# Uninterruptible Power Supply



## John T Smith (Jun 17, 2004)

Is there a favored brand/model to use with a DVR?


----------



## waynomo (Nov 9, 2002)

I use an APC. They are usually pretty reasonable. Mine have been reliable. I have several around the house.

I don't suppose Consumer reports has done a comparison. 

The Tivo doesn't draw all that much power itself. I guess you would want to hook up your cable box also if you expected it to continue to record in the event of a power failure.


----------



## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

I have used Belkin, APC and CyberPower without issue. I have had problems with Tripp-Lite models and do not recommend them.

The smallest 350VA model will do just fine for a TiVo, though a larger one will get you more time. Expect about a half hour from a 350VA model with a fresh battery.


----------



## [email protected] (Jan 8, 2008)

If I were to get another one, it would be one that did not beep when the power goes off. I'd just as soon not be awakened by my UPS telling me it isn't getting any power.


----------



## litzdog911 (Oct 18, 2002)

I like the APC brand, too.


----------



## John T Smith (Jun 17, 2004)

Electricity here is usually very reliable, but we did lose power for 4-5 hours last winter when a tree fell on a major feed line, so I am looking at the APC BR1500LCD to cover as long as the power is "likely" to be out with a similar occurence

Currently $188 at Amazon (free shipping) but I'm going to check local stores when we go out tomorrow, to see if anyone has a sale on right now


----------



## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

The higher-end models tend to allow you to program whether they beep or not.


----------



## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

stevel said:


> The higher-end models tend to allow you to program whether they beep or not.


I have had great luck in the past grabbing the beeper with a pair of pliers and just twisting it off the controller board. It is usually only held on by two small solder joints. No beeper, no sound.


----------



## BulletToothTony (Dec 28, 2009)

stevel said:


> I have used Belkin, APC and CyberPower without issue. I have had problems with Tripp-Lite models and do not recommend them.
> 
> The smallest 350VA model will do just fine for a TiVo, though a larger one will get you more time. Expect about a half hour from a 350VA model with a fresh battery.


We used to use Tripp-Lite units at our office, we always had problems with the units. When it came time to replace the units, we bought all APC units. We haven't had any major problems since.

At home, my whole home theater system runs on a Smart UPS 1500. It's a bigger unit, 950W, I have my TV, Tivo, PS3 plugged in to it. I have more than 45 minutes of run time, power filtering and surge protection. It's a big unit, weighs 60lbs. I couldn't fit it in my stand so I have it sitting on the floor with power bars going in to it. It's a little on the pricey side, but quite durable and reliable.


----------



## BulletToothTony (Dec 28, 2009)

HiDefGator said:


> I have had great luck in the past grabbing the beeper with a pair of pliers and just twisting it off the controller board. It is usually only held on by two small solder joints. No beeper, no sound.


What happens if you short something while doing that? Why not set up the unit to not beep?


----------



## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

Many units, especially the smaller ones, can't be set to not beep.


----------



## techmonkey (Jan 13, 2009)

Are there really in other benefits (other than not missing a recording) to having your Tivo hooked up to a UPS rather than a high end surge protector? I do have my computers hooked up to APC UPS units but my Tivos are plugged into "high end" APC Surge Protectors. I don't care if I miss a recording but do want as much protection as possible for the Tivo Unit itself.


----------



## BulletToothTony (Dec 28, 2009)

techmonkey said:


> Are there really in other benefits (other than not missing a recording) to having your Tivo hooked up to a UPS rather than a high end surge protector? I do have my computers hooked up to APC UPS units but my Tivos are plugged into "high end" APC Surge Protectors. I don't care if I miss a recording but do want as much protection as possible for the Tivo Unit itself.


There's definitely a benefit to having the equipment plugged into a UPS. Of course, it has to be a decent UPS. If you have a crappy UPS, you might as well just plug it into the surge protector. Good UPSs filter the power, protecting you from sags and spikes, offer AVR Boost/Drop and regulate the power. If you have high end equipment, it's definitely recommended.

Which APC units do you have?


----------



## JimSpence (Sep 19, 2001)

Many times when power is restored it isn't a smooth transition. A good quality UPS will only restore power to the connected equipment once the incoming power has stabilized, even if the UPS battery has been drained.


----------



## catocony (Nov 14, 2006)

You're not going to want to buy a UPS that will last 4-5 hours since it would be prohibitively expensive for home use. Get a good UPS that will last about 10 minutes in battery mode with your Tivo and TV, that will give you plenty of time to shut things down before you lose juice. They're not meant to be used as little generators, they're used as power conditioners and to keep you up during small outages, surges, brownouts, etc. A steady stream of clean power with enough power-out battery time so you can gracefully shut things down - that's what you want.


----------



## deandashl (Aug 8, 2008)

Plugging a TV into a computer style UPS is nearly pointless. They can't really handle the current, if at all. Most people GREATLY overestimate what a UPS can handle. Plugging a TiVo, TV, and receiver into a $100 UPS (for back up power) is a fools errand. Plug your plasma into your UPS, pull the plug, and I bet the TV turns off pretty fast. Luckily most optimistic UPS owners never find out anyway.

I used to replace batteries on APC UPS's that used 3 battery systems and after about 3 years or so, most would die IMMEDIATELY after pulling the plug with nothing plugged into it.

I've got a APC Back-UPS ES 750

According to their numbers it "should" run the TiVo for about 1 1/2 hours. But I've heard (and experienced) that those numbers can be "greatly" exaggerated.

If it covers for that 10 minutes power outage that's good enough. I also use it as a power conditioner for everything else. Decent UPS's tend to do a better job. 

A short power outage will reset the TiVo so a UPS still saves me the 5 minute reset. I'm assuming cable goes out with most power outages. Gotta get that signal boost from somewhere.


----------



## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

A UPS protects a TiVo against momentary power dropouts or flickers - these can kill hard drives. Of course, it also keeps the TiVo going so it can record and not waste 5-10 minutes rebooting.

I would not expect cable service to drop just because power does, unless a line came down in your neighborhood. Cable systems are independently powered.


----------



## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

deandashl said:


> I've got a APC Back-UPS ES 750
> 
> According to their numbers it "should" run the TiVo for about 1 1/2 hours. But I've heard (and experienced) that those numbers can be "greatly" exaggerated.


Much of the duration depends on the battery health. They start off great but over time slowly lose their ability to hold a charge. Unless you test a UPS every now and then you won't have any idea how long it will really last when needed.


----------



## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

BulletToothTony said:


> What happens if you short something while doing that? Why not set up the unit to not beep?


hasn't happened yet. even if you set them up to not beep they still insist on beeping right before the battery dies. I prefer complete silence.


----------



## BulletToothTony (Dec 28, 2009)

deandashl said:


> Plugging a TV into a computer style UPS is nearly pointless. They can't really handle the current, if at all. Most people GREATLY overestimate what a UPS can handle. Plugging a TiVo, TV, and receiver into a $100 UPS (for back up power) is a fools errand. Plug your plasma into your UPS, pull the plug, and I bet the TV turns off pretty fast. Luckily most optimistic UPS owners never find out anyway.
> 
> I used to replace batteries on APC UPS's that used 3 battery systems and after about 3 years or so, most would die IMMEDIATELY after pulling the plug with nothing plugged into it.
> 
> ...


Don't forget that the ES 750 is pretty much a power bar with a battery. In my earlier post, I was referring to having a real UPS, something like the SUA1500 or SUA2200. Those UPSs are solid work horses and can provide a solid run time.


----------



## BulletToothTony (Dec 28, 2009)

HiDefGator said:


> hasn't happened yet. even if you set them up to not beep they still insist on beeping right before the battery dies. I prefer complete silence.


And what's wrong with a beep here and there, it's kind of a sweet reminder that you have something that works.


----------



## NowPlaying (Mar 7, 2002)

[email protected] said:


> If I were to get another one, it would be one that did not beep when the power goes off. I'd just as soon not be awakened by my UPS telling me it isn't getting any power.


I've had some APC Back-Ups units for many years. I like everything about them except the stupid beeper. I know the power is out when the lights go out. I don't need the UPS to start beeping, especially in the middle of the night. The power in my neighborhood is very dirty and often dips to the point that the UPS needs to take over for a second along with a corresponding beep.

I believe my UPS's have paid for themselves. I have an LCD projection TV. Two of my friends on with similar TV's on the same dirty power have had to replace the expensive bulbs about every year and a half. Mine lasted over 5 years. The only difference is that my TV has always been on a UPS.

I'll always run my expensive electronics from a UPS but in the future I'll only buy models that can have the beep turned off!


----------



## NowPlaying (Mar 7, 2002)

BulletToothTony said:


> And what's wrong with a beep here and there, it's kind of a sweet reminder that you have something that works.


I have a small house with two UPS's, one for my computer and another for my TV. When the power goes out they both start beeping. Added to that is my parrot feels the need to beep back at the UPS's. There is nothing sweet about all that noise. It is an unneeded reminder that the power isn't working.


----------



## BulletToothTony (Dec 28, 2009)

NowPlaying said:


> I have a small house with two UPS's, one for my computer and another for my TV. When the power goes out they both start beeping. Added to that is my parrot feels the need to beep back at the UPS's. There is nothing sweet about all that noise. It is an unneeded reminder that the power isn't working.


Point well taken, thank you! Do you care to share the models of UPSs that you have protecting the equipment?


----------



## HiDefGator (Oct 12, 2004)

BulletToothTony said:


> Point well taken, thank you! Do you care to share the models of UPSs that you have protecting the equipment?


mine are all APC. Many are different models bought over various years. The biggest is a 1500. If they all run 10 minutes without power I'm happy. If the power is out longer than that they were probably going to get shutdown anyway.


----------



## BulletToothTony (Dec 28, 2009)

HiDefGator said:


> mine are all APC. Many are different models bought over various years. The biggest is a 1500. If they all run 10 minutes without power I'm happy. If the power is out longer than that they were probably going to get shutdown anyway.


The key is to have the better UPSs if the budget allows it. A lot of the crappier units aren't very good nor are they reliable. We used to have CS 1500's but every year and a half they'd crumble and fall apart with the famous overload error. The Smart-UPS 1500 is a much more solid machine, pricier but more industrial protection. The sinewave output is definitely a benefit that I didn't have with the crappy units. It's got a big transformer, designed for and mostly used in data centers. Good runtime, good protection, and can be used as a boat anchor if all else fails.


----------



## stevel (Aug 23, 2000)

BulletToothTony said:


> Good runtime, good protection, and can be used as a boat anchor is all else fails.


Please remove the lead-acid battery before converting to boat anchor duty.


----------



## BulletToothTony (Dec 28, 2009)

stevel said:


> Please remove the lead-acid battery before converting to boat anchor duty.


Yes, I completely agree, I forgot to mention that warning in my earlier post. The battery makes for a better paperweight after a few years.


----------



## NowPlaying (Mar 7, 2002)

BulletToothTony said:


> Point well taken, thank you! Do you care to share the models of UPSs that you have protecting the equipment?


They are APC Back-UPS Pro 500's.


----------



## Power Supply1 (Oct 11, 2010)

I agree. It's important to protect you devices especially new devices from sudden power shut down. UPS's are important back up system which will help to preventing your devices from breaking.


----------

