Yet another indication that Americans are becoming more conscious of their environmental impact is Sony’s Eco-friendly HDTV - the KDL-VE5 series

This new model is designed to recognize when there is nobody in the room watching it and to turn off the picture. If the “Presence Sensor” detects motion it immediately turns the picture back on.

It also saves power by using a new backlight technology called the Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp which Sony says saves 40% more power than conventional backlights.

All the VE5 models also have augmented the standby mode of the TV set so that absolutely no wattage is expended while in standby.

Sony’s Eco-friendly HDTV series comes in three different sizes (52, 46 and 40 inches), all of which have 1080p resolution, four HDMI inputs and a computer input. The prices of all models are still to be determined.