After doing some research on companies who might be interested in my Black Remote Patent (ok, pending), I came across the “Smart Strip” power strip on Amazon.com for $26 each. The basic concept involves plugging the main component of a system (a computer or television) into a control outlet, and the other components into the regular outlets. When the main component goes into sleep/standby mode it shuts off power to all the components. When the main component is turned back on all the power is restored. The description on the box says that a typical setup will pay for itself in 10 weeks. I’ll have an update after I’ve gone through an entire cycle on my utility bill.
I’ve also reconfigured the power strips on both my television sets and have been making an effort to switch the strip off when I’m done watching television. I know– not very high tech, but it gets the job done.
As a side note, I’ve discovered that the “repeater” I use is a tremendous consumer of kilowatts. Basically it consists of two units. The first one receives infrared remote signals and converts them into radio frequency signals. The second one does the opposite. This allows you to control components from a different room. In my case, it let me hide away all the components of my entertainment center, including the projector, in a soundproof room. I’m not a big sound snob, but it makes the experience so much better without multiple fans running while I’m trying to listen to a movie. I’m looking into a more efficient way to get this done.