Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home Entertainment & Automation Services in Matthews, NC.
Home audio and Video Services in Matthews, NC.  TV installation, Surround Sound, Home Entertainment Systems
How to Make Energy Savings Sexy

energy_savings_sexyStandby mode, component selection, automation and power conditioning can be touted as energy-savers.

12.09.2009 — Consumer interest in residential energy conservation has been on the rise since Energy Star-qualified desktop PCs and monitors became available over 15 years ago.

Consumers are well aware of the Energy Star logo when seeking out a new major appliance, heating or air conditioning system, flat-panel LCD TV, or just replacing their light bulbs. Newly built homes can also receive the Energy Star qualification if they meet specific criteria.

But apart from flat-panel TVs, consumers may not be fully aware of the opportunities for energy conservation in audio/video systems for a home theater and audio/video distribution. Receivers, amplifiers and DVD players can be major sources of energy consumption when powered continuously without adequate management.

As a result, an A/V system has the potential to consume as much energy, or even more, than major household appliances.

It’s up to CE pros to:

1.Make consumers aware of the energy consumption options
2.Sell them on energy-saving systems

A/V Energy Consumption

In simple A/V installations for homes with a single home theater system, it is likely that the consumer will actively turn on and off all components as the system is being used. However, in larger homes with multiple systems and multiroom A/V, it’s more likely that equipment will be unattended and left powered on indefinitely.

Such equipment is likely to be hidden away in cabinets, equipment closets and other locations where everyday user access is unlikely.

In addition to consuming more energy when left continuously powered, components (especially amplifiers and receivers) radiate heat. In cabinets and racks, fans are then required to prevent overheating, further contributing to energy costs. Additionally, supplemental air conditioning may be necessary to maintain room temperature.

The potential energy consumption can be estimated for audio amplification in a typical whole-house system. In the case of a four bedroom home with six A/V zones with each zone powered with two channels at 70 watts each, the total amplification required would be 840 watts which could be covered by a 12-channel power amplifier.

Lets assume that this amplifier consumes 35 watts when running idle, and is powered 24/7. Under these conditions, even before a single watt is converted to the outputs, this amplifier would consume during 300 kWh (kilowatt-hour) during one year. This is close to the estimated energy requirement for running a dishwasher over the same period, based on Energy Star guidelines for annual household usage.

Other energy-consuming products that may also be used in the system, including TVs and DVD players, will further increase energy costs.

The simple solution to lowering power consumption of amplifiers, receivers, DVD players, and other components in an A/V system is to manage their usage. This can be accomplished by selecting products, especially those that are Energy Star certified, that feature a standby mode whereby energy usage is greatly minimized.

Energy efficiency can also be improved by setting up control systems to power off devices when not in use.

An important aspect of an audio device or DVD player in conserving power usage is the ability to engage a standby mode. When a product is in standby, it is essentially assumed to be “off” with normal functions disabled, but is still minimally powered. One advantage of a standby mode is that the device consumes little power when not actively being used, yet remains in a state whereby user activation through handheld IR or home automation control is still possible.

Most DVD players, amplifiers, receivers, surround sound preamps and processors, and other audio products include a standby mode. However, the amount of power consumed by such devices while in standby can vary. Some products may draw less than 1 watt in standby, while others may draw several watts.

One way to help ensure that a devices standby power is minimal is to select products that are Energy Star qualified. A requirement is that the product offers a standby-mode power draw no greater than 1 watt. This is similar to the Energy Star program for televisions (though the program has since evolved to include power draw specifications during normal operation).

The ability to engage a standby mode is also important in reducing energy for an amplifier. Another is the efficiency of the amplifier during normal operation or when running idle. Traditional Class AB amplifiers are the most common, but are also known for dissipating significant amounts of heat, thus requiring adequate ventilation and possibly cooling in racks and cabinets.

Class D amplifiers convert a far greater proportion of the incoming power into their outputs, and can therefore be much more efficient with substantially less heat dissipation and reduced power consumption requirements.

When selecting an amplifier for its energy efficiency, look for low power consumption and thermal dissipation specifications. Ideally, these specs should be provided for standby, idle, and typical operation or the more accurate 1/8 power.

An efficient amplifier not only contributes to lower energy costs, but also runs at a lower operating temperature. This helps to maintain the reliability and life of the amplifier, as well as other products situated near it in a rack or cabinet.
Automating, Managing Energy

In setting up home automation systems for clients, CE pros can create master controls that allow the client to turn on and off multiple devices at once. Separate controls can be created depending on the specific function, whether listening to music throughout the house, watching TV in multiple rooms, or using the home theater.

With these controls, the owner can easily manage system usage with a touch of a button, from anywhere in the house, without having to directly access products that may be hidden away in a cabinet or rack.

In addition to active system control, CE pros can also set the components in the A/V system to be automatically powered on at a specific time during the day, and then shut off for the night. To further realize energy savings, separate schedules could be employed for the work week and the weekends.

Another way to manage energy consumption through automation systems is to set them up to monitor activity. If no user interaction, motion detection, or A/V signal activity is detected over a predefined period, one hour for example, then the devices would be powered off by the control system.

Power management is an effective approach to improving energy efficiency for A/V systems. Reducing power consumption can be achieved by ensuring that audio products and DVD players have a standby mode to ensure minimal energy consumption when not being used, and by actively or automatically managing their usage with key home automation features.

Because audio devices and DVD players can be a significant draw on energy in the home, the energy savings through effective power management can also be significant. It’s comparable to removing a major appliance, such as a dishwasher or clothes dryer. Effectively managing power usage for A/V systems leads to energy cost savings, reduced environmental impact, and enhanced product reliability.

By Casey Hall

http://www.cepro.com/article/how_to_make_energy_savings_sexy/K332/D1/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Home Entertainment Audio and Video services in North Carolina.

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Review: Panamax MX5102 UPS

panamax_mx5102MX5102, a great addition to any theater, offers battery backup and voltage monitoring.

The Panamax MX5102 delivers exactly what it claims — battery backup and voltage monitoring. While there are other choices out there, the Panamax has its own feature set that may make it perfect for your application.

On looks alone, the Panamax MX5102 is a winner. The black brushed aluminum case just begs to be shown off.

The Panamax MX5102 ($649.95) would make a great addition to any home theater.

Build, Features
It isn’t hard to know that the Panamax MX5102 UPS is a quality piece of equipment. You just have to pick it up. At 27 pounds, its diminutive case belies its weight. The MX5102 comes with a number of cables. Short coax and Ethernet jumpers are included as well as telephone cords (does anyone use these anymore?) and a pair of adapters for rack mounting.

The back of the unit includes 10 outlets in four different banks. Each of the banks is isolated from the others so that any noise from one component can’t contaminate the power going to the other banks. The most important in this case is Bank 4 with the 2 UPS outlets. These two outlets receive power from the batteries (at a 10ms delay when the power goes out).

Bank 1 is always on which is good for gear that you never want to power down (aside from power outages). Bank 2 is the switched bank that provides a shutdown delay. Bank 3 is for high current devices like amps and subwoofers and includes a startup delay. This means that your amps turn on last and off first. Both of these delays are designed to reduce speaker “thumps” that occur when the amplifier amplifies another piece of gear that is turning on.

The front of the unit includes a rather large readout, two buttons, and a few lights. The button to the left is the power On/Off. The button to the right is the Meter Dimmer/UPS Test button. With a quick press, the display will cycle through various levels of brightness until you find the one you like. If you press and hold the button, the UPS will run a test cycle.

Putting it to the Test
The first test of the MX5102 came barely 30 minutes after turning it on for the first time. We had just finished installing a projector and screen and were taking a break after preliminary setup when the power went out.

We saw the lights go out and ran to the home theater. The Panamax MX5102 was beeping (as it was supposed to) and the projector was still on. We switched the projector off and noted the amount of time left on the battery. According to the manual, the MX5102 should be able to maintain full power for 3 minutes at full load. While to the uninitiated that doesn’t sound like very much, most of the competition is in the same camp (similar APC models can run up to 6 minutes at full load).

We had an SMS-1 plugged into the second UPS outlet. According to the readout, we could have run the SMS for another 60 minutes. Obviously, with most gear you’re going to have plenty of time to shut everything down before the batteries die. We’ve had the power go out a number of times since then and the unit has never failed to maintain power to our projector so that we could cool down the bulb properly.

Needs Removable Power Cord, More UPS Protection
We really have only two complaints about the MX5102. We’d really like to see a removable power cord rather than a fixed one. Secondly, we feel a little confused that only two of the outlets are UPS protected.

The Panamax M5102 does has LAN protection and IR control. In our application, our power rarely varied much off of 120 (as low as 116 rarely above 120) so voltage regulation was not as needed as the additional LAN protection. The fact is that if you have one unprotected inlet for a surge, your entire system is compromised. With the MX5102, we are completely protected.

Read the entire review at Audioholics.com.

 

Summary
Product: Panamax MX5102 UPS

Performance: 5 out of 5

Value: 3.5 out of 5

MSRP: $649.95

Pros:

IR control
Battery backup works flawlessly
Fantastic aesthetics
Easy to read display
Cons:

No detachable power cord
Only two outlets are backed up by the battery

 By: Audioholics.com

http://www.electronichouse.com/article/review_panamax_mx5102_ups/

Custom Installation Services, LLC – Home Entertainment Audio and Video services in North Carolina.

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8 Ways to Hide a TV

8_ways_to_hide_tvTVs are a fact of modern life. According to Nielsen’s Television Audience Report, the average American home has 2.86 TVs.

Hopefully, yours are of the flat-panel design. They’re much less obtrusive than old-fashioned CRTs and can squeeze into just about any space.

Still, a screen is a screen — not much to look at when you’re not watching something on it.

Manufacturers have tried to jazz up that big, black rectangle with colored bezels and other ornamentation, but those are merely Band-Aid solutions. The only way you’ll be able to completely ignore your set is to put it where you can’t see it.

There are lots of ways to conceal screens, and we’ve compiled some of the most creative solutions for your consideration.

Click here for 8 Ways to Hide a TV.

by Lisa Montgomery
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/8_ways_to_hide_a_tv/

 Custom Installation Services, LLC – Home Entertainment Audio and Video services in North Carolina.

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Custom Installation Services, LLC | P.O. Box 132 Matthews, NC 28106 | 704-400-8701 | dmiller@cis-nc.com
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