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  Posted by Barbs* Wed Jun 25, 2008 12:35pm PDT

  I like the idea of the power strip. Because realistically, I am not going to go check every outlet as I am rushing out the door before work/dinner/etc. The power strip is much easier to unplug which encourages me to actually do it.

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  Posted by jerileeh Sun Jun 29, 2008 10:18am PDT

  great idea that is so simple but overlooked. Thanks for the info.

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  Posted by Babaganoosh Sat Jul 5, 2008 7:36am PDT

  Turning off the power strip sounds like a good idea, but do you realize that all these new electronics have tiny computers in them? So if you turn off the power for an extended period of time, say 4+ hours, you lose all the settings in the device?

  Ever notice when there's a power failure that you have to reset every digital clock? Today's electronic devices work on much the same basis. If power to the device is off for more than 4 hours, you'll be re-programming your device, whether it's your TV, DVR, TiVO, or your Cable Box each and every time.

  I like the idea of saving all I can, but the time it would take to re-program all these devices may not be worth the estimated savings of $200 a year.

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  Posted by Michael M Sat Jul 5, 2008 7:45am PDT

  thanks I am going to take advantage of this advise and save some money. appreciate this very much

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  Posted by strasserjr Sat Jul 5, 2008 7:45am PDT

  Another option is, if your house is wired to have one of your wall outlets connected to a wall switch, plug your TV, DVD, etc. to the outlet that is controled by your wall switch, when you leave the room, hit the switch.

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  Posted by Greg C Sat Jul 5, 2008 7:48am PDT

  Actually your kid's Wii needs to stay on. That is if you want the features of the WiiConnect 24 to actually work. It stays connected to the internet with minimal power drain and allows you to send messages and get updates, as well as some game features.

  Also like the other guy said. Have fun resetting your clock on your DVD player every time you turn it back on. Some electronics may even lose your preference settings such as sound, color, or even channels encoded.

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  Posted by york_m Sat Jul 5, 2008 7:53am PDT

  This is not a good idea. Sure it may save a little money, but I seriously doubt $200 a year? Where did you come up with that number. YES, products do not "turn off" when you hit the "off" button, they simply go into stay by mode. This allows you to hit the "on" button while using a remote. A small amount of energy is also used to power little red lights( or whatever color, generally) to show you that the product is off. What drove me nuts is the REASON why he said to buy a power strip.. for you enterainment system.. ARE YOU FOR REAL?

  Inside MOST enterainment systems are these basic componets: Cable Box, DVD Player or BluRay Player, AV Receiver/Amp. The Cable box becomes a huge problem when you start turning the thing on and off all the time. Everytime you pull the plug out of the back of a Scientic Atlanta box (the most common used box) it reboots. Taking anywhere from 5 minutes to boot or it may never boot. The boxes have alot of issues. But turning the main power off on them over and over again isn't a good idea.

  Also WHO THE heck CARES about $200??? Seriously! If you own a home entertainment system then you've paid $1500-$10k. Especially if you put the sytem together yourself. (I mean you picked out a reciever, and a speaker package and hooked them up, which is way better than the crappy systems that are pre-packaged in one box). At that point if you really cared then you would never buy one of the power strips pictured in this article. You'd buy something like the Monster HTF1600 or better which has a line filter in it that keeps the power going to your products at a constant.

  Power Companies in America will admit they send you dirt power, power that fluxuates alot and can sometimes have noise or static in the lines. The Monster Line Conditioner will filter that and make your system better for performance reasons.

  I serious doubt you'll save $200 a year by turning off all your products by buying a crappy $10 surge protector.

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  Posted by JPG_TN Sat Jul 5, 2008 7:53am PDT

  Duh, if you unplug TIVO it won''t work....are these people that stupid? For $200 saving a year it is not worth the hassle.

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  Posted by Paul R Sat Jul 5, 2008 7:54am PDT

  Yet again, a "power saving" recommendation that ignores the inconvenience of having to reprogram your electronic devices every time you power them back on. DVD players and other electronics often have time and date settings built whose settings are often lost when truly powered off. Most people are not going to want to reprogram these with every use. Also, surge strips protect electronics from power surges, so plugging the TiVO directly into the wall is a BAD idea. I suppose the compromise would be two surge strips, one to be totally powered off and the other to maintain electronics with settings.

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  Posted by J W Sat Jul 5, 2008 7:56am PDT

  Good point, Babaganoosh. I read that game consoles are the biggest power culprits. I have taught my son to unplug consoles since the 3rd-gen Genesis console. I have to use my tvs and radios as theft deterrents, so they must stay powered. I do turn my a/c up to 80 degrees to cut down on its cycling. I love power strips, but I use them for the power surge protection . BTW, I have enough credit on my power bill by December to pay for January each year.

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