With global warming becoming an increasing problem, it’s about time that TV manufacturers got their act together to produce devices that use as little energy as possible, and eco-conscious consumers will be pleased to hear that Sony has now done just that with the latest addition to its Bravia line: the WE5.

One of the biggest problems with modern TVs is that they use up huge amounts of power even when in standby mode, so it is reassuring to hear that the WE5 has a switch that can take the power usage in off mode to nothing. It also has a backlight, indeed the world’s first micro-tubular Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (HCFL) backlight, that claims to be able to cut power by 50%.

But perhaps the most fancy feature is the Smart Presence Sensor, which detects whether there is anyone in the room watching the TV through detecting body heat and movement. If it doesn’t find anyone then the TV switches itself to ‘picture off’ mode, keeping just the sound on. However, if there has been no change after 30 minutes then it switches itself to standby.

This technology will be great if it catches on and becomes standard, but is it really going to make much of a difference at the moment? The people that buy it are likely to be more eco-minded, and will therefore be more likely turn off the TV when they leave the room anyway. As well as this, there are fears that the WE5 may make people more lazy and forget to turn off their TVs more often, leading to an overall greater use of power.

Whatever the criticisms, this has to be considered a step in the right direction, with Sony saying that overall it has a 20% to 30% power reduction over the other TVs in the Bravia line. It will be available in both 40-inch and 46-inch models, and will be coming out in the UK in the spring.