As manufacturers prepare to announce and launch their latest and greatest 8K-capable TVs, new regulations are emerging that could stall that launch due to how much power these ultra-high-definition displays consume.

The EU has all consumer electronics requirements that regulate the amount of energy they can consume, which falls under the Energy Efficiency Index (part of the broader Energy Efficiency Directive). The final change in March 2021 has reduced most models to the lowest possible efficiency class (G).

This needs to be reconsidered as the EU tries to do everything possible to lower consumers’ electricity bills. This includes putting an upper limit on the maximum power consumption of TVs, which many manufacturers say will effectively delay deployment or stop selling 8K TVs altogether.

The 8K Association provided a video response to the proposed changes:

Recommended targets for TVs are based on panel size, but at a maximum of 178 W for an 88 inch panel. By comparison, the Samsung QN900B 8K LCD is rated at 326W, which is well above the recommended limit, illustrating the challenges manufacturers will face in meeting these requirements. Source