TV Makers Seek Clarification of Revised Energy Star Spec’s DAM Feature

TV makers are urging the EPA to clarify quickly whether they would be required, as part of the revised Energy Star specification, to let consumers know that activating the download acquisition mode (DAM) feature in the TV would increase the power consumed by the devices. The issue was raised on a conference call last week to discuss a DAM test procedure (GED Feb 12 p1) developed by Rovi Corp. DAM refers to the power used when the TV is downloading channel listing information for the electronic program guide when the device is “not producing a sound or picture."

"We need to know what’s going to be the direction from Energy Star” regarding DAM energy use language for consumers, said one TV executive. If TV makers need to put out the information electronically on the product that “requires more work to get that incorporated into our products,” he said. Models for 2010 have “already been released or already in the process of being released,” he said, and if the DAM language is required then manufacturers need to “start working fairly quickly to get that done."

It’s also important that the EPA resolve the issue of whether the DAM energy use language needs to be in the owners manual or be part of a TV’s on-screen display, said one executive. “From a TV manufacturers’ standpoint, the more flexibility the better,” he said, suggesting that “it would be easier to put it in the owner’s manual.” The EPA will move quickly to provide clarity, said Katharine Kaplan, EPA acting assistant administrator for energy.

Another issue manufacturers want clarified is whether the power used by non-EPG related functions that are performed in the DAM needed to be accounted for. What is known now is that the “major elements” of DAM are for TV guide-like EPG data, said Kaplan. But if there are “other things happening for a significant amount of time in this mode we should know about it,” she said, and figure out how to measure it “so that we ensure that spec remains a fair spec across all products."

The Rovi test procedure and the test feed are only for testing TVs that incorporate a Rovi EPG and don’t have other features or functions that use DAM, a Rovi representative said on the call. But Rovi can work with individual manufacturers to “help incorporate Rovi’s data in another test feed or help incorporate other data in Rovi’s test feed for that particular manufacturer’s television,” he said. Comments on the Rovi test procedure are due March 1.