New Delhi:(Page3 News Network)-Recently, it has been reported in some sections of the press that Digitisation of cable TV would result in huge power consumption by the Set Top Boxes (STBs). It has
been wrongly informed that the cable STBs consumes 20 watts of power. STBs of a number of makes and models are supplied by Multi System and Local Cable Operators. Power consumption of various types of cable STBs in use are indicated in Table 1 below. As may be seen from the table a cable STB consumes only about 8 watts of power. This power consumption by an STB is even less than that of CFL light.Table 1: Power rating of cable Set Top Boxes of different makes
STBs Make & Model | Power consumption (Watts)1 | |
Active mode | Standby mode | |
Den Entertainment Networks | ||
Skyworth 7000 | 8 | 7 |
Skyworth 7600 | 8 | 7 |
Skyworth 7631 | 8 | 7 |
DigiCable | ||
Indieon LDCA 1000 | 5.4 | 4.5 |
Changhong C8899C0 | 7.5 | 6.9 |
Skyworth C371N EN | 10 | 8 |
IMCL | ||
SD STB | 12 | 10 |
MyBox | 7.5 | 6.9 |
Hathway Datacom | ||
Skyworth 9000 | 8 | 7 |
HUMA ND-1200C | 15 | 5 |
WWIL | ||
Handon 1002C | 6.5 | 5.8 |
Handon 1041C | 6.5 | 5.8 |
Arion 5012S | 7.5 | 6.9 |
Changhong C8899C0 | 7.5 | 6.9 |
MyBox | 7.5 | 6.9 |
1 Source: Product leaflets of manufacturers
Power consumption of different electrical household items is indicated in Table 2 below.
Table 2: Power consumption by different household appliances
Consumer Devices | Model | Power Consumption (Watts)2 |
Fridge | 210 Liters | 270 |
Cooler (Desert) | Bajaj DC 2012 | 200 |
Television | Sony KV-SZ292M88 CRT - 29” | 138 |
Television | LG 14D7RBA CRT | 80 |
Television | Sony KLV 20S400A LCD | 60 |
Television | Sony KDL 26EX550 LCD | 50 |
Fan | Crompton Greaves – 56” | 80 |
Fan | Orient 32 – Table Fan | 70 |
PC (Computer) | HP V185E | 60 |
PC (Computer) | Monitor – 17” | 80 |
Light | Bulb Incandescent | 100 |
DVD Player | Sony BDP S350 | 26 |
Light | Fluorescent Tube | 50 |
Light | CFL | 10 |
STB | Average for Cable TV | 8 |
2 Source: Product leaflets of manufacturers and NPCL website
As may be seen from the above table TVs, fans and tube lights each consume about 60 watts of power against the power of 8 watts consumed by a STB. Therefore if a person is watching TV for one hour by keeping on a fan and a tube light in the room, then electricity consumed by these three items in one hour would be more than the power consumed by a STB even if it is kept on for 24 hours. In other words, a STB would consume about only one-fifth of a unit of electricity in a day against 1.5 units consumed by a fan, a TV or a tube light. Similarly a household fridge consumes on an average 4-5 units of electricity per day which is more than 20 times of the power consumed by a STB in a day. Thus cable STBs consume very nominal electricity to the tune of 5-6 units in a month which is insignificant in comparison with the electricity consumed by other electric appliances in a house.
Digitisation will offer huge benefits to consumers in terms of providing superior quality of picture and sound, choice of channels from a large bouquet, movies and games on-demand etc. These benefits will be available to consumers at nominal electricity consumption.
In most homes STBs are generally not switched off. They are kept on standby mode even when the TV is not being watched so as to avoid the time taken by the STB to reboot and to bring the telecast back on the screen from switch-off mode. Power consumption in standby mode is even lesser.
The above information is issued in public interest by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
