Atop TV Sets, a Power Drain That Runs Nonstop

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/26/us/26cable.html?_r=1

Those little boxes that usher cable signals and digital recording capacity into televisions have become the single largest electricity drain in many American homes, with some typical home entertainment configurations eating more power than a new refrigerator and even some central air-conditioning systems.

There are 160 million so-called set-top boxes in the United States, one for every two people, and that number is rising. Many homes now have one or more basic cable boxes as well as add-on DVRs, or digital video recorders, which use 40 percent more power than the set-top box.

One high-definition DVR and one high-definition cable box use an average of 446 kilowatt hours a year, about 10 percent more than a 21-cubic-foot energy-efficient refrigerator, a recent study found.

These set-top boxes are energy hogs mostly because their drives, tuners and other components are generally running full tilt, or nearly so, 24 hours a day, even when not in active use. The recent study, by the Natural Resources Defense Council, concluded that the boxes consumed $3 billion in electricity per year in the United States — and that 66 percent of that power is wasted when no one is watching and shows are not being recorded. That is more power than the state of Maryland uses over 12 months.

More at the link --

[NYC_SKP]

1. I highly recommend the "Kill-a-Watt" meter or the "Watts-Up-Pro" meter.

I prefer the Kill-a-Watt as it's only about $20.

Plug it into a wall and any appliance into the front, and it starts recording the energy used.

Also outputs data for Voltage, Current, Watts, kWh used, hours and minutes lapsed, and more.

X-boxes and DVRs are notorious energy vampires, but they're everywhere!



:kick:

Recommended.

[roguevalley]

10. or you could put everything on a powerstrip and turn it off when

not used. I do that all the time. If I'm not using it directly its off. I went from 200$ a month to 45 when I'm lazy. Do it. you won't regret it.

[NYC_SKP]

11. Yes, indeed. I should have added that the Kill a Watt is what to use to see how much is wasted.

But it doesn't save any energy whatsoever.

Your idea is an example of what to do to save energy once you identify the places where it's being wasted.

thanks!

[roguevalley]

15. oh. I think I need one of those too. :) Thank you for the idea.

[ehrnst]

16. Did that with our DVR, TV and microwave - saw a HUGE difference in electric bills.(nt)

[TheMightyFavog]

13. Check your local library.

I know the system I work for has these meters available for check out.

[NYC_SKP]

20. Thanks, that is so smart. Energy meters for checkout at the local library!

Wow!

[RandomThoughts]

2. That is similiar to the idea that nobody might be reading my posts.

Specifically that it could be that they are not seen by people.

However, that idea has another purpose, to try and get me to not express what I think is better ideas, and let people think on them.

It is possible that the delusion is that nobody reads them, and that delusion would be to get a person not to express there thoughts and ideas. Or the idea of the delusion could be trying to get someone to think they can be censored.

And if I see the expression of many hearts in many things, and understand being part of those ideas and concepts, then it would make sense that someone would see what I feel on some topic.

To think that it can be censored, is a trap to get someone to change who they are, and what they think is better.

Although I am due beer and travel money and that has not yet arrived, so there is still things that need to be done.

To make it simpler, might the attempt to isolate, by trying to remove ability to be around people by trying to take material items, or trying to get someone to not think existence can be more just and compassionate, be an attempt to get me to think that I can not express thoughts that will have an effect. Might it be that knowing that I can not be censored, is posting thoughts even if some try to say nobody sees them.


And I can see many thoughts, even if much of what is done is attempts at bad information, and I can support many ideas, even if people try to make it about the nouns.


And I am due beer and travel money, and that will be sent.

Although not about heredity,



I see lots of hearts. :loveya:


Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5JkHBC5lDs

Bonnie Raitt - I Can't Make You Love Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW9Cu6GYqxo

Bonnie Raitt - Nick Of Time
http://www.123video.nl/playvideos.asp?MovieID=407128

Dire Straits - Walk of Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZxVC0GB838


Constantine - Bring me to life (Evanescence)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx8d3K_hngw

[bluerum]

8. Get some sleep dude.

[Control-Z]

12. Won't help. n/t

[RandomThoughts]

14. Correct.

Why would sleep help, I am well rested and ready.

And I am due beer and travel money, and many experiences.

[Kolesar]

3. important story--here is the "discussion in progress" in the Energy & Environment forum

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x301540

[hlthe2b]

4. Thankfully one less $$ drain for me--though I'm sure I've got others

Amazing the savings once you cut the cable--ditch the dish and toss the tv. ;)

Definitely will NEVER get rid of the "puters" though

[Wilms]

5. This is one of the reasons we need nuclear power.

Back when TV's were made with vacuum tubes, you had to wait 15 seconds for it to warm up.

Now the TV is "on" all the time, including when it's "off". And you have to wait a LOT longer for the commercials to finish and get back to the program.

Progress.

[northoftheborder]

6. Interesting, useful information - thanks.

[Towlie]

7. It's a good thing duplicate threads don't waste energy.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x301540

[Donnachaidh]

19. get a grip -- 2 different forums

When did they start handing out hall monitor jobs? :sarcasm:

[jwirr]

9. Okay I use tevo and I do not watch tv except for the shows I actually

want taped. My tv is off most of the time. So is there a recording device that does not require that much energy? I just glanced at my tv and there are no little lights showing does that mean it is not using electricity?

In the other room my grandson is very guilty of this - he will go out and I have actually found his laptop, his desk top and his tv on while he is gone. It drives me wild. I thought that generation is supposed to be conscious of the energy problems.

[trotsky]

17. A TiVo, or DVR, is essentially a computer.

It has a motherboard, memory, and most importantly, a hard drive which runs 24/7. Would be great if they could make them with the new solid state drives, which are essentially just flash memory like in USB sticks, but that would up the cost and certainly cut into their profit margins.

[KurtNYC]

18. while the TV itself drains YOUR energy and convinces you that the world

is an increasingly dangerous place and your role in it is to watch sit-coms, sports, propaganda news and vapid commercials then go buy things you don't need to try in vain to fill that empty hole where your soul used to be.

[RebelOne]

21. My local TV station in the Atlanta area

just did a bit on the high cost of DVRs. I have a cable box but no DVR, so guess I am saving a little in power costs.