Samsung rejects VW comparisons after tests find TVs 'less energy efficient' in real life than in tests

Samsung has rejected any comparisons between it and Volkswagen, after a research group said there were discrepancies between the energy efficiency of its TVs in testing and in real-life.

The electronics firm strongly denied that a motion lighting feature is in any way like the devices the German auto giant used to cheat emissions tests.

The comments follow findings by an EU-funded research group, ComplianTV, which recorded consistently higher energy consumption rates for Samsung TVs in real-world situations compared to in test conditions, the Guardian reported.

The ComplianTV report did not name Samsung.

A spokesperson for Samsung refuted that the motion lighting feature, which reduces screen brightness in certain scenarios, is in any way like the ‘defeat devices’ used by Volkswagen to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions from cars in a test scenario.

“There is no comparison [between motion lighting and VW defeat devices],” a Samsung spokesman told the Guardian.

“This is not a setting that only activates during compliance testing. On the contrary, it is an ‘out of the box’ setting, which reduces power whenever video motion is detected.

“Not only that, the content used for testing energy consumption has been designed by the international electrotechnical commission to best model actual average picture level internationally.”