9 Green TVs

With the California Energy Commission banning the sale of inefficient TVs starting in 2011, we thought we'd take a look at some of the top "green" TVs on the market.

LCDs typically require much less power than plasmas, which have seen Pioneer and Vizio drop the technology within the past year.

LCDs are becoming more and more efficient, thanks to full backlighting by energy-friendly LEDs and features like:

• Local dimming
• Ambient light sensing
• Auto-off settings
• Home viewing modes

TV efficiencies will get even better. DisplaySearch forecasts that "large area" LED backlights will surpass conventional fluorescent backlighting in LCDs by 2014. Energy Star isn't done, either, with new and much more stringent specifications set to go into effect in 2010 and '12. And, of course, there is the situation in California.

We look at nine TVs larger than 40 inches, all of which feature Full HD 1080p and Energy Star 3.0 compliance. If money isn't an issue, ultra-efficient options include Sony's 11-inch OLED XEL-1 ($2,499) or Mitsubishi's 65-inch LaserVue TV ($6,999).

Click here to view 9 Green TVs.