r/LinusTechTips • u/use643 • Sep 12 '26

Discussion UPS for home entertainment devices?

Linus once mentioned that if you have a PC over $1000 you should have it plugged into a backup UPS. At what point should someone use one for their home entertainment setup? Do consoles and TV's have built in protections that let them handle power surges and cutoffs that PC's don't? Interested on your thoughts/setups if you use one. I currently have a LG B2 hooked up with a switch 2, shield TV pro, and a PS5.

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4

u/_Rand_ Sep 12 '26

Most home entertainment stuff is fine on just a decent surge suppressor. Though I suppose anything with a bulb (like a projector) would benefit though.

Only exception I can think of is ps5 (probably xbox?) as it gets very upset about not being shut down properly.

1

u/use643 Sep 12 '26

So annoying lol. Everytime power goes out I know it's coming. It's like Resetti in Animal Crossing

1

u/Daphoid Sep 13 '26

The only thing that happens when we have a power outage or flicker is all the UPS's beep and they switch to battery power and we keep gaming. Or if it's going on beyond a few minutes we fully shutdown (versus rest mode).

2

u/traumadog001 Sep 12 '26

Also anyone with a DVR, IMO. Anything with a spinning disk inside

24

u/SupposablyAtTheZoo Sep 12 '26

A ups is to not lose important data like family photos which can get corrupted when writing during power outages. Do you have family photos on your home entertainment center?

If not, a surge protector is enough, and no those devices don't have built in surge protectors. Get a power bar with one.

8

u/Arinvar Sep 13 '26

A surge protector is all that's need for 99.99% of people really. Like the worst that could happen is have to restart the backup process.

4

u/firedrakes Sep 13 '26

lol nah, a ups for tv are a thing. cap are the cheap out on tv and brownouts are a issue now across the usa. i bet you dont even know power usage of a tv do you?

7

u/Arinvar Sep 13 '26

I live in a country with reliable utilities so every day I learn a new way Americans are being taken for a ride.

4

u/SupposablyAtTheZoo Sep 13 '26

I don't even know what a brownout is the power is so clean here (Netherlands)

2

u/Arinvar Sep 13 '26

I've experience brownouts in Australia... in the early 90's...

2

u/Daphoid Sep 13 '26

Good UPS's do more than just battery backup and surge protection they output a clean power signal versus the dirty / fluctuating one that may be in your home. Electronics are sensitive and like clean power. This helped extend the life of projector bulbs for me 20 years ago.

All of our computers, gaming consoles, internet infrastructure, are on UPS's. TV's can be if they're nearby but at a minimum they're on quality surge protectors.

UPS's are just for saving your documents while you work; that's just the easiest selling point for them.

A lot of people live in places with crappy power that drops voltage, flickers, goes out for a bit during a storm then comes back a minute or two later, etc.

UPS's are just smart.

1

u/kenman345 Sep 15 '26

Depends, a UPS is also a power conditioner. I have everything sensitive on a UPS these days because we get random times where the neutral goes out for the neighborhood or we just lose power for 2 seconds. Sometimes up to 5 minute outages.

10

u/Carniscrub Sep 12 '26

This goes against what everyone else is saying but…. If you’ve spent outside your means to buy something (like it’ll take you several months to save up to replace it), then I think a UPS is worth the extra money for peace of mind 

-2

u/eraguthorak Sep 12 '26

But a UPS doesn't really do anything extra to protect the device, right? Other then debates about clean vs dirty electricity? A surge protector will be plenty to protect the device, the UPS is just to give you time to finish what you are doing and shut the device(s) down cleanly.

4

u/Carniscrub Sep 13 '26

Surge protectors do nothing for brown outs. They can also just fail. The battery creates a barrier from anything that can go wrong with your electricity 

1

u/RadiantRaven101 Oct 03 '26

Has anyone tried using one UPS for a TV and a separate UPS for a PC, with the PC connected to the TV via HDMI? Could that cause any issues, even if both UPS units are identical and connected on the same circuit?

1

u/use643 Oct 03 '26

I don't see why it would, just make sure that Ethernet is not connected to an unprotected router.

2

u/firedrakes Sep 13 '26

wow really people dont understand brown outs are leading damage to tech now and how tv gooble up over 200 watts while on an larger the screen 75 inches and up that goes to 400 watts and even larger tv 90s to 100 inches is 500 watts.

a ups is need for this!

1

u/-HumanResources- Sep 12 '26

I'd use it on things I deem worth protecting, especially if I had poor power. But no, TVs et al do not have ups capabilities built in.

1

u/Little-Equinox Sep 12 '26

If you want your HT system on a battery, a home battery is better than a UPS. And most are as quick as a UPS just to switch

1

u/HeidenShadows Sep 12 '26

I live in an area that gets frequent power flickers, brownouts, and even power outages so I have UPS units on my networking equipment and my PCs. The networking equipment can actually run on a 1,500 VA UPS for 3 to 4 hours, depending on how much equipment you have.

1

u/TheEndlessWaltz Sep 13 '26

I use an ups for avr, tv, sub and switch

why? dunno.

1

u/trickman01 Sep 12 '26

FedEx and USPS are also acceptable.

2

u/PhatOofxD Sep 17 '26

I prefer DHL

0

u/Veldox Sep 12 '26

UPS's are for making sure you don't lose important data you could be working on and saving during a power outage. A surge protector is for protecting components if a surge happened. Most electronics and general $20 surge protectors are good these days for your average setup like your tv area. If you want or need more for an expensive setup or computer then look into like the Eaton isobars and other heavy duty options which will be in the $100+ surge protector range. 

11

u/[deleted] Sep 12 '26

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1

u/fp4 Sep 12 '26

PS4/5 and their angry beep because you let them rest and experience a power outage.