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Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here

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To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (2742)	1/17/1999 6:05:00 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (2) of 12823

Digital set-top boxes contributing to "greenhouse effect?" STBs will affect Global Warming? Hadn't though of it in quite those terms before. But read on. Thanks to Dwight Martin on the IATV - ACTV Interactive Television thread. Regards, Frank C. ============================================= Power fear over demands of digital TV The Scotsman WITHIN ten years set-top decoder boxes for digital television in the UK will consume the same amount of electricity as is produced by a power station, it was claimed yesterday. Consumer and environmental groups say the new technology will mean a surge in power demand because many of the boxes needed to receive digital broadcasts can never be switched off. Manufacturers predict five million decoders will be installed in the UK by 2000. Further demand, combined with sales of special digital TV sets, will lead to an estimated 25 million households across the UK having digital reception by the end of 2008. According to research carried out by the Consumers' Association for the European Commission, this would drain between 350 and 450 megawatts from the National Grid -the equivalent of a new power station's output. The digital broadcasters BSkyB and On Digital have opted for set- top boxes which ensure the continuous flow of data - and electricity - even on standby. Set top boxes on a standby setting will use 16 watts of power - 16 times as much electricity as the most efficient televisions. Consumption is expected to rise to 20 watts for the next generation of units due on sale later this year. It is estimated that the new digital receivers could lift electricity bills by an average of GBP 15 a year. The Consumers' Association is now calling on the European Union to try to limit electricity consumption by set-top boxes. A spokesman said: "The broadcasters and manufacturers should be experimenting with technical solutions to this problem allowing the machines to be switched off at certain times. "However, as far as we can tell most of the designing and manufacturing has already been done and it might already be too late to implement any improvements." Last October the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, unveiled a campaign designed to counter global warming by persuading households to turn off their televisions, video recorders and computers, rather than leaving them on standby. According to the Government, if all televisions and videos kept on standby were turned off, the reduced demand would mean a cut in greenhouse gases emitted by power plants of an estimated half a million tones. Dr Richard Dixon, the head of research at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said European legislation was required urgently to curb the power drain caused by set-top boxes because they posed a greater threat than the current analogue equipment. Last night BSkyB said it was working with set-top box makers to improve energy efficiency. A spokesman said: "At the moment they have to remain functional 24 hours a day to allow us to download software to improve the system. "Digital terrestrial TV needs a huge system of transformers which consume much more energy than the satellite we use which gets its power directly from the sun."

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