Posts Tagged Resources
Inside an LED TV
Posted by LED Larry in LED, Other Technology on April 20th, 2009
Posted By: Michael J. Miller
Original Source: blogs.pcmag.com
Ever wonder what’s inside your TV? Yesterday afternoon, I went to a press event hosted by Samsung Electronics where the company not only showed its new line of TVs, but had all of the pieces on display.
The TV in question is one of Samsung’s new “LED TVs.” Technically, these are LCD televisions with what others call “LED-edgelighting” meaning that the display is lit from LEDs on the edge of the TVs rather than the display being lit from behind (as in most LCD TVs, which use fluorescent backlighting; or traditional LED-backlit displays in notebooks, etc.)
After the jump are pictures of all the components.
The part of the display in front is the bezel, and these LED TVs continue Samsung’s “Touch of Color” theme, with a reddish tint. The speakers and an IR receiver are built into the bezel.
Behind comes the LCD panel itself, the guts of any TV. Some of the LED TVs (the 6000 and 7000 series) have a 120 Hz refresh rate; the high-end 8000 series features a 240 Hz refresh rate. Samsung’s 240 Hz rate includes frame interpolation for all the missing frames, as opposed to inserting black frames in a strobe fashion.
What makes this TV different from most TVs is the lighting. It has LEDs on the edges of the panels, and the light is aimed at a “light guide” – a special sheet with tiny prisms that reflect the light toward the front of the set. There are more prisms towards the center (which is farther from the light source) than near the edges, creating a more consistent level of brightness.
The light guide is part of the overall backlight unit. In front of it are sheets of glass that diffuse, filter, and polarize the light; and in back of it goes a reflective panel so all the light stays in the set.
Behind the backlight goes the electronics that run the TV. In this case, they are separated into three distinct groups, including the main circuit board, TV tuner, and the power supply. I noticed how there were holes in the motherboard itself so some thicker pieces could be places within the holes, making the combined electronics a bit thinner.
This set has two USB ports (one powered), 4 HDMI ports, and the usual other assortment of ports.
Of course, at the end the TV is put together, with a back case as well. The LED lighting , along with other things such as the thinner electronics, help make this set very thin: just 1.2-inches deep. And Samsung has a mount that lets it attach to the wall in only 0.6-inches.
Samsung actually will have three lines of LED TVs – the 6000 series, which features a 120 Hz refresh rate; the 7000 series, which adds IPTV features that Samsung calls “Media 2.0″; and the 8000 series, which includes the Media 2.0 features and goes up to a 240 Hz refresh rate.
I thought this was a great display of the things that go into making a modern TV.
It’s not just a sign of the times, it is in our LED.
Posted by LED Larry in LED, Signs, Uncategorized on April 15th, 2009
It’s not just a sign of the times, it is in our LED. LEDs are a wonderful, energy efficient, and environmentally friendly solution to illuminated signs and accent lighting.
LED products are efficient, safe, low voltage, long-lasting and arguably better at using energy than other lighting technologies. LED technology converts energy straight to light, resulting in running cost savings over standard energy bills. They also last up to 10 times longer than traditional lighting for signage. Beware, not all LED companies pride themselves on energy efficiency. Some over-drive their LEDs, resulting in shorter product life spans and slim, if any, reduction in energy costs. If energy efficient lighting wasn’t your first choice
for your signage – that’s OK.
Eco Friendly Sign Lighting Solutions
LED environmentally friendly products offer:
• Significant energy cost savings
• Standardized low-voltage systems
In addition to offering an environmentally friendly product, USLP has taken the following steps to creating a better work place and planet:
• Recycle all box cardboard and paper products
• Employees are encouraged to use e-mail to reduce the need for paper copies being sent to our customers whenever possible
• Recycle all wooden products including skids
• Recycle printer and toner cartridges
We are committed to ensuring that our product and business activities take into consideration the impact on the environment, and to the continual review of these activities. In this manner we can develop, educate and improve to support the company’s environmental awareness practices.
Energy Resources and Incentive Programs
Energy Policy Act 2005 and Tax Credits
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 became available to homeowners, businesses, and manufacturers on
January 1, 2006. It provides a variety of tax credits for the purchase of energy efficient buildings and
improvements to existing buildings. More information can be found on the Building Energy Codes Resource Center
http://resourcecenter.pnl.gov/cocoon/morf/ResourceCenter/article/1529
Additional Resources
• Tax incentives for buildings and other efficiency improvements
www.energytaxincentives.org
• Commercial building provisions
www.efficientbuildings.org
• U.S. Department of Energy
www.energycodes.gov/comcheck/ez_download.stm
Incentive Programs
• DSIRE – Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency DSIRE is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and federal incentives that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency.
www.dsireusa.org
• BC Hydro LED product incentive program
www.bchydro.com/business/incentive/incentive8823.html
• Pacific Gas and Electric Company lighting incentive program
www.pge.com/mybusiness/energysavingsrebates/rebatesincentives/ref/lighting/