Page 1 of Energy question: Does putting the LCD TV on stand-by use much power?

I remember always being told that putting you (traditional CRT) television on stand-by still uses up a large chunk of power, and means you are sending the planet to hell. Does the same apply with modern flat-panels?

I think I`m correct in thinking that LCDs use up less power than Plasma screens (and generally flat-panel screens use up a lot less energy than CRTs). Is this correct?

When not watching TV, my digibox PVR is turned off (which is presumably in a stand-by state, as it can still record and display the time etc), the surround system is turned off (again, I assume it still consumes power as the unit still stays moderately warm and the light glows), and the TV is turned off (not on stand-by). Will the TV in stand-by mode use up the same kind of energy as the PVR/surround system when they are turned off/stand-by mode?

I find it annoying that even when you turn off appliances (such as my XBox Elite), the power pack (transformer?) remains warm, and thus clearly consumes energy. In this energy conscious age, shouldn`t the manufacturers produce electrical equipment that when turned off, really consumes zero energy?

I assume when the LCD TV is turned off, it uses no electricity at all (unlike when in stand-by mode).

Jme

Most modern electronic devices use about 1W in standby mode. As you say, if switched off they should consume no power but some devices can loose customised settings when power is removed. Transformers etc often remain warm if the power switch is located after these power supply components and will consequently use a small amount of power. In use the power consumption of CRT, LCD and rear projection DLP televisions are all similar at about 200W. The power consumption of plasma screens is about 300-400W, substantially higher than other flat screen technologies which explains why the screens are actually quite hot to touch.

Digiboxes, especially PVR versions, can have quite high standby power consumption, often not much less than the operational power consumption and this is because they rarely shut down the hard drive within them. Also they have to keep the microprocessor controlling them in operation in order to monitor time, set record programmes, EPG updates etc. Turning off a digibox is not a good idea if you want it to maintain full functionality - especially the EPG.

This item was edited on Friday, 31st August 2007, 22:37