Telecom Lead America: 15 multichannel video providers and device manufacturers’ efforts to use energy efficient Set-Top Box will help 90 million American households to save residential electricity worth $1.5 billion.
Participating companies include providers Comcast, DIRECTV, DISH Network, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Verizon, Charter, AT&T, Cablevision, Bright House Networks and CenturyLink, and manufacturers Cisco, Motorola, EchoStar Technologies and ARRIS.
EchoStar is the exclusive provider of set top boxes to DISH, including DISH’s Hopper Whole-Home DVR.
“EchoStar is a current ENERGY STAR partner, and has been focused on energy efficiency for some time. The Hopper Whole-Home DVR and Joey thin-client devices we produce for DISH offer subscribers up to a 50 percent reduction in power consumption over previously available industry configurations,” said Mark Jackson, president, EchoStar Technologies.
Multichannel video service providers, including DISH, are pledging that 90 percent of the set-top boxes purchased will meet ENERGY STAR Set-Top Box Program V3 efficiency levels by the end of 2013. By comparison, DISH’s current ENERGY STAR partnership requires 50 percent of purchases meet the highest energy efficiency rating.
“The advanced features our subscribers love such as whole-home HD DVR, Blockbuster @Home, Primetime Anytime and AutoHop are currently delivered using one of the industry’s most energy efficient solutions, the Hopper and Joey,” said Vivek Khemka, vice president of product management, DISH.
At least 90 percent of all new set-top boxes purchased and deployed after 2013 will meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR 3.0 efficiency levels. This will result in residential electricity savings of $1.5 billion annually, as the agreement is fully realized.
For immediate residential electricity savings, “light sleep” capabilities will be downloaded by cable operators to more than 10 million digital video recorders (DVRs) that are already in homes.
In 2013, telco providers will offer light sleep capabilities, and satellite providers will include an automatic power down feature in 90 percent of set-top-boxes purchased and deployed.
Energy efficient whole-home DVR solutions will be available as an alternative to multiple in-home DVRs for subscribers of satellite and some telco providers beginning in 2013.
Deep sleep functionality in next generation cable set-top boxes will be field tested and deployed if successful.
“Providing American consumers with innovative services that deliver great video content and reduce in-home energy costs is win-win for customers and participating companies,” said Michael Powell, NCTA president and CEO.
According to the EPA, which administers the ENERGY STAR program, set-top boxes that are ENERGY STAR-qualified are, on average, 45 percent more efficient than conventional models. The new energy conservation initiative will produce more energy savings overall, and five years earlier than originally anticipated.
Companies involved in the new Set-Top Box Energy Conservation Agreement will meet regularly to review and update energy efficiency measures, and to host ongoing discussions with the DOE, the EPA and other interested government agencies and stakeholders on new technologies and equipment.
