Samsung TVs In Europe Allegedly Game Efficiency Testing [Updated]

With all the drama about VW gaming efficiency tests in the US for its diesel cars, it looks like a crack down on manufacturers trying to skirt testing might happen across multiple markets. Samsung is allegedly using a defeat device on some of the TVs it sells in Europe to defeat official efficiency testing. Independent lab tests have found that some of the Samsung offerings available in Europe use less energy in official testing that they do in the real world.

European Commission plans to investigate the allegations of cheating lab tests and plans to strengthen energy efficiency regulations to outlaw the use of what it calls defeat devices in TVs and other consumer products. Several EU states have raised concerns about products designed to cheat official tests.

The feature at the core of the allegations against Samsung is called motion lighting. Samsung says the feature reduces screen brightness in response to different types of real-world content such as fast action scenes in movies. Allegations are that the motion lighting feature is a defeat device intended to fool energy efficiency testing.

The allegations of gaming official tests by Samsung came to light from an unpublished lab test by a research group called ComplainTV after the organization consistently recorder higher energy consumption rates in real-world situations than in official test conditions. Motion lighting was reportedly found to reduce brightness, and thereby power consumption, on the TVs under international electrotechnical commission test conditions. No reduction in power consumption was noted during testing in real-world conditions.

UPDATE: Samsung has denied the allegations.

SOURCE: The Guardian