TV standby buttons to be outlawed
By Darren Murph 
posted July 14th 2006 11:35AM
posted July 14th 2006 11:35AM
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The British government is fed up with standby mode; according to a recent energy review, devices left in standby account for 8% of their annual energy usage. In an attempt to curb waste, combat rising energy costs, and apparently annoy citizens, the government is set to outlaw switches that allow TVs, DVD players, and who knows what else to go on hiatus -- mandatory redesigns to remove sleep functions from numerous devices are supposedly on the docket. Whatever comes of this, keep a close eye on the next Windows Update: you might just reboot to find your precious "Stand By" option MIA.
The messages here only serve to vindicate the need for government intervention.
The attitudes of some are unbelievably ignorant and selfish. You're all "How dare you infringe my right to use as much power as I like", "I NEED to leave shit on all the time" and "I'm paying for it, so I can do what I want". Whatever happened to social responsibility?
Bring on the £25 London congestion charge for SUVs...
Why not rather propose a limitation on the energy consumption of standby modes? A very strict one so as to punish wasteful hardware with badly implemented standby circuits/functions?
I think that this is a good idea for Televisions, but not a lot of other devices.
TV's use a lot of power in standby compared to most other electronics because they keep the analogue HV section 'warm' so there's no warmup time when turning the TV on. Anyone remember when TV's had to warm up?
A few here seem not to understand that there isn't really a 'standby' button on most consumer electronics, but that they almost all standby instead of turn off. The average TV for example doesn't ever turn off unless you unplug it. So the fact that your device doesn't have a standby button doesn't mean it doesn't standby. In fact most CE devices do unless unplugged.
This proposed law seems poorly thought out though.
While it makes sense for tube TV's which actually do use a fair bit of power when 'off', and are a common cause of fires, it will probably cause other problems instead.
For example, to keep station, preset, and settings memory, these devices will have to now add some sort of backup battery. Now you have a failure point and a new fire hazzard in the battery charging system. Plus who want's to drag their 75lb+ TV to the shop, and pay some outrageous shop rate to get the backup battery replaced. That or they have to make it accessable from a panel for user replacement and then you'll have the kids taking it out and losing it.
I think this is a typical government solution to a problem. Poorly thought out and badly implemented and likely at great expense to taxpayers.
Tachyon
Major Disaster! I wont be able to use my TvBGone anymore!!! NO!!! Keep standby at least until I pass away or the batteries run out
@Maff Mace - TiVo is still around in the UK and fully supported. It has a (fairly small) but very loyal customer base and is still considered by those in the know as the best PVR in the UK.
Thankyou! It's about time. Every country should follow in this example. Using electricity and harming the environment is bad enough, but when you are harming the environment from leaving things turned off, that's is ridiculous! Thank god they are doing this.
wow. does anyone read the comments properly? they are NOT banning Stand-by buttons, this was a poorly reported story. Read the ArsTechnica article already!
Woa! Chill, blowing this out of water.
Something needs to be done on many devices such as tvs, they never NEED to left in standby. Nor do stereos, pc monitors, remote on off switches, night lights, cooker/microwave clocks...... shall i continue.
The worst culprit, security lights, on off all night to let cats and hedgehogs find their way and burgulars to get a good look at their exit route!!!
All the G wants to do is try and make some head way into saving the planet! whats wrong with that?
This is really a big problem. Much bigger then most people belive.
Like 8-9 years ago I read in a Swedish science periodical that all electronics at standby in the USA consumes as much energy as London in a year. Just imagine. USA could be able to close down a few nuclear power plants or use all this energy to something else then just keeping stuff at standby...
WAKE UP WORLD!
Hey guys calm down.
We pay more than the US for petrol and energy because here we pay the real price of those commodities: waste, pollution and every other little hidden charge involved in their use. That is why your MOT gets more expensive as your car gets older.
Reality is we are about to experience an energy shortage crisis sooner than we could expect, not in the UK but globally. Either something is done about making these devices more energy efficient (I personally think that making the stand by button a little bit slower to warm up the TV good enough) or in 20 years time we will still brag we have the money to pay for the electricity consumed by the TV stand by but there will be no electricity to be bought at an affordable price.
I don't doubt the government is doing what they know best: getting brilliant ideas and screwing them up big time by finding every angle Murphy's law can happen, but there is a valid issue that needs to be considered now.
Cheers!
"Why not just publicise how much the average household can knock off their annual electricity bill by switching things off fully? - If there's real money to be saved by flicking a switch them most will consider it."
Someone with sense! You, sir, are a rare breed.