Hazards in Disposing of Your Old TV – Consumers are rushing into the new digital TV era, sold on flat-screen displays, HDTV, the Summer Olympics in hi-def and the coming obsolescence of analog TV this February. It is clearly the major transition since the public replaced their black & white TVs with color models. But with the current emphasis on protecting the environment, there is a huge problem with the disposal of any home electronics. And more than 200 million TVs are in U.S. homes today.
The newest TVs contain lead, chromium and mercury and some of them are power hogs – large plasma screens draw as much power as a refrigerator, and old-fashioned cathode ray tubes used less energy than the new LCDs. (Starting Nov. 1 the Energy Star certificate will recognize power useage when a TV is on, rather than only when it’s off, as the old standard did.) But it’s the heavy CRTs of older TVs that are the big concern in landfills today. A 35-inch direct-view CRT contains about 11 pounds of lead and can be a serious health hazard in a landfill. The circuit boards are full of the above minerals plus copper, cadmium and harmful fire retardants. On Jan. 1 a new law in Oregon will require the manufacturers to cover the recycling costs of TVs, computers and monitors; hopefully that will keep some of them out of landfills. The Energy Star ratings will result in more energy-efficient sets. The Environmental Protection Agency already has a list online of 13 TV models which have been prequalified for the new Energy Star standard.
Pandora Free Streaming Music Service – The Logitech Squeezebox (we hi-res fans love that most appropriate name!) family of devices for streaming digital audio to one’s home music system has added another free online music service – Pandora. The service, which creates personalized radio stations based on favorite artists and music genres, had required a $36 yearly subscription fee, but will now be supported by ads (an ad-free experience can still be had on a subscription plan). It is felt that the ad-supported service will also be eventually offered by both the Sonos Music System and the Grace Wi-Fi Radio, who both support the subscription-model Pandora now. Pandora has an iPhone/iPod service which is also supported by ads – in that case appearing on the tiny screens instead of on the audio stream.
