14 DAY TRIAL // While the consumer electronics manufacturers try their best in order to come up with increasingly wider and more vivid plasma and LCD displays, it would seem that the legal future of these devices might be uncertain, due to the fact that they require quite a lot of power in order to work. And this is exactly the reason why the Australian government is seriously taking into consideration the possibility of banning said families of displays for good, in an attempt to cut on the overall power consumption and thus take some important steps for protecting the environment.
Thus, according to ABC News, the Australian authorities are discussing these days a new six-star energy-efficiency rating system, which, if adopted, might lead to the banning of plasma panels and LCD displays, or at least of the models currently available on the market. And this is because said displays require simply too much electrical power, at least according to the provisions included in the new rating system, which imposes very strict " minimum energy performance standards".
The biggest problem here is not related to consumers (although they'll be affected as well, since plasmas and LCDs are becoming increasingly popular in Australia), but rather to the manufacturers, who are in very serious danger of losing quite an important market. And although they support the energy efficiency standards, it's quite clear that just 2 years is a very short period of time for coming out with products that actually meet those very tough requirements.
Nevertheless, according to the same article by ABC News, Australian Greenhouse Office spokesman Gene McGlynn says it is likely manufacturers will have two years to meet any standard that is introduced. "By the time the standard came into place, with the industry knowing that these standards are coming in, they can adjust their supply chains to make sure that the products will [meet the requirements]," he said.
Quite obviously, it remains to be seen whether the new rating system will actually be adopted, but in the eventuality that this thing actually happens, the manufacturers of plasma and LCD displays will most have to spend quite a lot of money in R&D activities, in order to be able to come up with certain models that meet all the imposed regulations, leaving the image quality and features aside.
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