Analyzing the effects of time-shifted TV on the energy consumption of Personal Video Recorders

Due to economic and ecological reasons the energy consumption of consumer electronics products like TVs and set-top boxes (STBs) is of increasing importance. As nowadays also Personal Video Recorders (PVRs) are widely used, the question is raised, how time-shifted TV affects the energy use of such devices. In this paper a framework for analyzing the impact of recording and later playback of TV content on the energy consumption of a PVR is presented. The underlying method allows taking the viewing habits of users into account. The framework is used to analyze the energy consumption of a recommender-based PVR that, based on personalized recommendations, automatically records TV content for the user. Further, a study of an approach for an energy efficient PVR design, which allows deactivating peripheral PVR components when not needed, is analyzed w/r/t potential energy savings.