Monster Green Power - scam??

staceysteve

Right so we have gone out and got a new tv, really good price as well so happy. As per previous thread 'Help!!!Samsung 40inch...' Obviously still going to take the retailer to task about the fault.

When we were in the store the guy tried to sell us this Monster Green Power thing, which you put all the plugs in, you know Sky box, DVD player, PS3 etc and he was saying it gets rid of all the static electricity that is generated by everything. And that it saves money whilst prolonging the life of the machines. Obviously we weren't sure if were being scammed but it does sound plausible and obiovusly with what wev've just been through we are concerned about protecting everything.
The thing he was trying to sell us was £100!! Just wondering if it is worth the investment or if there are cheaper good alternatives out there??

Thanks

Marty_J

Power centres have nothing to do with static electricity. The idea is that they clean the noise from the powerlines caused by electromagnetic interference, both from external sources and other equipment in your home. They can also regulate the voltage going to your equipment to ensure that it is constant.

Some people claim that they improve the picture and sound quality, which I find very dubious. However, they do provide excellent surge protection, and the rack mounted ones are a very neat way to organise all your power cables (much nicer than the tangled birds nest power strips can become).

Personally, I would ignore all the marketing BS and concentrate on their practical aspects. Whether you think they're worth the price (and £100 is really nothing for a power centre) is up to you. They certainly don't do anything magical, and the fact that the store will make more money selling the power centre than they made selling the TV probably explains the salesperson's eagerness.

JasX

staceysteve wrote: »

saying it gets rid of all the static electricity that is generated by everything.

This statement is complete technical gibberish

staceysteve wrote: »

And that it saves money

basically by making sure you don't leave stuff on standby.

staceysteve wrote: »

whilst prolonging the life of the machines.

Inrush currents are generally bad for sensitive electronic equipment and is one of a number things that will cause your device to fail after an extended period of time, eventually if it gets old enough something will get it -overheating due to dust etc, vibration, repeated heat/cool cycles when its on/off, component failure due to minor defect

staceysteve wrote: »

£100

It may provide some benefits but they are likely to be quite small and I imaging you'll get nowhere near £100 in savings, if you're concerned about inrush currents get a surge protector that costs alot less than £100, if you're worrried about losing money cause stuff is left on standby get into the habit of turning it off at the wall, even if you forget a good few times you'll probably not have spent £100 on electricity

Richie-from-the-Boro

2 world renowned experts in one room three different opinions, I wouldn't waste a tenner let alone one hundred.

The only [ dubious ] benefit is if you have an amp & external USB & whatever connected to your tele ( and powered from the Monster ) it automatically switches them off when you switch off the tele.

For audiophiles maybe, for your purpose doubtful or no benefit.

PeterDuckett

A similar thing was just given away in the news paper for a £1

Or try one of these for £20 or less

http://www.oneclickpower.com/store/

JokerDurden

They don't work, Comet staff are apparently told to sell them and hit certain percentages as it means bucks for Comet. So buy a new TV the sales patter will then be 'you also need one of these'. I've been told a normal surge protector is just as good.

I've posted about my experiance in the Digital tv forum

weegie.geek

I'll have a cryogenically frozen plug while you're at it.

Generally, if it says Monster on it you don't need it.

John_Gray

I think we should distinguish between the obvious rubbish that the spectacularly ill-informed Comet operative was telling you about "static electricity", and the minor benefit that would be obtained by turning off at the mains plug any electronic device which uses a small amount of electricity in 'stand-by mode'.

And therein lies the solution - if it's summer, and you want to minimise any heat output and cost of electricity from a device, turn it off at the mains. If it's winter, then you will save a minuscule amount on your central heating bill by making use of the heat generated by leaving these devices on stand-by.

In no circumstance could anyone justify spending £100 (another model of 'Monster power centre' is £130!) on something which turns power off. How about a time switch controlling an extension cable, if you really want to turn some things off automatically? Probably much less than a tenner.

Just a Monster Rip-Off... Curry's really ought to be ashamed of themselves, and be reported to Trading Standards. Caveat Emptor...

Pikeyp

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

For audiophiles maybe, for your purpose doubtful or no benefit.

As Ritchie says , in the audiophile world serious listeners will spend loads of money on 'Mains Purifiers' and stuff like that .. more that £100's in some cases!

Some people swear by it .. others say it's a con ..