The adoption of 8K in the media industry could be under threat from stricter energy requirements within the European Union.

From March, the EU is setting new energy consumption regulations which could mean leading 8K TV manufacturers would face serious restrictions on any new TV sets.

The 8K Association warned the new law could have a “very chilling effect on all players working to develop the 8K ecosystem”. The European Union’s energy efficiency index (EEI) is calculated based on the screen area and power consumption of a TV set.

In March 2019, the EEI for 8K (more than UHD) resolution and microLED-based displays was defined, setting a March 1, 2023 date for compliance. These devices will be required to consume the same power as UHD (4K) resolution devices.

“We have confirmed that no current 8K TVs can meet this level of power efficiency and will therefore be banned from selling into the EU market,” said the association.

The 8K Association is calling for the EU to review its specifications in order to allow for data based on products currently in the market as well as how technology is likely to address the reduction of power going forward.

“No 8K TVs can pass this EEI level and so will be banned for sale in the EU,” added the association. “This will impact TV makers and their supply partners as well as integrators in the EU’s professional and consumer markets.

“The inability to sell new technology products in a substantial part of the global market also disrupts the typical development cycle,” it added. “New technology needs to be introduced at higher prices to recoup the investment to achieve these improved results and continue development (including reducing power consumption) and lower overall costs. This cycle means these improvements eventually spread down the product line and become standard features over time. This regulation is not helpful to this cycle.”

More details of the 8K Association’s thoughts on the regulations are available here.

This article originally appeared on TVBEurope.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Comcast has announced that Comcast Cable plans to double its network energy efficiency by 2030, cutting the electricity per consumed terabyte of data in half.

“We’re on the path to a greener internet,” said Charlie Herrin, president of the Technology, Product, Experience organization within Comcast Cable. “The smart technologies powering our new network architecture are transforming how data is delivered, providing the industry’s best combination of speed, coverage, and control – all more sustainably.”

Comcast made the announcement at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2022, where the operator purchased and gifted renewable energy certificates that will power SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2022 with 100% clean energy.

Comcast has been investing in a nationwide network transformation to virtual, cloud-based technologies that offer faster broadband speeds, greater reliability, and improved energy efficiency. The new virtualized platform includes more centralized locations for headends, hubs, and data centers that are more efficient than previous technologies, requiring less hardware, less space, and less energy per byte.

Comcast has also set a goal to be carbon neutral by 2035 for Scope 1 and 2 emissions, or the direct and indirect emissions it owns and controls, across its global operations. With purchased electricity accounting for the majority of its emissions, Comcast is investing in clean, renewable energy to power its network and operations, as well as shifting to newer, more energy-efficient technologies and facilities to deliver more data with less energy per byte.

“Achieving our carbon neutral goal will require our business to work harder and smarter, and that goes for the network itself,” Herrin added. “We’re proud to make network energy efficiency a priority among our peers and suppliers, and to demonstrate the role our industry has in creating a more sustainable future.”

WASHINGTON—Set-top boxes will soon be saving even more energy than in recent years thanks to an extension of an agreement between the Consumer Technology Association and the NCTA—The Internet & Television Association (NCTA).

The “Voluntary Agreement for Ongoing Improvement to the Energy Efficiency of Set-Top Boxes” agreement, which was initially signed in 2012, has been extended through 2025. As part of the agreement, new and stronger energy-efficient commitments will be put in place starting in 2019.

At the end of 2019, CTA reports that the agreement has saved consumers $7 billion in energy costs and avoided 39 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. By the end of these extended terms, it is projected that the total energy uses by set-top boxes in the U.S. will be only a third of the energy used by set-top boxes in 2012.

This latest extension of the agreement places emphasis on IP set-top boxes. The maximum power levels for IP non-DVR set-top boxes will be cut by an average of 43% from 2021 levels, per CTA. The Natural Resources Defense Council, NRDC, estimates the new set-top boxes that will be rolled out in 2023 will use around 20% less energy, what it calls “great incremental progress.”

“The ongoing incremental energy efficiency improvements by the pay-TV industry and set-top box manufacturers translate to a very satisfying trifecta—reduced energy use, avoided carbon emissions and lower customer utility bills,” said Noah Horowitz, senior scientist at NRDC. “Going forward, we anticipate many customers will be able to get rid of their set-top boxes entirely and access content directly through an app installed on their TV, which will lead to even greater savings.”

Multichannel pay-TV providers, manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates are signatories of the agreement. This includes AT&T/DirecTV, Comcast, Charter, Dish, Verizon, Cox, Altice, Frontier, CommScope, Technicolor, NRDC and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. CableLabs also aids with research and developing the energy efficiency strategies.

“The phenomenal progress we’ve seen in energy and cost reduction due to this voluntary agreement is a testament to what can be accomplished through private sector initiative and collaboration,” said Doug Johnson, vice president of technology policy, CTA. “We applaud the signatory companies for their commitments and engineering accomplishments, the energy efficiency advocates for their contributions and oversight, and the policymaking community for giving us the time and space to develop, launch and expand this agreement.”

Whether it’s on your phone, computer or television, odds are you’ve used an online streaming service to keep yourself entertained during quarantine. Streaming services such as Netflix and HBO have even released some of their shows and movies at no cost, allowing everyone to escape reality for a few hours.

If you’ve recently splurged on a streaming subscription, you’re not alone. Netflix reported it gained an additional 15.8 million subscribers over the past few months, bringing the total number of Netflix memberships to 183 million.

But could all those hours of streaming impact your energy bill? And does streaming your favorite movie harm the environment?

FROM DATA CENTERS TO YOUR LIVING ROOM

While movies and videos only take seconds to view, they require energy to stream from your smart devices. To watch your favorite shows, content travels from data centers, through a network of cables and routers, and consumes energy from your device of choice (smart phone, laptop, gaming console, etc.).

There have been a number of claims (stemming primarily from a 2019 report from The Shift Project) that the emissions generated by watching Netflix for 30 minutes is the same as driving 4 miles in your car.

However, many disagree with these numbers. The figures reported above are nearly 800 times larger than those reported by Netflix and almost double the estimated electricity consumed by data centers globally.

In fact, streaming services (including Netflix and YouTube) use a different type of data center called a Content Delivery Network (CDN), which requires less electricity than regular data centers. CDNs simply copy information (such as a movie on Netflix) instead of using energy to solve complex equations or search through massive amounts of information.

Additionally, it’s important to note that data centers, even the large ones that consume massive amounts of energy, only produce 0.3% of the world’s total carbon emissions.

THE EFFICIENCY OF STREAMING DEVICES

Streaming videos does consume electricity, meaning your all-day Netflix binge will likely impact your energy bill. However, streaming may be one of the more energy-efficient activities despite its electricity consumption.

According to findings published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology, the amount of electricity required to stream videos has been cut in half every two years since 2000. This is in part due to the increasing efficiency of streaming devices. For example, consumers tend to replace smart phones more frequently than devices such as computers—and these smart phones account for more than 70% of YouTube videos streamed each day.

Of course, smart devices vary in energy-efficiency. Streaming Netflix on a gaming console may consume more energy than using an Apple TV. In fact, studies show cable boxes consume way more electricity compared to streaming devices—meaning consumers who use streaming devices may see a lower rate on monthly energy bills.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

So, will binge-watching your favorite Netflix show hurt your wallet and the environment? Not in comparison to many other energy-consuming practices.

The truth is streaming content consumes energy—there’s no way around that. However, smart devices tend to be more energy-efficient than cable boxes and gas-powered cars. And that energy efficiency will likely result in lower energy bills each month compared to what bills could be when using more energy-intensive devices.

In terms of the environment, the current climate crisis means we should continue to work towards decarbonizing all aspects of society. The major energy-consumers are large corporations, factories and big data centers. However, cutting back on the amount of electricity you consume each day is a simple way you can help lessen the impacts of global warming.

In all, watching videos on Netflix and YouTube should not break the bank during quarantine—and popular streaming devices will likely continue to increase in efficiency in coming years. Just be sure to turn those videos off before you fall asleep at night.

Caitlin Cosper is a writer within the energy and power industry. Born in Georgia, she attended the University of Georgia before earning her master’s in English at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

This story was originally posted on SaveOnEnergy.

SAN FRANCISCO—How much would you be willing to pay to stop having to dig through your couch to find the TV remote? According to a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, the cost may actually be more than purchasing a smart speaker to hook up and control the TV.

In its report, “Energy Impacts of Smart Speakers and Video Streaming Devices,” the NRDC does find that most smart speaker (i.e. Amazon’s Alexa) and video streaming devices are energy efficient. Despite being turned on at all times, most only consume $1.50-$4 worth of electricity annually as smart speakersuse less than 2 W of electricity while they are in standby mode waiting for a command, while streaming devices (Roku, Google Chromecast) consume 3 W or less in standby.

But that conservation can be made moot if consumers are linking smart speakers to some TVs to access voice commands. When connected with some newer TVs, pairing a smart speaker with the TV can result in standby mode generating 1 W to more than 20 W, possibly doubling a TV’s overall annual energy use and add about $200 in energy costs over a TV’s lifetime. More broadly, such energy increases could have an impact on the annual national electricity consumption could increase by three to six coal-burning power plants’ worth of electricity. As a result, $1.3 billion to $2.5 billion could be added to U.S. consumers’ electric bills each year with one-fourth or half of TVs connected to smart speakers.

To address this, NRDC says that TV manufacturers must address this problem with updated designs.

“Our report should be a wake-up call for all TV manufacturers to improve their products to support hands-free operation without needlessly sucking massive amounts of energy as the next big energy vampires in our homes,” said Noah Horowitz, co-author of the report and director of NRDC’s Center for Energy Efficient Standards. “Up to $2.5 billion in extra electricity costs would be an appallingly high price for consumers and the environment to pay just to wake our TVs with a voice command.”

The full report is available here.