Televisions are a part of our daily lives. In recent years, the use of smart TVs has grown significantly in popularity because they are now more widely available. Smart TVs make it easy to watch movies and catch up on your favorite shows. Newer versions feature smart home integration and voice control so you can easily connect to other devices wirelessly. When purchasing or using your smart TV, you may have wondered, “Do smart TVs emit EMF radiation?”
There is a wide range of high-definition (HD) and other Ultra 4K HD TVs available on the market today. Different types of TVs emit EMF (electromagnetic fields) and RF (radiofrequency) radiation of varying strengths.
Traditional LED, plasma, and LCD TVs rely on an HDTV antenna to pick up signals and give you a variety of viewing options. A smart TV, on the other hand, works as a smart home device that lets you connect to the internet and supports a variety of applications.
A smart TV gives you several options, such as streaming movies on Netflix, playing games on Hulu, watching YouTube, browsing social media, and controlling other wireless devices in your home.
When purchasing a television, whether it is a smart TV or a regular one, the screen size is typically one of the first things to consider. Also, the screen size determines how far you can sit from the TV. You should always be seated at least three times the height of an HDTV and about 1.5 times the height of a 4K Ultra HDTV. This minimizes the risk of exposure to the TV’s EMF.
To help you better understand and measure potential exposure levels from your smart TV, we’ve created a simple EMF calculator. This tool allows you to input key factors, such as the TV's power consumption, your distance from it, and whether wireless connections are active, to estimate the EMF levels in your environment.
Does a Smart TV Emit Radiation?
Since many of us spend a lot of time in front of the TV, it’s only natural to wonder about the EMF radiation these devices give off. So, does a smart TV emit radiation?
Yes, every day you’re exposed to a small amount of EMF radiation from your TV. How much your TV emits can depend on things like the type of TV, the screen size, its brightness and resolution, and how often you use it.
Modern smart TVs with advanced features emit more radiation because they need to be connected to the internet via the Wi-Fi function. Smart TVs are always sending out signals to stay connected to the Wi-Fi router. As it searches for an available router, it keeps emitting RF signals. The TV will keep transmitting these signals because Wi-Fi is built in and cannot be turned off.
The Wi-Fi network that connects your TV to the internet gives off high levels of electromagnetic radiation. Therefore, using your smart device and other wireless devices all the time increases your exposure to radiation.
A smart TV also gives off Bluetooth radiation when it sends signals to search for other wireless devices to connect to. Typically, the Bluetooth signals sent are weaker than the Wi-Fi signals. Furthermore, there are other near-field communication applications that run constantly on your TV, which increases the amount of EMF radiation it emits.
When you spend long hours watching your favorite shows, you are exposed to a high level of EMF radiation. Plasma, LCD, and LED TVs emit electromagnetic radiation in all directions up to 12 feet away. Different TV models give off a wide spectrum of electric and magnetic field radiation, not only in front of you but also in all directions. Therefore, you are exposed to EMF radiation both when you are sitting next to the TV and in front of it.
Sitting too close to your TV exposes you to UV radiation and EMF radiation from both the screen and the TV’s electrical system. Make sure your children do not spend too much time in front of the TV screen as they are even more sensitive to electromagnetic radiation. According to a study, their brains are not yet fully developed and therefore the impact is greater.
It’s recommended to keep a distance between you and your TV as it emits harmful radiation. Even if you’re sitting away from the TV, make sure you keep other devices connected to it at a distance, too. Otherwise, these wireless devices might expose you to both Bluetooth and radiofrequency radiation.
Each wireless device connected to your TV forms a 2-way communication connection with both the TV and the router. For instance, when you use your mobile phone as a remote control for the TV or when you use ChromeCast technology to connect wirelessly to the TV or another device.
Do Smart TVs Emit Radiation When They Are Turned Off?
Smart TVs with an enabled Wi-Fi chip may continue to give off radiofrequency radiation even when turned off. How much radiation is emitted depends on the type of TV and how its circuit board is designed.
So how do smart TVs give off radiation when they are turned off?
1. By Trickle Charge
Televisions have capacitors in their circuit board that work like batteries. These capacitors temporarily hold an electrical charge. All electronic devices use capacitors to keep the flow of energy through the device steady. The flow of electricity through a device isn’t constant, so capacitors come into play to ensure an even flow of current through the device. TVs are no exception.
When the TV is off, the capacitors still draw and dissipate power within the circuit board. The capacitor keeps drawing power when the TV is on and even when it is off. Therefore, when you are not using any electrical devices, it is recommended to unplug the power cord from the outlet.
Since electricity still flows through the capacitor even when the TV is off, it gives off EMF radiation, although the amount emitted by the charged capacitor is usually very low.
2. Always-On Features
Besides trickle charging, a TV performs other functions when it’s turned off.
Even when the screen is off, newer TV models can still update their software or record shows for you. While these features are designed for convenience, the TV consumes electricity to perform these functions while running in the background. As electricity flows through the TV’s components, it naturally creates a small amount of EMF radiation.
As a result, any TV connected to a power source will continue to give off EMF radiation even when it is switched off. The level of radiation given off depends on the TV’s design.
Smart TVs come with additional features that regular TVs don’t have, and these features require more power to run. One feature, for example, is automatic programming. This feature lets you schedule your TV to turn on for your favorite show or to record a specific show so you can watch it later. All of these features add to the amount of radiation being emitted.
The level of radiation emitted when the TV is turned off is less than the EMF radiation emitted when you are actively watching TV.
How to Measure EMF from Smart TVs
If you’re curious about how much radiation your TV gives off, you can use an EMF meter. This device lets you measure the levels of radiation near your TV, whether it’s off or on. It can measure the different kinds of radiation given off by your TV.
TVs commonly emit three main types of radiation: magnetic, electric, and radiofrequency (microwave) radiation.
However, if you don’t have access to an EMF meter or prefer a simpler approach, you can use our Smart TV EMF Calculator. By inputting your TV's power consumption, the distance you sit from the TV, and whether Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is enabled, the calculator estimates the levels of low-frequency EMF and RF radiation.
This is an easy and convenient way to get an idea of your TV’s EMF emissions and take practical steps to minimize exposure if necessary.
How to Reduce EMF Radiation from Smart TVs
- You can minimize the amount of radiation from your Smart TV by using wired internet instead of Wi-Fi.
- To reduce exposure, it’s recommended to sit a bit farther from the TV.
- Try dimming the brightness on your TV. Turning down the brightness on your screen can help lessen the amount of radiation it emits. For different types of TVs, you can adjust the brightness in its settings.
- Purchase an anti-UV film and apply it to the TV screen. The anti-UV film protects you from UV rays from the screen light. It minimizes the risk of skin damage and cancer as well.
- Invest in sunscreen that blocks UV rays. Using UV sunscreen helps reduce UV exposure from your TV screen.
- Install an EMF harmonizer like the GeoClense EMF and Earth Radiation Harmoniser in your home to reduce radiation from dirty electricity. The Geoclense is a healthy, negative charge resonance field generator designed to balance the noxious, unhealthy positive charge resonance created by 5G and all forms of EMR, RF, Wi-Fi, Earth Radiation, and Bioplasmic Radiation.
- Unplug your TV when not in use to reduce overall electromagnetic radiation.
