Looking for a "Dumb" Smart Switch Energy Saver Plug/Power Board

L[Deactivated] on 12/02/2022 - 09:21
Last edited 18/02/2022 - 23:51

What I'm after is a method to make my TV turn itself off automatically when I turn my PC off.

Remember how old PSUs had a power output as well as input? Older TVs using VGA would also turn themselves on and off when they sensed a video signal. I'm trying to replicate this feature using modern hardware.

I currently have one from Embertec, but it takes an entire minute to turn off. I also tried a black and white one, from what I think was Belkin, but I can't find a picture of it. That one insisted on turning itself off if it didn't sense an IR signal after a certain time, and there was no way to change that. I have found a picture of a Belkin power board called the "Belkin Conserve" but that isn't much better than the Embertec, since it takes 30 seconds to switch off.

Making the search even more difficult, it has to be Australian, and there are a multitude of "smart" switches to wade through to find something that would work. I guess the demand for something like this is pretty low?

Anyway, does anyone have any ideas on how I would achieve automatically disabling/providing power to a TV when another device switches off? The cheaper and less complicated the better.

Embertec: http://embertec.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/SmartSwitc…
Belkin: https://www.cnet.com/a/img/mEXXk99hRxLJjQ4_gbhsm0Px0CI=/644x…

Edit: I found a pic of the black and white Belkin: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31avjaxsa4L.AC_SY450.jpg

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • No on 12/02/2022 - 09:33
    +1

    Out of interest why is the 60 seconds - 30 seconds to switch off an issue?

    • [Deactivated] on 12/02/2022 - 10:27

      When you turn off a light to go to sleep, do you want it to turn off when you press the switch, or to keep it on for a minute?

      • No on 12/02/2022 - 10:37
        +2

        I'd like them to turn off immediately. The TV doesn't matter much.

        • [Deactivated] on 12/02/2022 - 10:51

          What about turning on the TV? Do you want that to happen when you press the button, or does that not matter much? A minute, ten, whatever. When ever it feels like it.

          • No on 12/02/2022 - 12:40

            @[Deactivated]: Turning on the TV would be definitely a different story. I'd want that to happen in 5 - 10 seconds.

  • Zephyrus on 12/02/2022 - 09:49
    +1

    Look up HDMI-CEC. You might just have to turn that on and configure it in your computer.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/02/2022 - 10:26

      That's the other way around, the TV controls other devices. I want the TV to be a dumb screen controlled by the PC.

      • Zephyrus on 12/02/2022 - 13:50

        No, it works both ways. I have my Android TV turning off my TV and AV receiver.

        • [Deactivated] on 12/02/2022 - 18:21

          I'll take another look then. From messing around with the options on the TV, I couldn't see how it did anything other than use your TV remote to control things like volume on a soundbar etc. I didn't look into it further because it seemed fairly limited in its usefulness to me.

          This is from the manual:

          Option - Description
          HDMI-CEC - Turn HDMI-CEC On/Off.

          HDMI-ARC - (Audio Return Channel) If this function is enabled, sound from the TV can be sent to an HDMI-ARC supported external audio device.

          Auto Power On - When this is set to On, turning on the TV will also turn on the connected device.

          Auto Standby - When this is set to On, turning off the TV will also turn off the connected device.

          Those are the only options. How would I go about getting the PC to turn the TV on and off? Do I need extra hardware, or is it all done via HDMI?

          • Zephyrus on 12/02/2022 - 20:10

            @[Deactivated]: It's all done via HDMI, you just turn HDMI-CEC on, then on your PC you need to configure CEC, if it supports it.

            If it doesn't, there's extra hardware like this: https://www.pulse-eight.com/p/104/usb-hdmi-cec-adapter

            Also depending on the TV (check the manual) there may be some way to run a program that turns it off a different way e.g. over a serial port/wi-fi.

  • bdl on 12/02/2022 - 10:28
    +1

    You want a master / slave powerboard - eg https://www.bournesuperstore.com.au/5-way-energy-saving-mast… (info here: http://www.doss.com.au/spb6eco-5-way-master-slave-power-boar…) or https://www.jaycar.com.au/master-slave-powerboard-with-auto-… (but this one discontinued)

    Plug your PC into "master" socket and when the powerboard senses the power to the PC no longer flowing, will turn off "slave" sockets.

    I'd say they're becoming trickier to get as the more energy efficient devices means that the current drawer for many 'master' devices would become harder to (cheaply) measure. Your PC should be enough, though. If you want to draw more power just buy a RTX 3060 :)

    I know some of the Eaton 3S UPSes provide the functionality you're after, but you want it as simple as possible - and adding a battery to the mix doesn't keep it simple.

    • [Deactivated] on 12/02/2022 - 10:48

      Yes, that's what the Belkin Power Conserve is. All of those links are out of stock/discontinued. They are also too "smart" for what I want.

      "If no IR signal is detected from the IR sensor that you place under or in front of the TV within 55 minutes an LED will indicate that it will shut-down in 5 minutes time."

      So if you don't press the remote while watching a movie, it will turn itself off in the middle of it and flash LED lights at you. Who designs this stuff?

      If looking for power saving switches, plugs and boards wasn't generic enough, searching for master slave power brings up woke and BDSM stuff, making it even harder to find. Most of them seem to simply have a master switch though, which is a physical power button, no smarts, not even dumb smarts. There don't seem to be any available to order.

      I guess there just wasn't enough demand for this kind of thing, and they were aiming for cost saving/eco users.

      The Embertec does actually work with my PC, and is better than nothing, it's just annoying to have to wait a minute for it to turn off the screen. If this was adjustable, that would be ideal.

    • scrimshaw on 12/02/2022 - 12:47
      +1

      There is an "Important notice" at the bottom of the Jaycar link to the Master/slave powerboard

      "IMPORTANT NOTICE: From 28th of April 2016 onwards, this product can no longer be sold to New South Wales customers"

      There must have been a safety issue with these types of powerboards, maybe they are actually banned in parts of Australia.

      Previous discussion on Master slave boards:
      https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/506530

      • [Deactivated] on 12/02/2022 - 12:54

        Yes, safety is always a concern with something like this, especially from unknown brands. Belkin are still around, so presumably they did better than others.

  • Clarky77 on 12/02/2022 - 14:35

    I was going to suggest that embertec switch you already have in the description but that has a slight delay. You can adjust it though from memory in 10 second increments.
    I got a couple of those free bank when the government was doing free efficiency inspections and swapping any old inefficient light bulbs. Sounds like maybe just a smart switch could work if you have both on the same circuit or plug? Some of those you can connect to Bluetooth if WiFi connection is to much of an issue? Good Luck

    • [Deactivated] on 12/02/2022 - 18:19

      I read the manual for the Embertec, and it doesn't mention adjusting the delay. If there's a smart switch that works through BT that could be good. I will look into it.

  • MikeKulls on 14/02/2022 - 17:33

    Lots of option
    - get a smart plug, flash it with tasmota or ESP Home and write some code to turn it on/off when PC shuts down
    - same but use a second smart plug with power measurement, when it detects low power usage from the PC it can turn off the TV plug
    - get the PC to run an IR blaster
    - HDMI CEC as suggested above
    - just turn off the TV manually (overall this will be the least time out of your life)

  • jarod on 12/04/2022 - 12:19
    Merged from Powerboard with Master-Slave Feature Needed

    Hi all,

    My current powerboard is due for replacment and I was hoping to look for something new but still has the master-slave outlet feature.

    This is what I'm currently using:

    Philips Surge protector SPC6050WA/79

    "…Home Office surge protector protects your equipment and saves energy . Energy savings at your finger tips. Auto sensing technology shuts all of your devices on/off automatically based on the master outlet…"

    Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

    • jv on 12/04/2022 - 12:20

      but still has the master-slave
      Any suggestions?

      emancipate the slaves…

    • spackbace on 12/04/2022 - 12:26

      OzBargain meets BDSM

  • CascadeHush on 06/12/2022 - 17:07
    Merged from Power Strip with Master Socket or single power switch

    There used to be a kind of Power Strip that had a master socket, into which you'd plug your computer or TV, and then everything else associated with that. When the strip detected low power on the master socket it would cut power to the rest of the strip (so, for example when you shut down your PC, you could have your monitor, powered speakers, external drives, etc all power off to kill the power vampires.

    Well if they still exist I can't find them. Everything now seem to be 'app controlled' which I absolutely do not want, and would refuse to have in my house even if somebody gave me one free. Search results are just cluttered with this junk.

    Alternately, if such things no longer exist, then a power strip with a single power button… not a whole bunch of power buttons (I know such things are common). Or some other way to turn off a power strip with a single button, such as an extension chord with a power switch (I could not find such a thing either).

    Anyway, surely there must be some miserly fiscally responsible people here who already use such things.

    I just got a monster electricity bill, more than twice as much as my last one, so I need to start getting aggressive about turning stuff off.

    • Jimothy Wongingtons on 06/12/2022 - 17:12
      +1

      single power button

      Cyber power and belkin boards have a switch off everything in a single button feature.
      You could also get the Arlec one from kmart, - $13
      https://www.kmart.com.au/product/arlec-4-outlet-surge-protec…

      more than twice as much as my last one, so I need to start getting aggressive about turning stuff off.

      Have you swept for hidden Crypto miner? My favourite was the one dude in Sydney who had a house mate who had hidden a mining setup in the garage and was playing dumb when questioned why the power bill was through the roof.

      • CascadeHush on 06/12/2022 - 18:15

        Single switch job will have to do probably. Better to make sure everything is off.

        Can I infer from the rest of this master thread that these things don't exist anymore?

        Not sure how I would sweep for crypto miners, but I'll have a look around. I think I can account for at least half of the extra charge. Might have to get a kill-a-watt to be sure.

    • spackbace on 06/12/2022 - 17:13

      Not good to have external drives just force shut off

      If it's such an issue, just have a smart plug in the wall, with a standard powerboard attached (again, have the external dtive/s separate)

      • CascadeHush on 06/12/2022 - 18:23

        Well it was just an example, but if the computer the are attached to is shut down, it shouldn't matter. They don't have any power button. At at least some time in their life they are going to be disconnected from the power.

  • Morien on 04/08/2023 - 11:19
    Merged from Master/slave power boards - do they exist in Australia?

    Does anyone know if you can still get master/slave power boards in Aus?

    The only local ones I can find seem to be discontinued. Were they dangerous or something?

    Eg. http://www.doss.com.au/doss2016/product/33540300/

    Thanks

    • scrimshaw on 04/08/2023 - 11:31
      +2

      Emerald Planet Standby Power Controller Board

      https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/115470779488

      Unsure if dangerous. These sort of boards used to be sold at Jaycar but they stopped stocking them completely.

      • Morien on 09/08/2023 - 19:06

        Thank you!
        Yeah… I do wonder why they aren't sold in stores anymore…

    • CascadeHush on 06/08/2023 - 17:19

      I suspect there were 2 issues
      1: People didn't care enough to spend the money in the hopes of saving money, or they just didn't know they were an option. Also, even though we probably have more vampire devices plugged in than ever before, it's all probably using less power than a CRT or Plasma used to use back in the day.
      2: The proliferation of smart devices that are essentially computers that expect to be 'shut down' before being powered off made them increasingly impractical.

      Honestly, the way my PlayStation complains on the odd occasion I accidentally unplug it, you'd think I'd just destroyed life on earth as we know it.

  • Pittyh on 24/09/2023 - 21:27

    This is bullshit how they removed them from the market without a reason.

    I need one to power my arcade cabinet when I press the power button on the cabinet connected to the PC, it needs to switch on AMP, TV, IPAC, and OFF again when pressed.

    At least put up a statement somewhere about why they were removed from market ffs.

  • brettule on 18/10/2023 - 20:13
    Merged from A Semi-Smart Power Plug That Turns on and off Slave Devices

    I'm after a not very smart power plug that is kinda like a double adapter. You plug it into your wall point and when Outlet A stops drawing current Outlet B cuts current. When A starts drawing current then B starts delivering too. In real simple terms, think of a PC or HTPC that when it's powered off cuts power to the monitor/telly/amp. Then when power resumes to the PC it starts delivering power to the ancillaries on outlet B.

    I've seen one of these plugs way back in the day. I couldn't find anything available these days that did this. Any ideas?

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