LCD Monitor with ECO-Features and LED Backlight Uses 28% Less Power, Contains No Mercury
by Michael Graham Richard, Ottawa, Canada 
on 09.15.08
Greener LCD Monitors
Typical LCD monitors contain a cold cathode fluorescent bulb (CCFL) used as backlight, and while it is relatively efficient, like other fluorescent lights it contains some mercury. OLED displays can help fix that problem, as well as further increase efficiency. But while we wait for them to become more affordable, the in-between step is LED-backlit LCDs. The Eizo FlexScan EV2411W-H (pictured above and below) is a good example.
It has a LED backlight and some interesting power-saving Eco-features...
Mercury-Free, 28% More Power-Efficient, and Eco-Functions
LED backlighting for LCD screens has started to appear in certain laptop computer models (f.ex. Apple's Macbook Pro), but it is still fairly rare for desktop LCD monitors.
One of those is the the Eizo FlexScan EV2411W-H (coming out Oct 16, approx US$791), a monitor that has interesting specs from a green point of view.
The new product adopts an edge type backlight system, in which lamps are positioned on both the top and bottom sides of an LCD panel. A total of 160 white LEDs are used with 80 LEDs of them positioned on each side.
When the "Auto EcoView" feature it activated, a luminance sensor will automatically adjust the backlight, further saving power and increasing visual comfort. These features add up to a 28% power saving over the previous model of this screen which used a CCFL backlight, and there's no mercury, which is a big problem with e-waste.
There's also an "EcoView Index" feature which will show you the "power saving efficiency" of the screen at the press of a button. This is important because experience has shown that making power consumption visible and providing feedback helps people change their habits and conserve more (f.ex., the LCD screen with MPG data in a Prius hybrid).
The monitor will also come with EcoView NET software that allows a single PC to manage the power-saving settings of multiple monitors remotely.
Via TechOn
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I've been wondering why LED backlights have been so slow to come out for desktop LCDs. Cutting energy requirements by 1/3 is pretty huge over millions and millions of monitors. Can't come soon enough.
If it's energy efficiency you want, an LG W2252TE should be all you need - it uses 50% less energy than an (already efficient) standard 22'.
@ Anon
The reason LED backlit LCDs have been slow to come out is due to price. They've recently come down in price though. A quick google search shows the ViewSonic VLED221WM 22 inch Widescreen LED LCD at $416, which is only about $100 than a cheap cold cathode backlit 22 inch LCD.
I own a 32" Sony Bravia LCD t.v. that only consumes about 50 watts. Yeah.
Question:
Are LED-LCD Monitors able to vary the intensity of the
LED to make the monitor picture brighter or darker ????
This is needed for inkjet picture control.
Ted