Samsung Stands by Its Energy Star Record Following NRDC Report That Calls Its HDR TV a Power Guzzler

Samsung took possession of the Natural Resources Defense Council report on Ultra HD TV energy consumption only Wednesday and is “closely reviewing the findings,” spokeswoman Megan Pollock emailed us Thursday. But amid one of the report's findings that Samsung's 55-inch Ultra HD set was a big guzzler of electricity in its high-dynamic-range active mode, Pollock called Samsung “a pioneer in creating exciting new TV experiences, including Ultra HD 4K and high dynamic range, that are recognized for their award winning energy efficiency capabilities.” To gauge the “On-mode power impact” of HDR, NRDC tested the Samsung UN55JS9000 55-inch Ultra HD TV using two Fox movies, and found that with the HDR-encoded versions of the films, the TV consumed on average about 47 percent more power than it consumed with the non-HDR versions, the report said (see 1511180039). Of the various TVs that NRDC bought for testing, three were HDR-capable, but only the Samsung UN55JS9000 “had completed firmware updates and released compatible HDR-encoded content soon enough to be included in our testing,” the report said. Samsung has "won the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award every year since 2011, and we continue to work hard every day to ensure that our products provide the best possible Samsung experience, while reducing the environmental impact of our technology,” said Pollock. “We will continue working with the EPA and other stakeholders to advance energy efficiency standards that keep pace with the technologies our customers demand. We are continually improving these technologies in both quality and energy efficiency through our investment and innovation.”