Upcoming 8K TVs likely won't be available in the EU due to energy rules

Just as manufacturers gear up to announce and release their latest and greatest 8K capable televisions, new regulations are coming into place that may stop this launch in its tracks due to how power hungry these super high-resolution displays are.

The EU has requirements in place for all consumer electronics that regulate how much energy they can consume, which fall under the Energy Efficiency Index (part of the wider Energy Efficiency Directive). The most recent change in March 2021 resulted in the majority of models falling into the lowest efficiency class possible (G).

This is set to be reviewed again, in a drive by the EU to cut energy bills to consumers by doing what it can. This includes setting an upper limit on maximum energy consumption for TVs, which many manufacturers have said will effectively push back the rollout, or stop sale, of 8K TVs altogether.

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

The proposed targets for TVs are based on the size of the panel, but go up to a maximum of 178W for an 88" panel. For comparison, Samsung's QN900B 8K LCD is rated at 326W, which is significantly over the proposed limit, and shows the difficulties that manufacturers will face in meeting these requirements.

Source: FlatpanelsHD

Upcoming 8K TVs likely won't be available in the EU due to energy rules