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environmental posts

Solar-powered 'guiltless green' home theater system makes your Wall-E Blu-ray very happy

When Home Theater Specialists of America (HTSA) executive director Richard Glikes wanted a home theater system, he didn't just max it out with the best high definition equipment. He also thought to run it entirely from solar energy from four roof-mounted panels that produce an aggregate of 700 watts per hour in sunlight. It'll reportedly run things for 19 hours straight without having to dip into your traditional power grid. Hardware-wise, we're talking about a 100-inch screen, Sharp projector, six SpeakerCraft in-wall speakers, Integra AV receiver, Lutron lighting, and a universal remote. See how it was made, with the help of time-lapse photography and 1980s infomercial-genre background music, in the video after the break.

Sony's 32-inch Bravia TV turns green with our envy


Meet the greenest 32-inch TV on the planet, Sony's BRAVIA KDL-32JE1. The set achieves a 232% efficiency rating -- that's just 86kWh/year -- to easily best the 164% rating required for Japan's highest five-star "Energy Saving Label." Spec watchers will find a WXGA (1,366 x 768) LCD, 2,500:1 contrast, 178-degree viewing angle, and range of in/outs including 2x HDMI and 2x component. Yours in Japan starting July 30th for around ¥150,000 or about $1,387.

[Via Akihabara News]

AUO promises thinner, greener HDTVs at SID 2008

AUO's back again, displaying what new flat panel technologies are trickling down to its OEM televisions, and soon to hit shelves in more reasonably-priced models (albeit wearing another company's name) near you. Hitachi and others are at the forefront of the thinner, lower powered LCD movement, and AUO promises an "ultra-slim" 10mm thick 42-inch LED backlit model next week at SID 2008. The new technology gives power savings of 44% over current models, as well as a 46-inch display with 50% power savings, 500 nits of brightness and 5,000:1 "ultra static high contrast ratio". While we'll wait to find out how that compares to other HDTVs with questionable claims to high contrast rations, the company also plans to show technology that provides 200,000:1 contrast ratio with LEDs. Besides just using less power, we can look forward to LCDs built with using less raw materials and resulting in less chemical waste, which due to our extensive comic book research, we can unequivocally say is a good thing.

Sony offering $100 off BRAVIAs for your unwanted television

Promotions like this are far from revolutionary, but with piles of wrapping paper and cardboard boxes about to consume any remaining free space in your home, we figured you may as well get $100 back for that ancient TV sitting on the junk pile. Effectively immediately, anyone that drops off an old television for recycling (locations listed here) will receive a $100 coupon towards the purchase of a BRAVIA HDTV. Unfortunately, the coupon is only valid at Sony Style stores, at SonyStyle.com or through Sony's telesales office, and any non-Sony dropped off will lower the coupon's value by "$25 - $50." So yeah, we appreciate the effort here, but the terms and conditions aren't exactly the most desirable.




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