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Are there any disadvantages to using a battery backup (UPS) for my home entertainment system (TV, VCR, etc.)?

  • I happily use a battery backup for my computer, and am interested in possibly buying one to use exclusively with my home entertainment system (TV, DVD player, XBox, small computer speakers, video source selector, and VCR). All of these items are currently plugged into a power strip/surge protector. I like the idea of having all of this equipment hooked into a battery backup - especially my VCR, which has to have the timer reset every time the power goes out, which is maybe a few times a year. I'd like the option of safely powering all of these things down on my own if the power goes out, rather than just having the power cut out as the electricity goes down. My question is, are there any disadvantages to using a battery backup/UPS on a home entertainment system? They - at least the one that I am looking into - are generally designed to be used with computer systems, but I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work with my home entertainment system. Is there anything that you can think of that I am overlooking here that would make me not want to go ahead with doing this?

  • Answer:

    While the most important thing is a good surge protector, a good combo UPS/surge protector is a good idea, and in certain instances highly recommended for HT systems. For example, if you had a front projector (or projector TV) the lamp life can be severely shortened by on-off cycles that don't allow for proper cooldown. A UPS can really help and is recommended for all projector systems. The only disadvantage is that batteries have a certain lifetime (3-5 years) and therefore there is an expense involved. In addition, a UPS capable of handling all your equipment will be more expensive than the minimal types often seen for $40-$50. I use a UPS on my Home Theater system and on my computer.

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I know of no disadvantages to using a UPS on your equipment, and there are advantages over a surge protector. The main advantage is the one you mentioned, that in the event of a power outage you can turn of the equipment so that you can control when it comes on. This is especially important for brief outages (ON-OFF-ON in a few seconds) which can be damaging to equipment because these often are accompanied by over and under voltages. Another advantage that is not well known is that besides protecting against power outage, a good UPS will shut off if the line voltage goes below or above normal by more than a set amount. It is these lower or higher than normal voltages that can really damage the equipment.

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