2.7
July 29, 2008

An Eco TV? Philips 42PFL5603D/27 42-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV is first out of the gate.

I want a big cool flat panel TV. I’m a mindful consumer, however—I like to buy stuff that’s gonna minimize toxic metals in our earth and water supply, and that’s not gonna suck energy out of my walls like there’s no tomorrow (which, if we keep consuming mind-less-ly, is something of a possibility). Here’s the best I’ve found, with a little help from my good buddy Mister Google. 

For that strange little cross section of environmentalist and videophile, there is a high definition TV out there for you. I’m talking about the recently launched, CES award-winning Philips 42PFL5603D Flat TV 42″, better known as the Eco TV. The problem is that you may never hear about it.

The set is RoHS compliant, meaning it is virtually free of the six major heavy metals including lead, mercury and cadmium that are a danger to your health and the environment. It also uses less energy by dimming in response to ambient light and using a mere 0.15W on standby. The packaging and manuals use recycled material for a nice touch. The set runs in full 1080p and uses Philips Pixel Plus HD technology to remove artifacts so you’ll always get a nice image. And at $1399.99, the set is comparably priced.

Sounds great, right?

“Now check out the Philips site for the set. You’re see that “this eco-friendly TV delivers powerful performance while conserving our future,” but you won’t find anything about RoHS compliance, recycling packaging, or even the ambient light technology. Only if you dig through the tech specs will you find the sub-watt standby power.

Why a company would put such effort into making an environmentally smart HDTV and say next to nothing about it is puzzling. These features set the TV apart in the overwhelming field of HDTV. Philips also decided to officially go with the catchy name 42PFL5603D Flat TV 42″, only including Eco TV as an aside. Can you imagine the RAZR being called the 574F32R5 Cell Phone, or more fittingly, the Prius being called the 654FJ0W Hatchback?

A few more important details and some branding imagination and Philips could have a hit on its hands. It would also increase the company’s green image and promote environmental awareness on a scale as global as Philips.”

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