If you've got a DVR set up as part of your home theatre (and you should - it's almost 2010 fer-cryin'-out-loud!) you'll know that those things are always sucking up juice. Even in standby mode, they're power hungry, ready to jump into action at a moment's notice to record something for you. Well, Foxtel and Austar have decided to "invest millions of dollars" to improve their set top boxes (DVR or not) so that they are a lot more efficient and suck less power. They've even signed an agreement with the government to "make" them follow through with it.
Considering TVs are under growing pressure to regulate and rate their energy consumption, focussing on reducing the consumption of the devices that sit under your TV is a great move.
On the downside, the agreement doesn't seem to include current models from the pay TV networks - it comes into effect from January 1 2010, and "the signatories will work to ensure all new set top boxes procured after this commence date will not exceed Maximum Energy Consumption Targets."
Still, any green improvements are a step in the right direction here. Hopefully we'll see other STB and DVR manufacturers jump on board as well.
[Foxtel]
