Globally, terrestrial television (TV) broadcasting\nis in the midst of a complete transition to digital\nsignals. The last analog terrestrial broadcast is expected\nto be switched off in the early 2020s. This transition\npresents huge energy savings opportunities that have\nthus far been ignored. Digital TV switchovers have\nlikely increased energy consumption as countries have\ncompleted transitions by providing digital TV converters\nto analog TV users, which increase energy consumption\nand extend the life of energy-inefficient analog\nTVs. We find that if analog TVs were retired at the\ntime of a digital switchover and replaced with superefficient\nflat-panel TVs, such as light-emitting diode\n(LED) backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) TVs, there\nis a combined electricity savings potential of 32 terawatt\nhours [TWh] per year in countries that have not yet\ncompleted their digital TV transition. In view of these\nfindings as well as the dramatic drops of super-efficient\nTV prices and the unique early-retirement opportunity\nresulting from cessation of terrestrial analog broadcasts,\nTV-exchange programs would easily and substantially\nadvance energy efficiency.
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