Why does everything have standby lights?

comfortablycurt

Title says it all. Why is it that almost all new electronics have standby lights on them? Did the electric companies strike a deal with the a/v equipment manufacturers or something?...lol...Those standby lights are drawing power...are they really necessary?

Not that they're drawing a whole lot of power...but still...it adds up over time.

Anyone have any insight into this?

tcrossma

LED's draw next to nothing, so I don't think it's anything to even give a thought about. It's not like it's powering a 60 watt light bulb or anything.

Knucklehead

The light is ON...to let you know the equipment is OFF......:p

comfortablycurt

Well...that's true, but it does all add up over time. I was watching this show a while back about energy conservation, and how to save money on your electric bills and whatnot. One of the things they were talking about is the standby lights. They were saying that the average household in America has about 20 devices that have standby lights anymore.

They were saying that disconnecting them from the wall every night could ultimately lead to you saving roughly 100 dollars on your electric bill for the whole year. That's a fairly significant amount.

It just seems unnecessary to me...

comfortablycurt

Knucklehead wrote: »

The light is ON...to let you know the equipment is OFF......:p

This is what I have trouble understanding. Why does there need to be a light on it to let me know that it isn't turned on?...lol

Knucklehead

I agree Curt and I do remember reading something like that as well. Something as simple as leaving your phone charger plugged in all the time adds up over time. Who knows what the purpose of these darn lights are? lol.

Retro152

comfortablycurt wrote: »

This is what I have trouble understanding. Why does there need to be a light on it to let me know that it isn't turned on?...lol

Curt, Please standby............lol

comfortablycurt

Knucklehead wrote: »

I agree Curt and I do remember reading something like that as well. Something as simple as leaving your phone charger plugged in all the time adds up over time. Who knows what the purpose of these darn lights are? lol.

Very true...leaving things like phone chargers plugged into the wall makes a difference. Even if you aren't charging your phone with it, there are still minute amounts of power being drawn through it because it's still plugged in.

The same applies with things like toasters, coffee pots etc.

Sherardp

comfortablycurt wrote: »

This is what I have trouble understanding. Why does there need to be a light on it to let me know that it isn't turned on?...lol

Because often times you get people who sit there and wonder if its off, so the light stands as an indicator to let Joe Blow "ok light on, gear is in standby", so he/she can have piece of mind and carry on. You'd be amazed at how many consumers really dont have a clue, guess you can call it "Idiot Proof" no pun intended.

Retro152

comfortablycurt wrote: »

Well...that's true, but it does all add up over time. I was watching this show a while back about energy conservation, and how to save money on your electric bills and whatnot. One of the things they were talking about is the standby lights. They were saying that the average household in America has about 20 devices that have standby lights anymore.

They were saying that disconnecting them from the wall every night could ultimately lead to you saving roughly 100 dollars on your electric bill for the whole year. That's a fairly significant amount.

It just seems unnecessary to me...

Your right it is a waste of money over time for an insignificant feature.

comfortablycurt

Sherardp wrote: »

Because often times you get people who sit there and wonder if its off, so the light stands as an indicator to let Joe Blow "ok light on, gear is in standby", so he/she can have piece of mind and carry on. You'd be amazed at how many consumers really dont have a clue, guess you can call it "Idiot Proof" no pun intended.

I suppose I can sort of see that...

It would make more sense to me though for the light to be on...when it's on, and to be off, when it's off.

My Onkyo AVR has a standby light when it's off...but there's no light that turns on when the unit is turned on. The display lights up though...I would think that the display shutting off would be a pretty good indicator to whether the power was on or not...lol

tcrossma

I suppose to those that want to micromanage their electricity to that extreme these things might make a difference. But to me I just don't see it making a difference.

I just ran a calculator from a website using an LED nightlight (which I'm guessing is more wattage than the LED's in audio equipment) and it costs 48 CENTS to run the *entire year*. Whether the site is accurate or not, I don't know, but it seems logical to me.

http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/howmuch.html

comfortablycurt

retro152 wrote: »

Your right it is a waste of money over time for an insignificant feature.

Exactly, why is it worth around 100 dollars a year for me to have this little red LED telling me that my equipment isn't turned on?...lol

What I like even more is my new DVD player...it doesn't have an LED...it displays the word "standby" on the display when it's turned off.

Sherardp

comfortablycurt wrote: »

What I like even more is my new DVD player...it doesn't have an LED...it displays the word "standby" on the display when it's turned off.

Well you obviously have some awesome toys in there, my XA2 HD DVD and Panasonic BD players dont display jack 5h!t and I paid good money for both. :eek:

I just walked in my HT room and come to think of it, I have seen the light, my amps have the standby light, so does my PJ, and HD DVDp.

MillerLiteScott

I wonder why tube amps have an LED to tell you that the amp is on. Are the glowing tubes not enough?

Scott

speakergeek

Why do AVRs have so many s-video jacks???? Who uses them...:)

hearingimpared

Maybe it has something to do with power to the infra-red detector for the remote.

Conradicles

Why does Curt have so many posts and ain't said nothing?:):D


Just kidding...I love the lights!

bobman1235

Actually standby lights can help you CONSERVE power. If your device is in standby, it isn't "off." It has to be on enough to be able to receive a remote control command, so it is drawing power (much, much more than the stupid LED you're worried about). So the standby light tells you "your device is off, but not completely off." If you are so worried about power, you should be shutting things completely down, not putting them into standby.

You can easily prove this to yourself by buying one of those kill-a-watt meters that measure the power your device is using. Turn off your receiver or whatever your device you're worried about and see how much power it draws - it's not zero, and it has next to nothing to do with the stupid LED on the front.

ben62670

comfortablycurt wrote: »

Exactly, why is it worth around 100 dollars a year for me to have this little red LED telling me that my equipment isn't turned on?...lol

What I like even more is my new DVD player...it doesn't have an LED...it displays the word "standby" on the display when it's turned off.

Why does Fred Flintstone order the Brontosaurs ribs when he knows that it flips his car over every time?


An LED uses 3mA. The average kilowatt hr is like 15 cents. There are 8760 hrs in a year.
3mA at 5v is typical. That is .0015 watts. This is the equivalent of running a 13watt bulb for one hour if the LED is on for a full year(less than a penny). All the electronics like the transformers for functions like the IR receiver draw way more than an LED can. LEDs are starting to come out for home use due to their efficiency. I have one and it is a 27w equivalent that draws around one watt.

treitz3

Damn, you guys are worried about "blowing" pennies and here I am running my rig on 24/7 just to keep it ready to rock when I'm able to listen.

I guess I'm a "big spender" then, right? :eek:

There are other things in the house that take up WAY more energy that you should be concerned about. Things like drafts at the door, the seal around the fridge door, insulating the attic or crawlspace, caulking all cracks around the windows, replacing incandescents with energy saving bulbs, checking and sealing the vent work in areas not seen in probably 5 years................

An LED is about the furthest thing you should be concerned about.

LessisNevermore

The light is on to inform you that, in fact, yes-you are still too lazy to get up an turn it off manually.....:p:D

F1nut

bobman1235 wrote: »

Actually standby lights can help you CONSERVE power. If your device is in standby, it isn't "off." It has to be on enough to be able to receive a remote control command, so it is drawing power (much, much more than the stupid LED you're worried about). So the standby light tells you "your device is off, but not completely off." If you are so worried about power, you should be shutting things completely down, not putting them into standby.

Bingo!!!

MLZ

My Onkyo A-9555 integrated amp has a standby light when it is put into standby via the remote, but when I totally turn it of via the power button the standby light is off and the remote will not work. The standby light is also off when power is on and I am listening or in mute.

Per the manual, when I turn it on via the power button it takes five seconds for the system to stabilize and for me to hear any sound, so I use standby unless I am going to be away for several days.

disneyjoe7

I agree standby leds draw next to nothing, and most power 95% is drawn in standby by any soft power on buttons remote control circuits. Compare an AVR of today soft touch buttons vs. the AVR of late 70's early 80's the power button click on click off.

messiah

bobman1235 wrote: »

Actually standby lights can help you CONSERVE power. If your device is in standby, it isn't "off." It has to be on enough to be able to receive a remote control command, so it is drawing power (much, much more than the stupid LED you're worried about). So the standby light tells you "your device is off, but not completely off." If you are so worried about power, you should be shutting things completely down, not putting them into standby.

You can easily prove this to yourself by buying one of those kill-a-watt meters that measure the power your device is using. Turn off your receiver or whatever your device you're worried about and see how much power it draws - it's not zero, and it has next to nothing to do with the stupid LED on the front.

This is true. If you want to turn it off, then turn it off! There IS a power button. Standby power uses way more than just the silly led. But it forces you to get off of your butt and hit the button on the receiver. Most remotes just have standby now.

danger boy

just put a strip of black duct tape over each and every standby light.. problem solved. :rolleyes:

hearingimpared

danger boy wrote: »

just put a strip of black duct tape over each and every standby light.. Problem solved. :rolleyes:

lol!!!

Monster Jam

tcrossma wrote: »

I suppose to those that want to micromanage their electricity to that extreme these things might make a difference. But to me I just don't see it making a difference.

Revisit this statement, say, 10 years from now. Micromananaging your power consumption -and WHEN you use it - will dictate the rates you pay (if your not already on Time Of Use metering).

Further, 20-40 years from now, micromanaging your energy usage will be something you do regularly and you wont think anything of it. My boss treats the energy in her home like it was the dying Apollo 13 module (she is solar and part time generator). Further, if you buy a NEW home, say, 20-40 years from now, you'll be able to monitor your generation and usage through your computer and likely remotely through the internet. Thats the fun part - when hackers turn your TV off during the superbowl.

Let me add that most of my audio equipment is on power strips or the expensive equivelant (Monster Power Distribution), so I power down when I'm not actually using it. I'm something of an energy miser myself.

Conradicles

If you get enough gear with standby lights in one room, it makes a killer cheap night light.

comfortablycurt

bobman1235 wrote: »

Actually standby lights can help you CONSERVE power. If your device is in standby, it isn't "off." It has to be on enough to be able to receive a remote control command, so it is drawing power (much, much more than the stupid LED you're worried about). So the standby light tells you "your device is off, but not completely off." If you are so worried about power, you should be shutting things completely down, not putting them into standby.

You can easily prove this to yourself by buying one of those kill-a-watt meters that measure the power your device is using. Turn off your receiver or whatever your device you're worried about and see how much power it draws - it's not zero, and it has next to nothing to do with the stupid LED on the front.

That actually explained quite a bit. I just didn't know if there was any actual purpose to it or not. That clarified it a bit. Thanks bobman.

treitz3 wrote: »

Damn, you guys are worried about "blowing" pennies and here I am running my rig on 24/7 just to keep it ready to rock when I'm able to listen.

I guess I'm a "big spender" then, right? :eek:

There are other things in the house that take up WAY more energy that you should be concerned about. Things like drafts at the door, the seal around the fridge door, insulating the attic or crawlspace, caulking all cracks around the windows, replacing incandescents with energy saving bulbs, checking and sealing the vent work in areas not seen in probably 5 years................

An LED is about the furthest thing you should be concerned about.

I actually do all of those things too.;)

Don't get me wrong...it's not as if I'm extremely worried about saving these few dollars every year or whatever. I was just curious whether or not there was an actual reason for it or if they were just there for the hell of it.