Elementary Question: WHAT IS "STAND-BY ?" (1 Viewer)

[Steven Spargo]

In my days, there was "On" and, then there was "OFF".
My Onkyo 595, Sony DVP - 670D, and HSU VTF - 2 all have a stand-by mode. In todays time of energy drains and blackouts,why would I leave things on stand-by?
Is it not better to just shut the power off?

 

[Richard Travale]

Isn't it mostly for things with power sensitive memory controls and stuff like that? I could see if it is a tube device to keep the tubes warm but with solid state I don't think there is much of a difference. I think if you feel more comfortable switching the unit off(assuming the device has an off switch) and won't lose any saved information, go for it.
Any other thoughts???
Rich
------------------
"A) You can never go too far and B) If I'm going to get busted it is NOT going to be by a guy like DAT."
My Website

 

[Todd Hochard]

Standby typically means that all of the circuitry is shut down, EXCEPT the IR sensing circuits. This allows power up and down from the remote.
It could apply to memory, but typically doesn't anymore- flash memory, with its ability to hold info without a power source, negates the need.
Being the geek that I am

, I've checked the standby power consumption on some of my equipment:
Denon AVR-3300 Receiver- 2W standby, 45W when on, with nothing playing.
Denon DVD-2500 Player- 2W standby
Pioneer Elite 510HD (RPTV)- 7W standby, 175W on with no picture or sound (black screen)
Dishplayer- 25W when off (LNB stays powered up), 28W when on with HD spinning.
Other stuff- Cable Modem- 10W continuous. I don't remember what my PC was, but I do remember there was only a 2W difference between it being in Sleep( video off, monitor sleeping, HD stopped), and actually off. Impressive how the processor chip simply shuts down like that.
Keep in mind that some equipment (e.g VCRs with clocks, or the aforementioned Sat receivers) can't be shut down totally without unplugging them.
These measurements were taken with a middle-of-the-road meter, so they're probably not totally accurate. But, they are in the ballpark.
The standby numbers look small, but if you add up ALL the equipment in your house that continually uses power (digital clocks, microwaves, cordless phone base, etc.), even when it's not actively being used, that accounts for about 50-100W. Doesn't seem like much, until you consider that it goes on 24/7/365. Ideally, everything would be completely off when not in use, but that's not practical for some equipment. Make a compromise- go out and buy two compact fluorescent bulbs for the two most used lights in your house, and you save that much (and possibly more).
Todd
P.S. I brought up that last part since you mentioned the energy drain thing. Feel free to ignore it, if that's not what you were looking for.