Battery Backup for Projection TV

kberg

I'm looking to purchase a battery backup for my 56" projection TV - any ideas?

When the power goes out during a storm or whatever, I want to be sure that I can then shut the TV down using the battery backup, as I need to make sure the bulb doesn't overheat and consequently lose a majority of its life expectancy.

I went to CompUSA today and saw some battery backup products made for computers by APC, but would these products provide the type of power backup needed by my set? If so, what level of power backup would I need? Seems to vary from 350-1500 VA. Thanks in advance.

unc2701

The fan hardly pulls any wattage, so just about anything will do -assuming that you'll be around to turn the TV off as soon as you lose power.

kberg

unc2701 wrote:

The fan hardly pulls any wattage, so just about anything will do -assuming that you'll be around to turn the TV off as soon as you lose power.

So, are you saying that just about anything will do for providing my TV with full power backup from the battery until I turn it off as I normally would? I mean, with a battery backup the TV should just stay on when the power goes out, correct?

nadams

The more VA you buy, the longer you have 'til the battery craps out. If you buy too small of a UPS (Say a 350va), it likely won't be enough to run your TV until you press the power button. It will try, but the UPS will just shut itself off to save itself. Find out how much juice your TV draws when on, and buy a UPS that's larger than that. You will probably get the number in either watts or amps, and will have to convert to VA from there. You can sometimes find wattage ratings on UPSs as well, but VA is their preferred marketing point.

unc2701

My LCD TV pulls about 200 watts with the power on, speakers playing, fan running. Based on this:
http://www.apc.com/products/family/index.cfm?id=21
APC's cheapest UPS will run for two minutes with that load- and for 23 minutes with a 50 watt load (Easily 10x what the fan actually draws). So, as long as you turn the TV off within about a minute of losing power, there will be more than enough fan time for it to cool down.

Anyhow, you can play with that webpage and get an idea of what you'll want, but you really don't need a expensive UPS for this application.

nadams

Good advice, unc2701. I wasn't aware of what projection TVs draw....

kberg

Thanks for the info! Looks like my TV draws 205 watts. One more question...

If I buy a more powerful battery backup of say, 500 watts, that type of backup will just allow the TV to run longer via the backup, rather than provide too much wattage and risk damage to the TV, correct? In other words, the extra wattage doesn't really matter, as long as it provides at least 205 watts of output to run the TV, right?

With 205 watts of power draw, what specific battery backup would you folks recommend I purchase?

unc2701

Yep, that's right- Your TV will only pull what it needs, but run that much longer. Personally, I'd get the second model from the bottom, but usually I'm right in front of the TV if it's on... You'll have plenty of time to turn it off- even as the battery starts to wear and the backup time shortens.

kberg

unc2701 wrote:

Personally, I'd get the second model from the bottom

Just to be sure, you mean this one, right?
APC Back-UPS ES USB 750VA w/TEL & COAX 120V

If so, I believe this is the one the guy at CompUSA also said would be the one to get.

Thanks for everyone's help on this!

steveinaz

kberg wrote:

Thanks for the info! Looks like my TV draws 205 watts. One more question...

If I buy a more powerful battery backup of say, 500 watts, that type of backup will just allow the TV to run longer via the backup, rather than provide too much wattage and risk damage to the TV, correct? In other words, the extra wattage doesn't really matter, as long as it provides at least 205 watts of output to run the TV, right?

With 205 watts of power draw, what specific battery backup would you folks recommend I purchase?

Yes, your TV will only draw what it needs--the 500w spec is just telling you how much current is available.

You'll have to check different back-up systems too see how much "on time" you'll get based on your 205 watt requirement. Of course more "on time" means more (or larger) batteries, higher cost, etc...

unc2701

Sorry I meant from the bottom end of the product line- BE500R; but the price difference for the one you link is only $40 more & you'd get twice the time.

Pull the trigger, you're thinking too much!

theelviscerator

You could always get an amp reading during normal usage for best results...
taken off power feed using ampclamp or meter inline....

kberg

Thanks for everyone's comments on this topic. I picked up the Tripp Lite UPS at Staples last Friday for $89 (was $140) and it works just fine, and is even designed for HT systems.

Tripp Lite HT1500UPS