- 1. Do We Need New Models?
- 2. The Conserve Socket
- 3. Belkin Conserve Smart AV
1. Do We Need New Models?
Kill the vampires once and for all. No, we’re not talking about Twilight. We’re on team Save Electricity, and we tested Belkin’s new products.
A couple of months ago, we conducted the Tom’s Guide Power Challenge, offering you a glimpse into the world of gadgets and energy consumption. Part of the Challenge involved using Belkin Conserve strips to cut power to attached devices during off hours and thus eliminate standby or “vampire” loads.
In mid-July, you should see Belkin release its second generation of Conserve products. When I found out that a second gen was en route, I asked the obvious question: So what? After all, the first gen performed as advertised. Click the remote, off goes all current flow to the attached devices, have a nice day. Of course, there was that nagging fact that I was the only one in the house who remembered to turn off the strips, and even that was only because I had to remember for the article. (Note: I found that family memory increased substantially once I mounted the remotes next to the room’s main light switch instead of leaving them laying loose on my desk and mixed in with the home theater remotes.)
Another problem with the first gen Conserves we heard about repeatedly during and after the Power Challenge was the price. With retail prices running from $40 to $60, and each strip yielding, say, $5 in energy savings per month, it might take a Conserve over one year to pay for itself if used religiously. I think this is a decent return on investment period, but some might disagree.
Either way, Belkin had room to improve, and we were surprised to see that not a single one of the new Conserve products had a remote control for turning the strip off. Huh? What’s going on here?
- 1. Do We Need New Models?
- 2. The Conserve Socket
- 3. Belkin Conserve Smart AV
- 4. Belkin Conserve Valet
The article is missing the third page on the Conserve AV (the one that turns itself off, which is the one I really wanted to know about). The third page is just a copy of the first page.
I like the timer button one in concept, but its too pricey, and except for the kitchen, all my plugs are low-down on the wall, and generally behind things, so it wouldn't get much use even if I could figure out when I would need to use it.
I like the charging station with built-in USB ports, but the design does look bad. And no non-slip surface, how could they leave that out?
Who cares about saving electricity? Electric service is so cheap in most developed countries it's just silly. That and the parasitic draw of electronic devices is just a few watts, which equals mere pennies over the course of a year. Yes, lets all go out and spend $29,95 on a fancy power strip to save $0.37 cents in electricity. Too many enviro-nazi's out there, and not enough common sense.
No you simply do not be an idiot and unplug all cables from the wall that you are not using. Or buy a cheapo power strip that you can switch off if you are not using those devices.
For $30, that Belkin AV strip is comparable to other high-end surge protectors. The fact that it will turn off all your peripherals at the same time is really cool too. However, I wouldn't plug in my DVR, how is it going to record my shows when its got no power?
Who cares about saving electricity? Electric service is so cheap in most developed countries it's just silly. That and the parasitic draw of electronic devices is just a few watts, which equals mere pennies over the course of a year. Yes, lets all go out and spend $29,95 on a fancy power strip to save $0.37 cents in electricity. Too many enviro-nazi's out there, and not enough common sense.
You obviously missed the first page of the article talking about how with vigilant use, these strips will pay for themselves within a year (even at cheap North American electricity prices).
No you simply do not be an idiot and unplug all cables from the wall that you are not using. Or buy a cheapo power strip that you can switch off if you are not using those devices.
Clearly, this product isn't intended for you. The most practical device (the Belkin AV) is obviously intended for households with children. I can imagine a child rarely remembers to turn off the XBox when they turn off the TV. Imagine if the powerstrip could detect the TV is off, and turn off the XBox too (along with the amp and surround speakers and the lamp next to the TV)? Its not just about leakage into a "soft-off" device, its also about turning off a device that might otherwise be left on when it shouldn't be. For $30, its not a bad investment compared to a regular, high-quality surge protector.
The timer-button and the old ones with the remove might not buy you that much, you still have to remember to use them. The Conserve AV, on the other hand, works without any user interaction, and that will benefit the less diligent user greatly.
Not quite topic related, but I would love to have a Kill-A-Watt equivalent for 220v. Smart meters are light-years away down here...
"I had my doubts about the Conserve Socket, but the Smart AV totally belongs with home theaters, especially knowing what 24x7 power pigs DVR set-tops can be."
What is the point of having a DVR if it's turned off when the TV is turned off? This was kind of a dumb statement...
By Anonymous: "What is the point of having a DVR if it's turned off when the TV is turned off? This was kind of a dumb statement..."
What I understood from his statement was that you could have the DVR plugged into the constant power outlets and have the other devices in the auto on/off outlets. So while your DVR would remain powered, your other devices could be off and would perhaps offset the power consumption of the pig of a DVR