An offhand remark about plasma TVs consuming more power than other types led me to a bit of research today. Using some sample Samsung models, I set out to see what power consumption is like for plasma, LCD, and DLP sets in the 40 to 50-inch range. The results:
- LCD: 250 to 325 watts (40 and 52-inch)
- Plasma: 380 to 480 watts (42 and 50-inch)
- DLP: 230 watts (independent of size)
By comparison, my humble 32-inch CRT consumes about 100 watts, which increases slowly with screen size. That makes sense for CRT and DLP sets, since you’re really just running a projector behind an arbitrarily-sized screen.
To answer the original question, plasma TVs do indeed draw significantly more power than LCDs, adding yet another factor into TV decision making. I’ll be content with my current set while letting prices come down and the amount of high-definition content increase.
