I highly recommend getting a power conditioner/surge protection

[AMG44]

I live in North Texas and around this time of year we get wicked thunder storms that produce high winds and golf to baseball size hail. Tonight we're having those types of storms. I was just chillin watching tv and the power kept flicking on and off which is really bad for electronics. Im so glad that i have a power conditioner/surge protection cause i think id cry if my setup got fried!!!!

Also there are other benefits such as it will keep the setup at a constant 120 volts which improves picture and audio. I highly recommend to anyone that is serious about their setup

[JoNJoN]

Ditto, I got everything going through some sort of surge protector. I even go as far as unplugging everything if I am gone for more than one day.

I recently had my 360 stop reading discs on me (SURPRISE lol) and the lady on the phone recommended that I plug my 360 directly into the wall because the surge protector could damage it? Thats a new one on me...

[JamesP]

Ditto, I got everything going through some sort of surge protector. I even go as far as unplugging everything if I am gone for more than one day.

I recently had my 360 stop reading discs on me (SURPRISE lol) and the lady on the phone recommended that I plug my 360 directly into the wall because the surge protector could damage it? Thats a new one on me...

I don't think a surge protector will damage anything unless the built in breaker fails. I could be wrong though...

[Sentinel]

I live in North Texas and around this time of year we get wicked thunder storms that produce high winds and golf to baseball size hail. Tonight we're having those types of storms. I was just chillin watching tv and the power kept flicking on and off which is really bad for electronics. Im so glad that i have a power conditioner/surge protection cause i think id cry if my setup got fried!!!!

Also there are other benefits such as it will keep the setup at a constant 120 volts which improves picture and audio. I highly recommend to anyone that is serious about their setup

No, it doesn't improve the picture in any way. All it does is to keep constant voltage so it doesn't wear the electronics or protecting it from voltage spikes. It can also clean the current from RF signals but doesn't improve the picture. It's either the salesman who said that or Monster Cable.

[oneJ]

we sell some decent ones at work

they also cover you up to $250,000 if their product fails and damage occurs

i think the brand is Crest

but definately something to buy if you have alot of electronic equipment

[oliveryochest]

i recommed a surge protector to anyone that has dirty power.

[opticnads]

i recommed a surge protector to anyone that has dirty power.
awwwww man. Honestly that made me laugh.

[rmac694203]

I have a surge protector/power conditioner. The best thing I like about it is out of the 8 outlets, 6 are switched. So I plug my Ps3, dvd player, subwoofer, receiver into the switched outlets, and leave my DVR and TV on the constant ones (always want my DVR running, TV needs constant power so the fan can cool the bulb so I've been told). It's an easy way to cut everything off that would normally be on standby. So when I power down for the night, I just click the button and everything goes completely off. I like that.

The one I have is a Newpoint Theatre Director. It looks like an AV component and sits on the shelf w/ the other components.

[AMG44]

No, it doesn't improve the picture in any way. All it does is to keep constant voltage so it doesn't wear the electronics or protecting it from voltage spikes. It can also clean the current from RF signals but doesn't improve the picture. It's either the salesman who said that or Monster Cable.

I beg to differ, heres why

you already answered and confirmed (though you dont know it) that the picture quality increases when constant, clean power is sent to the tv by saying it improves RF signals. This is called Digital noise (DN). Ever wonder why a company has an option on a tv called DNF?? They know that the average buyer isnt going to have a power conditioner. DN will make a tv picture look grainy, but having clean power reduces this, thus making the picture quality better. I noticed a big difference when i bought mine which is noticeable on LCD's.


I know for a fact that it improves audio. Im not saying im an expert but i minored in Audio Engineering and once was part of the Audio Engineering Society. I read many journals talking about this on the audio side

And just fyi i dont listen to salesman when i look to buy anything and i dont have Monster Cable i own

Panamax M4300-PM

[bonehead848]

panamax, tripp lite, and belkin all make good surge protectors.

[Copyright]

I haven't except in my room on stuff e.g this computer, my ps3 is plugged in normally always will be

[badz_ps3]

No, it doesn't improve the picture in any way. All it does is to keep constant voltage so it doesn't wear the electronics or protecting it from voltage spikes. It can also clean the current from RF signals but doesn't improve the picture. It's either the salesman who said that or Monster Cable.

I beg to differ, heres why

you already answered and confirmed (though you dont know it) that the picture quality increases when constant, clean power is sent to the tv by saying it improves RF signals. This is called Digital noise (DN). Ever wonder why a company has an option on a tv called DNF?? They know that the average buyer isnt going to have a power conditioner. DN will make a tv picture look grainy, but having clean power reduces this, thus making the picture quality better. I noticed a big difference when i bought mine which is noticeable on LCD's.


I know for a fact that it improves audio. Im not saying im an expert but i minored in Audio Engineering and once was part of the Audio Engineering Society. I read many journals talking about this on the audio side

And just fyi i dont listen to salesman when i look to buy anything and i dont have Monster Cable i own

Panamax M4300-PM


I side with AMG44 on this one. I'll be fair and say not everyone has the trained eye to notice the differences, but there definitely is an improvement whether it be extremely noticeable or not. I also agree there is an improvement with video AND audio. Audio is much easier to pick up on because if you are getting interference or you are simply running off dirty power you will loose much of the quality/fidelity that your system is capable of, and of course if its really bad you may even hear a humming sound of sorts.

I own the Panamax 5300MX personally.

[Sentinel]

I beg to differ, heres why

you already answered and confirmed (though you dont know it) that the picture quality increases when constant, clean power is sent to the tv by saying it improves RF signals. This is called Digital noise (DN). Ever wonder why a company has an option on a tv called DNF?? They know that the average buyer isnt going to have a power conditioner. DN will make a tv picture look grainy, but having clean power reduces this, thus making the picture quality better. I noticed a big difference when i bought mine which is noticeable on LCD's.


I know for a fact that it improves audio. Im not saying im an expert but i minored in Audio Engineering and once was part of the Audio Engineering Society. I read many journals talking about this on the audio side

And just fyi i dont listen to salesman when i look to buy anything and i dont have Monster Cable i own

Panamax M4300-PM

You don't get noise from dirty voltage or RF, it's either the source or the film itself. Unless you got a CRT, the power supply has very little relevance from the LCD screen itself. All it does is power the LCD and let the LCD do it's thing. The DNR function is taking the noise out from the source (film) and not the signal (0's and 1's) by artificially changing the colors from their surrounding area. Picture quality can degrade IF the signal is disrupted on the cable (HDMI, Composite, Component) when a strong RF is present. There is no way a dirty current can alter the LCD picture aside from it's brightness and flickering. As for the audio, I didn't disagree with you on that one because the amplifier is dependent on the current to produce sound.

[vipergts2207]

Be careful when buying one because some cheap ones put out a square wave instead of a sine wave which will cause flicker. If you're looking at UPSs too anyway.

[murphANDderl]

The tech on the phone(360 rrod) told me to have it plugged directly into the wall cause the poweradaptor has a built in surge protector!!

[Essenshizer]

The tech on the phone(360 rrod) told me to have it plugged directly into the wall cause the poweradaptor has a built in surge protector!!


^lol, eh.. I would rather recommend either purchasing a unit from www.brickwall.com or www.tripplite.com (very high quality).

[triplejumper18]

I have the Panamax M5100-EX line conditioner/surge protector and it sequentially turns on my amps and preamps and I also noticed the bass response is a little better on my speakers. Not to mention it looks pretty cool!

http://panamax.com/PDF/Datasheets/M5100EX_L548B.pdf

[DaveOP]

No, it doesn't improve the picture in any way. All it does is to keep constant voltage so it doesn't wear the electronics or protecting it from voltage spikes. It can also clean the current from RF signals but doesn't improve the picture. It's either the salesman who said that or Monster Cable.

Sort of.

I am not a Monster Cable guy, in fact I despise their over pricing and marketing. That said, I picked up a Monster Cable PowerCenter really cheap on eBay, and it got rid of all of the flickering and inconsistencies that my power was causing my set. In a sense, it did really improve the PQ for me, because now everything is balanced.

[keefy]

usually the max voltage drop allowed is 5% if it is more than that then you should contact your power company to see if they can improve the situation after all you are paying them to supply you it is thier duty to keep you a happy customer.

[morpheus13]

AMG44 is right on all accounts. Additionally a conditioner helps make things better by shielding the power going into from other things in the house that might disrupt it like a microwave oven for example. Personally I have a Belkin PureAV that Im very happy with. My only regret is that I didnt spend more for one with a built in UPS.

[unsmart thing]

If you can see a noticeable difference in picture quality after using a power conditioner then you've got some serious wiring problems or your house was built in the 20's.

[Tryst]

Sorry, but how does one know that they have dirt power?

Thanks

[unsmart thing]

If you've got interference that you can't seem to get rid of could be an indication of dirty power (ex: ghosting or static).

There is a device that you can get to test it. You plug it into your electrical outlet and you can hear radio stations and all sorts of weird stuff through a little speaker. I saw one at RadioShack when they were trying to push Monster products on me.

[AMG44]

Ok guys some of yall need to sit down and think. Ill give an example...

Im sure everyone knows that a DLP and LCD uses a bulb to help produce the picture. These bulbs pull alot of current to run. Do you honestly think the bulb will stay 100% lit up if the current isnt a constant 120 volts??? Do you think there is a direct line running to your house from the electric company??? Come on people, all areas have a power grid (which causes dirty power) that everyone shares. The power is going to fluctuate constantly as people turn on heavy appliances ie washer and dryers, ovens etc, and thats not including your own home. Ive seen my volts as low as 114 and as high as 124, hell ive seen my volts drop 2 points from having the oven on for a long time (and for the above post i live in a new development) so yea having good clean, CONSTANT 120 volts to you equipment makes a difference. I tried to break it down as simple as possible. Any more clarification, i suggest talking to a science professor.

[unsmart thing]

AMG, you can break it down as much as you want. I am already aware of everything you stated and you are correct. I'm only stating stating that if you can see a noticeable difference then you've got some problems. I have a power conditioner for my DLP and my picture is exactly the same as it was before my power conditioner, although I know not everybody's experience will be the same as mine.

[AMG44]

AMG, you can break it down as much as you want. I am already aware of everything you stated and you are correct. I'm only stating stating that if you can see a noticeable difference then you've got some problems. I have a power conditioner for my DLP and my picture is exactly the same as it was before my power conditioner, although I know not everybody's experience will be the same as mine.

99.9% of my post wasnt towards you, just stating im not in a old home thats all. Its was for the others that didnt get it...

[rmac694203]

My 'power conditionder' has 4 lights showing the voltage coming into the unit. They are always shifting back and forth between 115 and 120 volts. Don't know if it makes a difference for my TV though. The main things I wanted in mine when I was shopping was a surge protector that was around 50 bucks. I found the one I got and it happened to be a 'conditioner' as well. Like I stated before, I like the switched outlets it has. I can turn off 6 out of the 8 outlets when not in use. I do it every night. Cuts all the standby power used by the items.

Honestly haven't noticed a difference in picture quality.

[morpheus13]

well... 1937, but its bad enough :D


If you can see a noticeable difference in picture quality after using a power conditioner then you've got some serious wiring problems or your house was built in the 20's.

[bizquick]

I agree that a UPS/Conditioner will help your electronics... To a point.

I work RnD for a company that manufactures electronics equipment, and I can say firsthand that none of these devices are necessary. Most power supplies in electronic devices are designed to run anywhere from 90 volts AC to 228 volts AC. They are also designed to withstand multiple brownouts, power spikes, and extremely high levels of high frequency voltage swing (+/-1500 single discharge).

In short, unless you're afraid of lightning striking your actual house and managing to find a way directly into your circuit box, then yes get a conditioner. If that actually happened, then you'd have bigger problems then fried electronics.

[Fighter835]

So I just tried an experiment just for the hell of it.

My dad has a Panamax in his room, and my 50 inch Plasma is connected right into the wall with no surge protection. I hooked up the Panamax to my tv, and switched a few times from it and having no surge protection at all.
Absolutely no difference at all in image quality. It might prevent my tv from being fried in a storm but picture quality wise (at least in my case) it made absolutely no difference.