Cable Box Vs. HD Cable Box: Which Uses More Energy?

The 160 million set-top boxes in use consumed roughly 27 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2010, creating a total energy cost of over $3 billion to consumers. These figures did not change greatly even when the boxes were powered off, as about 66 percent of the total consumption (or $2 billion in energy costs) was accumulated when the boxes were not in use. The percentage was even more for digital video recorders, or DVRs, as they used 30 watts while in use compared with 29 while powered off. In a home employing both an HD DVR and HD receiver, that equals an annual energy usage greater than that of an EnergyStar-compliant refrigerator.

The NRDC tested 14 different SD set-top receivers from the various cable, satellite and telephone-based providers including Time Warner, Comcast, DirecTV, Dish Network, AT&T; and Verizon, as well as 15 HD models. The consumption of the SD boxes ranged from 10 to 20 watts, while that of the HD boxes was mostly between 13 to 25 watts, with one model using 35 watts. The only exception was AT&T;'s HD receivers, as they utilize IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) technology to transmit TV signals. IPTV enables more efficient operation, and AT&T;'s HD boxes used slightly more than 10 watts.

The NRDC's testing also showed that DVRs consume more energy than non-DVR receivers, as three different SD DVRs consumed between 25 to 30 watts, just above the usage of most HD receivers. HD DVRs once again used more electricity than SD models, with the 26 models tested ranging from 23 to more than 50 watts, with the DVRs from satellite providers generally higher than those of cable. And again, the only exception was AT&T;'s HD DVRs, which used less than 20 watts.

When set-top boxes are powered off, they enter a light sleep mode. Until the cable and satellite providers develop more efficient models with different power levels, the only way to truly cut back on consumption is to unplug them when not in use. One alternative for those with multiple DVRs and receivers in one household is to subscribe to the provider's total-home DVR service (where available). With this service, the primary DVR networks with the connected non-DVR boxes, providing DVR access through any receiver and allowing you to cut back on the number of energy-hogging DVRs in use, especially when the DVRs and receivers in use are HD models.