Streaming media player power consumption compared

guest · Sep 3, 2022

Most streaming media players only cost a few buck to operate annually
By Shawn Knight - August 30, 2022

In a nutshell: Standalone streaming media players from companies like Apple, Roku, Amazon and Google have become commonplace in households around the globe. In fact, streaming recently beat cable for the first time to claim the largest share of TV viewing to date. With more streaming devices in service now than ever, one may naturally question their energy use. How much juice do they consume when in use or while sitting idle, and how much will it cost you?

How-To Geek recently used a smart plug to measure the wattage used by five popular streaming devices including a Roku Ultra, Chromecast Ultra and Chromecast with Google TV. For the Fire TV 4K and Apple TV 4K, they used sources from the Internet.
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Code:
Device
TV On / IdleApple TV 4K
3.03w - 5.58w / 0.30wChromecast Ultra
1.5w - 2.0w / 1.5wFIre TV 4K
~4w / ~1wChromecast With Google TV
~1.0w - 3.0w / 1.0wRoku Ultra
~3.0w - 4.5w / 3.0w
Results reveal that the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K are comparable in terms of energy usage while active, but the Roku Ultra is by far the biggest "vampire power" consumer when idle at 3.0w. All other devices tested consumed 1.5w or less when not in use.

Keep in mind that your mileage may vary depending on the type of content you stream
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Few are going to bat an eye at the roughly $5 it costs to keep a Roku Ultra plugged in year round, but costs could start to add up for penny-pinchers that have multiple streaming devices in their homes and if they use them for more than four hours each day.
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imdb · Aug 30, 2022

mood said: ↑

... and if they use them for more than four hours each day.
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more than four hrs? what are they, couch potatoes?

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Streaming media player power consumption compared

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