# Hopper Energy Effeciency



## SJ HART (Feb 12, 2003)

Have they made any improvements in the energy efficiency of a Hopper vs. 722s? Primarily the hard drive running 24x7 with the whole unit the equivalent of leaving a 60watt light on all the time. SJ


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Did you measure XiP813 power consumption ? Or telling about 722 ?


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## mdavej (Jan 31, 2007)

Yes, the Hopper uses less energy than the 722. I don't remember exactly how many watts, but when I ran the numbers a few months ago, switching to Hopper from a 722 saved me $1/month on my electric bill. In contrast, my cable DVR uses only 17W in standby.


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## 18 is # 1 (Jun 14, 2012)

SJ HART said:


> Have they made any improvements in the energy efficiency of a Hopper vs. 722s? Primarily the hard drive running 24x7 with the whole unit the equivalent of leaving a 60watt light on all the time. SJ


*Approximately 50 percent more energy efficient for a four-room installation than previous models*

From the Tips & Useful info Sticky (can't post URLs yet).


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

18 is # 1 said:


> From the Tips & Useful info Sticky (can't post URLs yet).


I wouldn't re-post PR statements, when need real number for the discussion ...


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## MrC (Jun 6, 2005)

Should I run some numbers?


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

If you have KillAwatt gadget and 813 [h2k] ...


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## MrC (Jun 6, 2005)

I don't have a Kill-a-Watt. But I do have the better Watts Up? 

The 813 draws about 43.5 to 44.5 watts. There's no difference in "standby" mode.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

MrC said:


> I don't have a Kill-a-Watt. But I do have the better Watts Up?
> 
> The 813 draws about 43.5 to 44.5 watts. There's no difference in "standby" mode.


Thanks for the measure. Is it measured during recording PTA time ? When all three tuners are active...

Well, 60W vs 44W .. I wouldn't say 50%, it's 27% only, but how we should calculate 4 rooms ? 2x722k vs 1xh2k+3xJ ?


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## MrC (Jun 6, 2005)

No, sorry, I don't have PTA running.

There's no difference, as I expected, with 3 tuners all recording (since they are recording all the time anyway). 44W.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

If you could add a number for one J ...


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## MrC (Jun 6, 2005)

The numbers I posted were with exactly one J. running, but I didn't measure. You want the measurement for the J.?


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

I'm sure this discussion matters somehow, but I'm really not feeling it.
It's a conscious choice to either use the modern convenience or not. If you use it, enjoy it and pay the bill. If not, then whoppity doo!, you saved a few bucks.... and a tree or something.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

MrC said:


> The numbers I posted were with exactly one J. running, but I didn't measure. You want the measurement for the J.?


If you could, J is small and has own power supply and should consume less power ...


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## MrC (Jun 6, 2005)

Sorry for the delay, a recording was in progress.

Joey is 8.9 in standby, 9.35 when On.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Thank you for the number too.

Now we could calculate typical set of 1xH and 3xJ as 44W + 3x9W = 71W.
If compare to two 722 120W power consumption, we get 41% of reduction, what are close to claimed 50% ...


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## sregener (Apr 17, 2012)

Marlin Guy said:


> I'm sure this discussion matters somehow, but I'm really not feeling it.
> It's a conscious choice to either use the modern convenience or not. If you use it, enjoy it and pay the bill. If not, then whoppity doo!, you saved a few bucks.... and a tree or something.


Energy efficiency matters for quite a few reasons. Anyone who is concerned about environmental damage from power production knows that the greenest solution is not renewable fuels but to use less power. Since most US electricity is made using coal, using less has a direct bearing on environmental damage.

Now, in one house, switching to a Hopper from an older unit may not matter much. But DVRs are actually quite high on the list of devices in your house that use electricity, in part because they run all the time. 44W sounds like nothing, but that's a KW a day. That's 7% of my daily usage.

Is it worth it to me to have a DVR? Yes. But that doesn't mean that I don't want my DVR to be as energy efficient as possible, within reason.


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## davejacobson (Mar 14, 2005)

Im sure most people are concerned about the $$$$ it takes to run one of these things.My 722k is really outrageous. As far as electricity generation give me a clean coal plant any day and its not hurting the planet.That is another topic and should not be discussed in this thread.


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## StringFellow (Jan 6, 2012)

"sregener" said:


> Energy efficiency matters for quite a few reasons. Anyone who is concerned about environmental damage from power production knows that the greenest solution is not renewable fuels but to use less power. Since most US electricity is made using coal, using less has a direct bearing on environmental damage.
> 
> Now, in one house, switching to a Hopper from an older unit may not matter much. But DVRs are actually quite high on the list of devices in your house that use electricity, in part because they run all the time. 44W sounds like nothing, but that's a KW a day. That's 7% of my daily usage.
> 
> Is it worth it to me to have a DVR? Yes. But that doesn't mean that I don't want my DVR to be as energy efficient as possible, within reason.


This is a funny thread. Think about your heating/cooling costs, fridge, washer/dryer, hot water heater, etc. A Hopper/Joey installation is a fraction of your power consumption.

Also you need to take into account the power savings of not having your TV on as long since you will be watching less commercials!!


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

StringFellow said:


> This is a funny thread. Think about your heating/cooling costs, fridge, washer/dryer, hot water heater, etc. A Hopper/Joey installation is a fraction of your power consumption.
> 
> Also you need to take into account the power savings of not having your TV on as long since you will be watching less commercials!!


:lol:

Seriously. There are easier ways to save 10-15 watts.


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## Marlin Guy (Apr 8, 2009)

I wonder how many watts were used up just talking about it here. 

Oops! Another iceberg melted with that post.


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## 18 is # 1 (Jun 14, 2012)

P Smith said:


> I wouldn't re-post PR statements, when need real number for the discussion ...


Forgive me for trying to help.


StringFellow said:


> This is a funny thread. Think about your heating/cooling costs, fridge, washer/dryer, hot water heater, etc. A Hopper/Joey installation is a fraction of your power consumption.
> 
> Also you need to take into account the power savings of not having your TV on as long since you will be watching less commercials!!


The DVR is a double whammy because the heat it generates has to be compensated for by the AC. Might not be a problem up north but plasma TVs and DVR kill us down south.


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## SJ HART (Feb 12, 2003)

"Marlin Guy" said:


> :lol:
> 
> Seriously. There are easier ways to save 10-15 watts.


True, but it depends where you live and what your rates are for electricity. I personally think that the drives should go to standby if not being used or programs not being recorded. Seems they might be able to do this. SJ


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## DAG (Feb 7, 2006)

"18 is # 1" said:


> Forgive me for trying to help.
> 
> The DVR is a double whammy because the heat it generates has to be compensated for by the AC. Might not be a problem up north but plasma TVs and DVR kill us down south.


I consider my plasma tv a heating appliance in the winter months. It's much more entertaining than watching my pellet stove burn or listening to the rumble of the oil furnace.


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## 3HaloODST (Aug 9, 2010)

When I had AT&T U-verse their HDD was terribly aggressive when it came to turning off the HDD. It would turn off after only 5 minutes of inactivity. I hated having to wait for it to spin up just because I paused for 5 minutes. I'd much rather a drive that spins 24/7 over that. 

Also, technically, running the drive constantly (as long as it's not overheating) is actually better for it than constantly power cycling it. The oil in the drive is always warm and properly lubricating, and there is no thermal expansion/contraction constantly. Back in the old days there was also the issue of head parking (head would literally touch the center of the spindle when drive was not at full speed,) however modern drives have parking bays that eliminate this concern.

I agree with those that say there are better ways to look for power/money savings. I'm sure if Dish could, they would make it consume less power. Also keep in mind that (in most instances) the Hopper is having to power the LNBs to keep the signal. Would you really want to go through "Acquiring Satellite Signal" every time you turn on your TV just to save a few watts? This would also make recording a lot harder to do on a schedule.

Just turn up your AC 1 degree or something. Turn the fridge up 1 setting. Put bags of ice or more frozen foods in the freezer to keep it from having to cycle as often. Fix leaky faucets. Insulate your house. Unplug unused power adapters. Turn off unused lights.


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

Or just throw away all the devices, gadgets and live happy life in a forest or a cave.


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## chriscpmtmp (May 13, 2006)

My power bill came in way to light the month after I switched. There was a meter reading error, but it did get me into checking all my stuff. I measured 34W for the hopper and 8 or so for the Joey, so its better than the two 622s at 35w each. Its a bummer there isn't a nighttime power down. "off" doesn't save anything.

This did get me on a kick to connect my stuff better. I crushed 192W of continuous usage on a bunch of stuff - all by just connecting it differenty. That closing in on $300 per year.

One key piece is a smart power strip. I needed that to turn off my amp that drive my main speakers only. When the receiver is on, it turns the switch on. Moving the actual TV to that one saved 18W. Its the same startup time too. I moved my Blu-Ray, streaming box, ethernet hub, and other stuff to that switch for a boatload more. Every cluster of stuff had 40w+ of savings.

My goofy dish setup calls for a power inserter. That thing is a big drain too. I'm switching to an eastern arc when I get to it.

To me its the point - use what you need to get it done, but not more than that. The computer monitors seem to be the most polite - when they are in standby they read near zero.



3HaloODST said:


> I agree with those that say there are better ways to look for power/money savings.


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## 3HaloODST (Aug 9, 2010)

How many watts does the power inserter draw? My 3-Hopper system requires a DPP44 and a DPP33. Perhaps I should find my Kill-A-Watt?


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## P Smith (Jul 25, 2002)

3HaloODST said:


> How many watts does the power inserter draw? My 3-Hopper system requires a DPP44 and a DPP33. Perhaps I should find my Kill-A-Watt?


Sure, you must  - no one has same 3xh2k setup with DPP44+DPP33


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## 18 is # 1 (Jun 14, 2012)

DAG said:


> I consider my plasma tv a heating appliance in the winter months. It's much more entertaining than watching my pellet stove burn or listening to the rumble of the oil furnace.


In an area that uses more energy for heat than cooling, I can understand. I use heat sparingly 3-4 months of the year. The're are multiple days in February/March that we wear shorts in the DFW area. Likewise, plasma heat is not welcome May-October. Instead we tolerate Hopper heat.:nono2:


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## SJ HART (Feb 12, 2003)

Wonder if DISH has a sustainability report for their company? In my area, we can pay up to 54 cents a kilowatt in the top tier for electricity. I've read that DVRs in general are the biggest draw on power in the US. I agree there are lots of ways to save watts, but companies need to take this seriously. Almost a competitive advantage. Should be a design requirement for new devices. SJ

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20071139-260/study-dvr-set-top-box-use-most-energy-at-home/


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## chriscpmtmp (May 13, 2006)

I show 22w for the inserter. So that cost about $3 per month. The Hopper/Joey at a combined 42W costs about $65 per year. I can run my theater 2 hours a day, every day, at 460w total, and it cost about $58 per year - so less than the Hopper/Joey combo. The 24/7 draws add up.

I put my EHDs on x10 switches. Those draw 7w each. The "fix' by Dishnet is to keep those running all the time. Some of my amps were drawing power when they were off too. I moved those to switched circuits.



3HaloODST said:


> How many watts does the power inserter draw? My 3-Hopper system requires a DPP44 and a DPP33. Perhaps I should find my Kill-A-Watt?


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## deklund (Jun 19, 2012)

I just switched out 1 922, 1 722, 2 622 and a 211 for 2 hoppers and 4 Joey's.
Looks like I'm saving 100 -110 watts according to my 3am usage from SCE. Translates to about $25 / month. This more than offsets the hassle of switching dishes and other hardware and I really like the Joey functionality. I have no hesitation to recommend friends to switch.


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## chriscpmtmp (May 13, 2006)

That seems a bit high, but after I debugged all the gear I had drawing power when it was off, I saved 33% from last year. This was a super hot month, so its not an AC issue, it the real deal. I cut out nearly 200w to get that savings though. i'm sort of addicted to finding another 5w here and there. I have some new light fixtures to install at my office that go from 4 bulbs at 44w to 3 at 32w. That isn't 24/7 use though, so its not as powerful a savings though. Ditching one 622 was a big deal.

I'm really bummed the Hopper doesn't go to a 1-2w standby mode. i might put it on a timer to shut it off every night if I was confident that wouldn't create other problems. I still need to get rid of my 129 dish, but its been too hot to install the new mast.



deklund said:


> I just switched out 1 922, 1 722, 2 622 and a 211 for 2 hoppers and 4 Joey's.
> Looks like I'm saving 100 -110 watts according to my 3am usage from SCE. Translates to about $25 / month. This more than offsets the hassle of switching dishes and other hardware and I really like the Joey functionality. I have no hesitation to recommend friends to switch.


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