Sony's brilliant white WE5W LCD TV series may not be the first to show their 'green' credentials but they can certainly lay claim to harbor some of the most innovative energy saving functions we have seen to date.

With the arrival of the WE5, Sony have introduced the world’s first micro-tubular Hot Cathode Fluorescent Lamp (HCFL) backlight. The technology claims to reduce power consumption by over 50% compared to their previous LCD TV models. The WE5 has been producing some pretty good test results, routinely recording power consumption of less than 100W.

Another first is an intelligent Presence Sensor, which detects your body heat and movement when you’re sitting near the screen. If the sensor fails to detect a human in the immediate vicinity it activates an energy-saving 'Picture Off' mode, while leaving the TV sound on. The picture turns back on as soon as a person's presence is detected.

A new Energy Saving Switch is an alternative to leaving the TV in standby mode (which uses almost half the power of normal use in some cases). With this new option the TV uses virtually no power, while the TV immediately returns to its previous state when it is switched back on.

Along with a number of other manufacturers, the Sony WE5 also includes a function which automatically adjusts the screen's brightness depending on ambient lighting conditions.

Finally, an Eco image preset optimizes image settings to make the TV run as efficiently as possible.

Sony KDL-40WE5W 

Sony KDL-46WE5W