TiVo Community Forums Archives - QVC Rubbish Products

TiVoCommunity.com
(c)opyright 1995-2005 All rights reserved
indexcheckTC
This area is a static history of posts in the TiVo Community Forum Archive.
This archive history was made for the simple indexing of search sites like Google.

Pages:1

QVC Rubbish Products
(Click here to view the original thread with full colors/images)

Posted by: Automan

At the moment they are trying to shift a thing called a power safer

http://www.qvcuk.com/ukgasp/framese...+safer&x=11&y=9

The "expert" claims some TV sets use up to 70% of running power in standby.

Also because this gadget has a fuse it will protect your tv from surges and spikes.

I myself turn my TV off by the real on/off switch at night which reduces it power consumption to zero!

I forgot, it also protects you from the radiation from the red led on your TV front :)

Automan.

Posted by: steuert

IMO, most QVC stuff is of pretty good quality, and generally fairly priced, but every so often a worthless gimmick like this creeps in. My plasma TV draws 3 watts at standby, vs. 300+ at full power, so I guess I can get by without QVC's power saver. Other QVC products to avoid are their miracle cleaning solutions and plant nutrient elixirs.

Posted by: Automan

Yes I suppose most QVC things are okay but this kind of gadget I think they should avoid.

I was also wondering how much power this device consumes when on.

This may neuatralise or possibly increase your power consumption?

Only one way to find out...
So I've ordered one :)

Automan.

Posted by: Fatbloke

/sigh ;)

Own up... you're just worried about that radiation now, aren't you :D

Posted by: TheBear

AFAIK the "Power Safer" simply detects when the current drops below a certain threshold (ie telly goes into standby) and breaks a couple of relay contacts. So it does indeed reduce power consumption of the telly to zero.

When it detects infra red activity (ie remote control) it closes the relay contacts, thus allowing the telly to be turned back on.

All-in-all it does what it says but how long it'll take to recoup the Ł13 is another question...it obviously draws a little current itself.

(Before anyone asks I do NOT own one!)

Posted by: TheBear

Research into power consumption of tellys in Standby mode:

"For EU TVs, one manufacturer has produced a TV with a standby power consumption of 0.1W; the highest is over 20W and the European average is currently 7.5W"

www.eci.ox.ac.uk/lowercf/pdfdownloads/ECEEE_KL.pdf

So if your telly draws 20W in standby you'll be saving quite a bit!

Posted by: iankb

My Sony 32" uses 10 watts in standby. Not brilliant, but quite acceptable.

Posted by: TheBear

If my calculations are correct, based on your telly being on standby 18 hours a day and a cost per unit of five pence you'll save Ł3.29 per year on your electricity bill!

Taking postage into account the gadget will have paid for itself in approximately five years, one month and ten days!

Posted by: cwaring

I assume you have nothing better to do, Bear? :)

Posted by: iankb

quote:
Originally posted by TheBear
... the gadget will have paid for itself in approximately five years, one month and ten days!

You forgot to take into account the heat output of the TV while in standby mode, which will lessen my heating bill. ;)

Posted by: TheBear

That's true...also the standby LED which will provide a handy source of lighting!

Posted by: AMc

quote:
TheBear said - When it detects infra red activity (ie remote control) it closes the relay contacts, thus allowing the telly to be turned back on.

My Tivo tends to output infrared signals while the TV should be off. I'm guessing that this little device will keep putting my TV back into standby and then cutting the mains all day and at night. Sounds like a bad idea to me :)
BTW I was absolutely stunned that you can watch QVC TV on the web - the mind boggles at who the audience might be

Posted by: Automan

So QVC claims that some tv's can consume 70% of the power they use switched on when in standby are just a little wrong!

Also when your TV is on power consumption will be up as the relay and the device (plus control circuit) will also consume energy.

P.S.
Did you know some points on the east coast mainline need 23Kw of heaters to gurantee they won't freeze? (That's 23Kw per set of points).

Automan.

Posted by: iankb

I suppose that one of the very old, early colour TV's that had pre-heaters in them, might have consumed 70% power on standby. Either that, or they caught fire.

Posted by: TheBear

Ah....haven't you seen the "Combined TV set and 2 bar electric fire" that QVC are now selling? It consumes one helluva lot of lekky on standby...

Posted by: Automan

Got my toy from QVC today....

However I suspect it's someone elses returned unit as it has no instruction leaflet and the inner plastic bag was unsealed :(

The box tells you of it marvels but no hook-up info.

Also their website has no english text! http://www.powersafer.de

It seems any IR signal will activate the relay inside which also turns on the lethal green led.

After about 10 seconds it turns off. So as mentioned by TheBear it must measure the load.

Now for an email to QVC re sending out second hand goods...

Automan.

Posted by: woody

this must win the prize for the most useless product ever, or come a very close second.

what's wrong with pulling the plug out every night.

Posted by: Automan

quote:
Originally posted by woody
this must win the prize for the most useless product ever, or come a very close second.

what's wrong with pulling the plug out every night.

No, I got the most useless product ever today! "CallShield" - I think it needs its own thread which will be coming soon....

Anyway I hooked the device up to my 28" Widescreen Philips TV in my bedroom which is normally in standby about 22 to 23hrs a day.

If the unit is off any IR signal will wake it up and activate the relay and turn on the green led.

Thus typically I press the AV input button on my TV's remote to turn the TV on with AV1 selected which of course is connected to Tivo via a Philips DVDR70.

So now to turn on the TV you have to press this button twice. 1st it turns on the powersafer, the next time it turns on the TV.

Once a load is on the box the front green led goes off so no long term radation risk :)

When you put the TV in standby the load on the powersafer drops which is indicated by the green led coming on. Ten seconds later the relay operates turning off the power to the TV.

When this happens, the red led on my TV fades out followed by an audible noise from it's speakers (I guess when the voltage levels are dropping in the TV).

Does it save any energy when hooked up to this TV?
Later today if I have time I shall do some test with my lidl energy monitor plug.

Automan.

Posted by: TheBear

No, the worst product ever must be the "Coathanger with built in FM Radio" that Innovations used to sell.

Posted by: Automan

With my lidl energy monitor I carried out the following tests (with my Philips 28" widescreen tv).

TV On 55 watts, 0.30 amps
TV Standby 9 watts, 0.03 amps

Powersafer On 8 watts, 0.03 amps
Powersafer Standby (0 watts, 0.00amps) The product claims < 0.3 watt and I suspect the lidl device will not register this.

Anyway it would seem that the device could make you a saving if the TV is off most of the time as when the TV is on it will draw another 8 watts / 0.03 amps to power the relay circuit.

So for my TV which is in standby 22hrs a day
22x9=198 watts
2x55=110 watts

Daily Total = 308watts

With the device
22x0.3=6.6 watts
2x63=126 watts

Daily Total = 132.6 watts

Saving 175.4 watts per day / 64 KW per year

At approx 6 pence per KWh thats 64 x 0.06 = Ł3.84

So the device will pay for itself in Ł16.82 / Ł3.84 = 4.38 years!

I hope my math is correct :)

I must also admit I thought my one year old TV would be more efficient in standby.

Did you also know most motion detecting light fittings also use about 8 to 10 watts all the time to feed their circuits.

Automan.

Posted by: cwaring

quote:
Originally posted by Automan
So for my TV which is in standby 22hrs a day...

You only watch two hours of TV a day? Wow! Then again, you probably have a life, whereas I currently don't :)

No wonder you need a large drive to store everything. Assuming you record more than 2 hours-worth of programmes a day.

Posted by: iankb

I suspect that's because he is watching one of his six other TV's. ;)

Posted by: Automan

Yes this is my bedroom TV.
Most watched is living room tv, then kitchen tv followed in last place bedroom TV.

However yesterday I purchased another TV (14" aiwa portable which uses sony ir codes).

This is also in the living room hooked up to my vcr and dvd recorder.
Thus I can now transfer recordings from tape to dvd without disturbing my main viewing pleasure.

Bang goes my power savings :)

Automan.

Posted by: cwaring

Ahhh. I see. I thought it was a little odd :)