Samsung goes green with the UNB6000 series of LED-backlight LCDs

Last year Philips won our best of CES award with the Eco TV, and in 2009 other companies are following suit with their own green TVs. The Samsung UNB6000 series of Samsung LCDs is "eco-friendly", with the company claiming 40% or more energy savings over traditional LCDs. The sets also put a focus on energy usage by including a power indicator menu and an optimized energy savings mode, which dynamically adjusts settings to conserve power. We can't say we're fans of dynamic adjustments for image quality, but those that value energy savings over performance might prefer this mode. Here's a quick rundown of the feature set.

Key features of the Samsung UNB6000 series:

• 120Hz response time
• Slim design, around an inch thick
• LED-backlit
• Samsung claims 40%+ energy savings
• Built-in Ethernet
• WiFi-ready, with purchase of additional adapter
• Infolink RSS-capable
• Energy Star 3.0 compatible

Pricing and availability of the Samsung UNB6000 series (estimated street prices):

• 32-inch UN32B6000 ($1,599, June)
• 40-inch UN32B6000 ($2,299, March)
• 46-inch UN46B6000 ($2,799, March)
• 55-inch UN55B6000 ($3,599, March)

Like the step-up UNB7000 series, the UNB6000 uses a so-called edge-lit LED backlight system, which allows it to achieve such a thin cabinet depth. The downside is that it can't utilize the local dimming technology we liked so much on the A950 series. We've never tested an edge-lit LED display, so we're anxious to check it out in the lab.

It's worth pointing out that while the UNB6000 series includes an Ethernet port and is Wi-Fi ready, it's only compatible with Samsung's Infolink RSS service, not the Internet@TV widgets available on the UNB7000 and UNB8000 series. The UNB6000 series also appears to lack the Ultra Clear antireflective coating available on step-up models. So while the UNB6000 series offers low power consumption, there are some trade-offs.