Home theatre power managers are not a new phenomenon, and they have become more and more popular over the last few years, but what exactly is a home theatre power manager? And how does it work?
To answer these exact questions, let us start by explaining just what you’re looking at when you see one of these devices being advertised. Home Theatre Power Manager is simply another name for a surge protection strip for home appliances and electrical gadgets that can use the functions of Surge protection.
Now the device that passes as a home theatre manager is usually much more advanced, with different sockets available which accommodate a number of different plugs and elements, but essentially they all work on the same premise by cutting off power to certain devices if necessary.
Once you understand how surge protection strips work it’s easy to see why people would want one in their home cinema.
Surge Protection Strips:
Surge protection strips can be found in a variety of different outlets, and they usually come with more sockets than you’ll ever need. On the back of these devices is usually a standard three pin plug with a surge protector built in.
This surge protector has two main forms of protection built in; the first of these is the grounding mechanism. This grounding device has multiple uses, but its main purpose is to ensure that any power being sent through the strip is being done so at a safe voltage.
Ordinarily, if your home or office suffers from a sudden blackout or loss of power, there will usually be an automatic shutdown to protect against these sudden power surges.
This is what the grounding mechanism will help to prevent, as well as short circuits which can occur if something goes wrong with one of your appliances.
The other form of protection that you’ll find in most surge strips is the ‘fail-safe’ function. This mechanism simply means that once your power strip has failed it will cut the power to your appliances altogether.
This is all well and good, until you realise that in most cases when users have tripped over their cords, or experienced sudden power outages, the surge strip has also been damaged in some way.
If you look at them closely enough it’s easy to see why, as the majority of surge protection strips are made up of multiple metal pins which, again, help to protect your appliance from surges or ‘spikes’ in power.
These structures are what allow the electrical current to flow freely through the strip and into your appliances, but they’re also extremely fragile.
Although manufacturers will try their best to ensure that the outlets do not become crushed together when you’re moving furniture about, in most cases when an appliance has suffered damage it is usually because it was plugged into one of the strip sockets.
This is where the main power switch comes in; this is a simple device that can be found on most surge protection strips and which will allow you to cut the power to all your devices with one simple flick of a switch.
There is no reason why you shouldn’t go out and buy yourself a home theatre power manager, after all they’re extremely handy when it comes to protecting your appliances from total damage due to sudden surges or power failures in your home or office.
How Does A Home Theatre Power Manager Work?
If you are going to use a home theatre power manager, it only makes sense that you know and understand how they work and how to use an htpm.
To start with, you have to understand the function of a home theatre power manager. A home theatre power manager is a device that you can connect all your appliances to and then switch them on and off via one central unit.
What this does for you is allow you to control multiple devices from just one simple point and not have to get up every time you want to switch something on or off.
Although this might sound like a common-sense type of product, not many people are aware that they exist and if anything the idea is quite revolutionary for home technology.
How Do I Use A Home Theatre Power Manager?
When it comes to using your power manager there are some basic functions that you should be aware of.
First, your home theatre power manager will need to be plugged into an outlet and connected to your TV as well as any other sources such as a DVD player or games console.
When it comes to actually controlling these devices there are three basic functions which you can perform: firstly, you’ll be able to switch the power of any device on or off from a central point.
Secondly, if your home theatre power manager has been designed with more advanced functions in mind you’ll also be able to control the volume levels of multiple devices from one central point and even change channels on some models.
To do this you will need to use the supplied remote control that comes along with your manager. Finally, you’ll also be able to store options for preset TV channels or even the volume levels of individual devices.
This way you can simply set these devices to whatever function you would like them to perform and then switch them back on at the touch of a button.
What Are The Benefits Of Having A Home Theatre Power Manager?
There are many benefits of having a home theatre power manager and we’ve already mentioned some of them, such as the fact you’ll be able to switch devices on and off from one central point.
This saves time and energy and can make your home or office far more efficient when it comes to using your appliances.
Power managers also allow you to switch channels, which is great if you have a TV and DVD player but no satellite or cable connection.
Managers can be very useful for people who are confined to their homes, too, as they allow them to turn any TV into a source of entertainment without having to leave the comfort of their own bed.
Some models will also allow you to store different settings for certain devices, which means you can set the TV to turn on with just one button and then adjust its volume or change channels.
These types of functions are very useful for people who have memory problems or vision problems that might make it difficult for them to remember where they’ve put certain remote controls.
Who Needs HTPMs (Commonly Known As A Home Theatre Power Manager?)
While home theater power managers are popular with people who have a wide range of disabilities, there are other people who might also benefit from using an htpm.
If you live in a large house then it’s well worth considering getting one for each TV that you have.
This means you’ll be able to switch every television off at the touch of a button and not have to worry about leaving any appliances on standby.
Power managers are also popular with people who like to entertain friends and family because they allow them to make their home technologically efficient without having to leave the sofa.
Furthermore, power managers can be used to great effect at business meetings or seminars because each dancer will be able to switch on their laptops or projectors at the same time.
Finally, power managers are also popular with people who have a tendency to forget whether they’ve turned certain appliances off or not.
While this might seem like a waste of money for those who haven’t experienced these kinds of problems yet it might be very useful as you get older and your memory begins to fade as well as your vision.
Overall, the main purpose of a home theatre power manager is to provide you with an efficient and easy way to switch on and off appliances in different rooms of the house.
How To Find The Best Home Theatre Power Manager?
Now that you understand how a home theatre power manager can help you out it’s time to discuss some of the important factors to consider when buying one for yourself.
You should always check that your HTPM comes with a remote control as well as wall sockets and if you’re buying online you should also always ask the seller whether the product is eligible for free shipping.
Equally important is to find out how many devices can be controlled by one controller and what type of devices they are: for example, can
4. What Features Should HTPMs Have?
Key feature to look for in the best home theater power manager include:
- A timer that allows you to program devices to switch on or off at certain times.
- Boost and surge protection as well as fire resistance which will protect any appliances from power surges and from the risk of catching fire if they are left on for too long.
- 2-in-1 designs allow them to be used as a plug socket as well as a power manager which is particularly useful if you don’t have any spare wall sockets available.
- Last but certainly not least, the best home theatre power managers will be able to control an entire range of appliances in different rooms of your house.
This means you won’t need to use multiple controllers or adapters when switching on and off devices throughout the course of each day.
It’s also worth looking into whether your power manager has any added features such as USB ports, which might be particularly useful if you have a player or other device that doesn’t use a traditional plug socket.
How To Use Home Theater Power Manager?
While many home theater power managers are very easy to use even for those that don’t have a great deal of technical knowledge there are some things to keep in mind.
First, you should check whether your power manager has a timer or if it means programming the devices manually each time they need to be switched on and off.
Second, make sure that your HTPM is compatible with all of your appliances as some power managers only work on certain devices.
Finally, find out what kind of warranty your device comes with so you can be sure it’ll be protected in case anything goes wrong with the product itself.
Overall, using a home theater power manager is very simple and can easily become part of your daily routine once you get the hang of it.
Since it will save you time you can rest assured that your HTPM will really help towards making your life easier and more efficient.
Conclusion
Home theatre power managers are an essential addon for your home theater.
For people who struggle to remember whether they turned the TV off or not, it is a great way for everyone in the family to keep track of what appliances they’ve switched on and off.
Watching one’s power meter go up and down is fun, so these managers can also be an educational tool for children as well as a money saver for the family.
In summary, power managers are a great addition to any home theater setup and can be very useful if you have memory problems or just want a little help with your daily routine.
