Cable boxes use tons of power – DIRECTV boxes do not

Don’t worry… your DIRECTV equipment has not suddenly turned into a power-sucking vampire. On the other hand, if you’re still with the cable company you could be paying $120 a year just to power the cable box… that’s a month’s cable bill or more!

The Los Angeles Times today published an infographic claiming that cable boxes use quite a bit more power than almost anything else in the house. This is absolutely true…for cable boxes. DIRECTV has been far ahead in reducing power consumption leading to multiple Energy Star awards. Their Genie Mini Clients use less power than a nightlight, and their DVRs and receivers use advanced power management to keep power consumption to an absolute minimum. Using one Genie DVR instead of three conventional DVRs cuts power by up to 90%, and that means a big difference in your energy bills.

Power consumption in average homes has skyrocketed in the last ten years due not only to electronics but also to increased use of air conditioners. The solution isn’t just building more power plants, and all the major consumer electronics makers are aware of that. DIRECTV continues to lead the way in saving consumers money.

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.