit for the Quick Start function power requirement where this function is essential to other user-configurable network standby modes 5. b) The review of the television regulation in Europe (EC 642/2009) (scheduled prior to July 22 nd 2012 6 ) could require: An upper limit for the Quick Start function power requirement (with additional allowances for other user-configurable network standby modes if not addressed by that point under a network standby measure) That after a set period the product enters its standby mode regardless of the prior operating mode (as long as the latter was not active viewing or recording). Designers / manufacturers of products featuring Quick Start functionality could minimise negative energy impacts and electricity costs to users by: 5 Quick Start functionality is available on the higher specification TVs which have more advanced processing requirements, and will have some type of network connectivity - therefore standby modes such as quick start would potentially be considered as coming under scope of the network standby study rather than the existing standby measure. 6 The standby regulation EC 1275/2008 came into force on Jan 7 th 2009, and revision is scheduled for no later than 6 years after this date. Last reviewed: 25/01/2011 4 of 7 0845 600 8951
Adopting additional memory-based rather than processor power-based solutions (considerable savings) Restricting time spent in Quick Start modes to set periods and/or ensuring power down to a lower level of standby after a maximum number of hours. 8 Sample televisions with Quick Start functionality A literature review and testing exercise upon a small sample of products on the market with this functionality, provides the following data: Table 1 - Sample televisions with quick start functionality Brand Product model Sony 40EX1 and 40ZX1 (very high specification with separate media receiver) Sony KDL - 40EX713 and others with larger screens in this series Sony Samsu ng Sharp Sharp KDL- 55EX503 LE40C 750R2 and larger screens in this series LC-40 LE 821E LC-60LE 925E Quick Start technical solution power up power up power-up Additional memory power up Power-up normal standby power demand Media receiver 3.35 W Monitor 0.45W Quick Start standby power demand 38. W (19 W monitor + 19 W media receiver) normal start-up delay time quick start-up delay time Setting config 12 secs 4 secs Restricted to set time periods (user ) 0.2 W 11.8W. 11 secs 3 secs Restricted to set time periods (user and on similar newer models with self learning option) 0.2 W 12.1 W 11 secs 3 secs User Set time periods and self learning options. 0.1 W 0.3 W 10 secs 5 secs User feature (on or off). 0.3 W 12.1W 11 secs 4 secs Setting retained indefinitely once enabled (until user disables). 0.2 W 30.9 W 11 secs 5 secs Setting retained indefinitely once enabled (until user disables). Reference Manual, pages 30 and 33. testing November Testing December testing November testing November Testing December Notes on data: At time of writing, the Samsung and Sony televisions were consistent in terms of quick start power requirement across the size range (with the Last reviewed: 25/01/2011 5 of 7 0845 600 8951
exception of the separate Sony media receiver model listed in the first row). Sharp televisions appeared to vary in terms of quick start power consumption, with an extreme quick start power level illustrated for a 60 product in the last row of the table. At time of writing there were no other manufacturers identified with quick start functionality available. 9 Conclusions There is a risk that Quick Start standby functionality could become more prevalent in the mass market as television complexity (and television size) increases. Depending upon how solutions are implemented, and the degree to which users choose to take up this functionality, there is potential for a substantial increase in power consumption of television products with this functionality. Careful design around most energy efficient solutions could mitigate the risk of increased energy consumption, and revisions to regulatory standby requirements could ensure that consumption in this mode is minimised in future. Related information Briefing Note BNCE TV01: Televisions Government Standards Evidence Base 2009: Key Inputs Briefing Note BNCE TV02 Televisions Government Standards Evidence Base 2009: Reference Scenario Briefing Note BNCE TV03 Televisions Government Standards Evidence Base 2009: Policy Scenario Briefing Note BNCE TV04 Televisions Government Standards Evidence Base 2009: Best Available Technology Scenario Briefing Note BNCE TV05: 2008 testing of TV luminance and ambient lighting control Briefing Note BNCE TV06: TV test data and analysis Briefing Note BNCE KO01 Domestic Consumer Electronics Government Standards Evidence Base 2009: Key Outputs Changes from previous version No changes as this is the first published version of this document. Last reviewed: 25/01/2011 6 of 7 0845 600 8951
Consultation and further information Stakeholders are encouraged to review this document and provide suggestions that may improve the quality of information provided. Email info@mtprog.com quoting the document reference, or call the enquiry line on +44 (0) 845 600 8951. For further information on related issues visit http://efficientproducts.defra.gov.uk Last reviewed: 25/01/2011 7 of 7 0845 600 8951