Energy Department Proposes Adopting CEA Standard On Set-Top Box Power
The Department of Energy (DOE) may largely adopt a CEA-developed standard for measuring the power consumption of set-top boxes during on, sleep and off modes, it said in a notice of proposed rulemaking, or NOPR in DOE-speak. The rulemaking notice said the CEA’s draft CEA-2043 standard, which is currently being developed by a working group at the trade association, would be the standard for measuring power consumption, with some modifications. It also proposed an annual energy consumption metric that combines proposed power consumption ratings with the amount of time boxes are expected to spend in various modes such as on, sleep and off. The notice excludes pay-TV network equipment.
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The rulemaking notice had been expected following a breakdown in talks among pay-TV operators, consumer advocates and box manufacturers over a voluntary set of standards (CD Nov 5 p9). A separate DOE rulemaking setting energy efficiency standards, and action from the Environmental Protection Agency is still to come (CD Dec 20 p7).
Pay-TV infrastructure and devices that do not deliver TV signals to a consumer display are beyond the scope of the rulemaking, the notice said (http://xrl.us/bobvw6). However, the notice sought further comment on how it should develop test procedures for low noise block-downconverters, auxiliary boxes, optical network terminals and other infrastructure devices. However, IPTV set-top boxes are covered, it said. That goes against comments from AT&T, which sought to have its U-verse boxes excluded from the scope of the rulemaking, according to the notice.
Under the proposed rules, set-top boxes must return to full power from “sleep mode” within 30 seconds. If a box cannot return from sleep mode within 30 seconds, its sleep-mode power usage will be considered the same as full power usage when calculating the average annual power consumption of the device, the notice said. Even though the agency thinks boxes will best such time limits, the limit is there to facilitate customer adoption of sleep mode in boxes, it said. “If a STB take very long to resume functionality from sleep mode, it is DOE’s assumption that consumers are less likely to place the STB in sleep mode,” it said.
In a public meeting and webinar from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 27, the DOE will solicit comments on the proposed rules. The deadline for comments will be 75 days after the rulemaking notice is published in the Federal Register. More information on the DOE’s set-top box rulemaking is at http://xrl.us/bobvza