Martin Rowe

Wires and heat
March 18, 2008

I moved the TV from my father's house into my living room. The TV isn't one of these flat panel uints. It's a Philips 27-in. CRT, but its new and large compared to my 22-year-old 19-in. Samsung. It has all kinds of I/O jacks: component video input, S-video input, composite video input (2 sets), composite video and audio outputs, and an RF input. OK, it's not the latest, but it's got far more jacks than the old TV.

I spent yesterday morning connecting the TV to a cable box, DVD/VHS unit, and to my stereo. My goal was to integrate the DVD/VHS and cable units into my stereo cabinet with the TV on top. I knew it had enough space to fit the two additional units.

The cable box connects to the TV over the RF cable and the DVD/VHS connects to the TV through an S-video cable. I tried using the component video inputs but the picture as out of sync. The TV's audio output goes to an unused input on my stereo (a two-channel receiver).

 The stereo is in a custom wood cabinet that has the components in the center behind a glass. On either side are drawers for CDs. I had enough room to add the DVD/VHS and cable box, but I had to install them twice. I put the cable box too high and when I closed the door, the door frame that holds the glass blocked the cable box, rendering the remote inoperable. I had to then remove a shelf and stack the stereo components (cassette, CD, and receiver) in a stack on one shelf, then use another shelf to stack the DVD/VHS and cable units.

The stereo receiver and cable box have top vents and thus they need clearance for cooling. The receiver has a hard power switch on its front panel that, when off, cuts all power to the unit. It also has a "soft" power switch that keeps some power going to the unit for faster turn on. I decided to use the hard switch to save electricity. Unfortunately, I can't do that with the cable box, a Motorola unit that apparently is also used for phone and internet access. With the cable box in the cabinet, you can tell that it uses quite a bit of electricity even when "off." Just open the cabinet door and feel the heat. I'm considering cutting power ot the cable box with a power strip, at least when I'm away from home, to reduce energy costs. Imagine thousands or even millions of cable boxes and other "instant on" consumer devices heating rooms 24 hours a day. No wonder we're running out of energy.

So now I have everything working. I should write instructions on how to use the setup and I can see a dozen-page operating manual coming. On the other hand, if I don't write instructions, I'll have the whole thing to myself because nobody else will know how to use it. Hmmm....

Speaking of the cable box, it has a short coax cable that loops between two connectors on the back of the box. I asked Comcast tech support if they know what the cable did. They didn’t know. Do you? The cable box is a Motorola.

Posted by Martin Rowe on March 18, 2008 | Comments (2)