In addition to being a better way to get programming, OTT video might just be a more energy-efficient way to get television programming. That is, if the set-top box is the primary factor in energy consumption. This according to the NYTimes:
There are 160 million so-called set-top boxes in the United States, one for every two people, and that number is rising. Many homes now have one or more basic cable boxes as well as add-on DVRs, or digital video recorders, which use 40 percent more power than the set-top box.
So. DVRs are a major energy hog. As are always-on cable set tops. Something that my wife, who pays the electric bill, has recently noticed.
And what does this have to do with OTT? — Primarily that OTT and hybrid set-top boxes are much better poised to “sleep” than the complex OCAP/EBIF application environment we have here in the U.S.
In other words, if we just take the client device into consideration, OTT is much more energy efficient than traditional multichannel Pay TV environments.
Now the network. That’s a different story. We have to remember to add back in the cable modem or DSL terminal adapter. Our UPS. And our WiFi access point, router and (NAS) storage backup.
And. Oh yeah, the dozen or more transformers and chargers that we leave plugged in around the house.
If we keep those things out of the equation, OTT is definitely more energy efficient than cable.