What a quoted battery run time actually measures: reading JEITA-BAT 3.0 figures
Two battery figures appear on Japanese laptop catalogues because the JEITA Battery Run Time Measurement Method (Ver. 3.0) requires it. The standard measures a Video Playback Time and an Idle Time, and defines run time as "the measured time between the point when a new, fully charged battery begins operating and the point when the computer enters shutdown or hibernation". Its conditions include at least 200 cd/m2 of screen brightness, 50 per cent volume with headphones connected, and being connected to an access point over wireless LAN. Crucially, the standard also states that there are no rules regarding whether communication is taking place, the electromagnetic environment, the distance from the access point, power-management settings, or background applications. Two JEITA-BAT 3.0 figures are therefore comparable in framework but not in every condition, which is the single most useful thing to know when reading them.
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Who this guide is for and what to prepare
- Readers who want to know why two battery figures are quoted and which one to use
- Readers who want a sourced explanation of why the quoted figure does not match their own experience
- Readers comparing an older machine's quoted figure against a current one
What you need
- Copy the battery figures from each candidate's catalogue or product page, footnotes included
- Check whether the entry states compliance with JEITA-BAT 3.0
- Decide whether your own use resembles video and meetings, with the screen and audio active, or document work with long idle stretches
1. What the two figures measure
The JEITA Battery Run Time Measurement Method (Ver. 3.0) was published on 31 May 2023 and applies to "PCs and tablets equipped with a battery". The standard measures run time in two states, video playback and idle, and says: "The result of such a test is battery run time as defined in this measurement method."
The definition itself is: "Fundamentally, battery run time is the measured time between the point when a new, fully charged battery begins operating and the point when the computer enters shutdown or hibernation." Three premises are packed into that: a new battery, a full charge, and running until the machine stops. Daily use satisfies none of them, which is part of why the number feels optimistic.
The video playback measurement plays a video file specified by the standard on repeat in full screen. That file is specified as 3,840 x 2,160 pixels, H.264/AVC, 75.5 Mbps video bitrate, 60 fps, AAC audio at 189 kbps. The idle measurement leaves the computer on its desktop with a specified wallpaper file displayed full screen.
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| Item | Video Playback Time | Idle Time |
|---|---|---|
| What happens | The specified video file is played on repeat in full screen mode | The machine is left on its desktop with the specified wallpaper displayed full screen |
| Conditions applied | Items 1) through 5) of the measurement conditions | Items 1) through 4) (the video player condition does not apply) |
| Interval measured | From the battery beginning operation to shutdown or hibernation | The same |
| File specification | 3,840 x 2,160, H.264/AVC, 75.5 Mbps, 60 fps, AAC 189 kbps | The specified wallpaper image, downloaded from the standard's page |
2. The conditions, and what the standard says it does not specify
Section 4.4 sets the conditions. Volume: 50 per cent with headphones connected; using the computer's speakers it "can be set to minimum volume (but cannot be set to 0% or mute)". Brightness: "At least 200 cd/m2", using maximum brightness if the machine cannot reach that, determined with the screen displaying white. Wireless LAN: testing is conducted while connected to an access point. Bluetooth, LTE and 5G "can be turned off".
The most valuable part of this guide is what the standard declines to specify. On wireless LAN it states: "There are no rules regarding the communication protocol, whether communication is taking place, the electromagnetic environment, or the distance from the access point." It adds that "There are no rules regarding power-management settings, the handling of other programs and background applications running during measurement, or the percentage of battery remaining when the test computer enters shutdown or hibernation."
So two figures both labelled JEITA-BAT 3.0 share a framework but not every condition. The standard does require disclosure, however: any settings changed from the factory default must be disclosed, and websites or catalogues must state how to set the brightness to approximately 200 cd/m2 without a luminance meter, which video player application was used, and which settings were changed. If you are comparing two machines seriously, those disclosures are the next thing to find.
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| Condition | What Ver. 3.0 requires | What the standard does not specify |
|---|---|---|
| Volume | 50 per cent with headphones connected; minimum speaker volume is acceptable, but 0 per cent and mute are not | The headphones may be connected by a standard jack or wirelessly, such as over Bluetooth |
| Screen brightness | At least 200 cd/m2, or maximum brightness if the machine cannot reach it, determined while displaying white | Nothing about the brightness you will actually use day to day, naturally |
| Wireless LAN | Connected to an access point | The communication protocol, whether communication is taking place, the electromagnetic environment, the distance from the access point |
| Other wireless | Bluetooth, LTE, 5G and similar can be turned off | Whether to turn them off is left to whoever runs the test |
| Software state | Use the installed video player if one is installed | Power-management settings, other and background applications, the battery percentage at shutdown |
| Where the video file is stored | Not specified | But the storage location must be disclosed |
3. The indication rules change how you read a catalogue
Section 5 covers indications and disclosures. It requires stating compliance with JEITA-BAT 3.0, gives the unit as hours which "can be indicated to the first decimal place", allows the figure to be stated as "approximate", and requires that both the Video Playback Time and the Idle Time be stated.
Layout is specified too: "When displaying the values horizontally, write the Video Playback Time on the left." "When displaying the values vertically, write the Video Playback Time on top." And: "The font used to display the Idle Time cannot be larger than the font used to display the Video Playback Time."
One practical reading rule follows from those three. Where a catalogue follows the standard, the number on the left, on top, or in the larger type is the Video Playback Time. Where space is limited the Video Playback Time alone may be shown, but it must then be clearly stated as such and both values must appear on websites and other unconstrained locations. If you see only one number, go looking on the maker's site.
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| Rule | What the standard requires | What it means for a reader |
|---|---|---|
| State compliance | State that the figure is compliant with JEITA-BAT 3.0 | A figure with no compliance statement was not necessarily measured this way |
| State both | State both the Video Playback Time and the Idle Time, clearly identifiable | Two numbers is the norm; one number means an abbreviated display or a different method |
| Order | Video Playback Time on the left when horizontal, on top when vertical | The left or top figure is the Video Playback Time |
| Font size | The Idle Time font cannot be larger than the Video Playback Time font | The larger number is not the idle figure |
| Abbreviated display | Where space is limited, the Video Playback Time alone may be shown, stated as such, with both on websites | If you see one number, look for both on the maker's site |
| Required disclosures | How to set brightness to approximately 200 cd/m2 without a luminance meter, which video player was used, which settings were changed from default | The way to spot condition differences between machines |
4. Why a Ver. 2.0 figure cannot be compared directly
The commentary appended to the standard carries a new-versus-old comparison. Ver. 2.0 defined run time as the average of the Video Playback Time and the Idle Time; Ver. 3.0 states both. Brightness moved from at least 150 cd/m2 to at least 200 cd/m2, the video file from 1,920 x 1,080 at 30 fps to 3,840 x 2,160 at 60 fps, the volume from mute being permitted to 50 per cent with headphones, and the idle wallpaper from unspecified to a specified image.
The commentary also explains its own reasoning. Dynamic energy-saving features dramatically reduced idle power consumption, which extended idle run time "to the point that the measured results when idle state were having a tremendous effect on battery run time under JEITA-BAT 2.0, which defined battery run time as the average of the Video Playback Time and Idle Time." That is the standard's account, not this site's inference.
The transition is documented as well. JEITA's news page records that Ver. 3.0 was published on 31 May 2023, that PC makers began quoting Ver. 3.0 figures from 1 December 2023, that the year from 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2024 was a transition period in which stating both versions was encouraged, and that from 1 December 2024 Ver. 2.0 figures are no longer quoted.
Scroll horizontally to see the full table →
| Item | Ver. 3.0 | Ver. 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Indication of battery run time | Both the Video Playback Time and the Idle Time are stated | Average of the Video Playback Time and the Idle Time |
| Screen brightness | At least 200 cd/m2 | At least 150 cd/m2 |
| Video file | 3,840 x 2,160 at 60 fps | 1,920 x 1,080 at 30 fps |
| Volume during video playback | 50 per cent if headphones are connected; otherwise minimum speaker volume | Mute is permitted |
| Wallpaper during idle measurement | Specified wallpaper | Not specified |
5. Using the figures to compare machines
Decide first which figure is your baseline. If your use resembles watching video or sitting in online meetings, with the screen and audio continuously active, the Video Playback Time is the closer premise. If you mostly write documents with long idle stretches, you are somewhere between the two. The standard itself maps no use case onto either figure, so this grouping is this site's editorial arrangement.
Next, confirm both machines were measured under the same version. If both state JEITA-BAT 3.0, the framework is shared. If one is a Ver. 2.0 figure, they do not compare. JEITA states that Ver. 2.0 figures are not quoted from 1 December 2024, so a catalogue from after that date should be carrying 3.0 figures, but check the footnote when you are reading older material for a used or discontinued machine.
Finally, look at the disclosures. The standard requires the brightness-setting method, the video player used, and the settings changed from default to be published. A difference there tells you the conditions differed even under the same version. Degradation of the battery in a machine you already own is a separate question; see this site's guide to the Windows battery report.
6. What this guide does not cover
It offers no conversion factor of the "expect X per cent of the quoted figure" kind, because there is no basis for one. What it can offer is the list of conditions the standard fixes and the list it deliberately leaves open, from which a reader can judge how far their own use sits from the test.
It quotes no run-time figure for any specific machine, because nothing was measured here. It makes no claim about battery lifespan in years or cycles, and it does not place overseas makers' quoted figures alongside JEITA figures, because the measurement methods differ.
The video and wallpaper files specified by the standard are, in the standard's own words, "protected by the Copyright Act and other laws and may only be used for the purpose of testing battery run time". This site does not redistribute them; obtain them from JEITA's page if you need them.
Limitations and requirements
- Two figures both labelled JEITA-BAT 3.0 do not share every condition. The standard states there are no rules on the communication protocol, whether communication occurs, the electromagnetic environment, the distance from the access point, power-management settings, background applications, or the battery percentage at shutdown.
- Ver. 2.0 and Ver. 3.0 figures are not directly comparable. The indication method (an average against two figures side by side), the brightness (150 against approximately 200 cd/m2), the video file, the volume and the wallpaper all changed.
- The definition of run time assumes a new battery, a full charge, and running until shutdown or hibernation. That is part of why the number does not match a well-used machine.
- The video and wallpaper files specified by the standard are copyright-protected and may be used only for measuring battery run time. They cannot be redistributed.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my laptop never reach the quoted figure?
Because the test conditions and your use differ. The standard fixes brightness at 200 cd/m2 or above and requires a connection to an access point, while explicitly declining to specify whether communication is taking place, the electromagnetic environment, the distance, power-management settings or background applications. The run time is also measured from a new, fully charged battery until shutdown. The realistic reading is to see how far each condition sits from your own use. This site publishes no conversion percentage.
My catalogue shows only one figure.
Where space is limited, the standard permits showing the Video Playback Time alone, provided it is clearly stated as such and both values appear on the maker's website or similar. Look at the maker's specification page. If there is no compliance statement at all, the figure was not necessarily measured under this standard.
Can I compare a used machine's JEITA 2.0 figure with a current one?
Not directly. Ver. 2.0 quoted the average of the video playback and idle figures, at 150 cd/m2 or above, with a 1,920 x 1,080 30 fps file and mute permitted. The test itself was different. JEITA states that Ver. 2.0 figures are not quoted from 1 December 2024, so later catalogues should be Ver. 3.0, but check the version in the footnote when reading older material.
Can I compare an overseas maker's battery figure with a JEITA one?
Not on equal terms, because the measurement methods differ. JEITA-BAT 3.0 is a method set by a Japanese industry association with the conditions and indication rules described here. Putting a figure from a different method next to it compares two numbers whose conditions you cannot see.
Sources and verification date
Sources checked: . These sources support the specifications, procedures or prices discussed here. Check each source for applicable conditions and current information.
- JEITA: Battery Run Time Measurement Method (Ver. 3.0) index page. Issue date 31 May 2023, the measurement video specification (3,840 x 2,160, H.264/AVC, 75.5 Mbps, 60 fps, AAC 189 kbps), and the file usage terms. Read 2026-09-20 ↗
- JEITA: the standard, Japanese edition PDF (8 pages plus commentary). The definition of run time, sections 4.2 and 4.3, the section 4.4 conditions and the items it declines to specify, the section 5 indication rules, the section 6 copyright statement, and the commentary's comparison and rationale. Fetched and read in full on 2026-09-20 ↗
- JEITA: the standard, official English edition PDF. All English quotations in this guide are taken from this edition. Fetched and read in full on 2026-09-20 ↗
- JEITA: news on the complete transition to Ver. 3.0. Quoting began 1 December 2023, the transition period ran 1 December 2023 to 30 November 2024, and Ver. 2.0 figures are not quoted from 1 December 2024. Read 2026-09-20 ↗
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