Set-top boxes that usher cable signals and digital recording capacity into televisions have become the single largest electricity guzzler in many American homes, according to a media report.
There are 160 million set-top boxes in the US, 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% more power than the settop box. A new study has found that some home entertainment systems eat more energy than refrigerators or central air- conditioning systems.
One high-definition DVR and one high-definition cable box use an average of 446 kilowatt hours a year, about 10% more than a 21-cubic-foot energy-efficient refrigerator, a recent study found. These set-top boxes are energy hogs as their drives, tuners and other components are generally running full tilt 24 hours a day, even when not in active use.
timesofindia.com
There are 160 million set-top boxes in the US, 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% more power than the settop box. A new study has found that some home entertainment systems eat more energy than refrigerators or central air- conditioning systems.
One high-definition DVR and one high-definition cable box use an average of 446 kilowatt hours a year, about 10% more than a 21-cubic-foot energy-efficient refrigerator, a recent study found. These set-top boxes are energy hogs as their drives, tuners and other components are generally running full tilt 24 hours a day, even when not in active use.
timesofindia.com
ooh no: 
