We seem to be using more electricity than expected, so I want to monitor individual devices over a 24 hour period.
There is a very wide range of devices which all seem to offer much the
same features.
Recommendations would be welcome.
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 16:52:43 +0000, David wrote:
We seem to be using more electricity than expected, so I want to monitor
individual devices over a 24 hour period.
There is a very wide range of devices which all seem to offer much the
same features.
Recommendations would be welcome.
<https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Tapo-Monitoring-Required-P110/dp/ B097YBXHTW/?th=1>
Could this be a viable alternative?
I already have a Tapo device (security camera) so the software may already
be installed.
Cheers
Dave R
On 11/01/2026 17:01, David wrote:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 16:52:43 +0000, David wrote:
We seem to be using more electricity than expected, so I want to
monitor individual devices over a 24 hour period.
There is a very wide range of devices which all seem to offer much
the same features.
Recommendations would be welcome.
<https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Tapo-Monitoring-Required-P110/dp/ B097YBXHTW/?th=1>
Could this be a viable alternative?
I already have a Tapo device (security camera) so the software may
already be installed.
Cheers
Dave R
I have one. Works fine, seems to measure down to small currents
like the 3W or so standby usage on my 43" Sony smart TV + Humax
HD FOX T2. I haven't used it on higher power devices.
This shows an interesting anomaly. I go to bed at about quarter
past midnight but the usage recorded by the Tapo 110 shows the
Sony TV dropping from about 70W to 16W and then at about 4AM
(and at almost identical time every day) it suddenly drops to 3W
and stays there with occasional blips up to 16W until it comes
out of standby again.
I have one. Works fine, seems to measure down to small currents
like the 3W or so standby usage on my 43" Sony smart TV + Humax
HD FOX T2. I haven't used it on higher power devices.
This shows an interesting anomaly. I go to bed at about quarter
past midnight but the usage recorded by the Tapo 110 shows the
Sony TV dropping from about 70W to 16W and then at about 4AM
(and at almost identical time every day) it suddenly drops to 3W
and stays there with occasional blips up to 16W until it comes
out of standby again.
The 3W may be the eco mode user setting which puts the TV into a deeper standby. The time may be a default 4 hours. The TV may periodically wake during standby to regularly update an over the air EPG, taking 16W.
On 11/01/2026 19:57, alan_m wrote:
The 3W may be the eco mode user setting which puts the TV into a
deeper standby. The time may be a default 4 hours. The TV may
periodically wake during standby to regularly update an over the air
EPG, taking 16W.
It's reporting to the overlords compressed screenshots of your viewing habits apparently....
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 17:22:38 +0000
Andrew <Andrew97d@btinternet.com> wrote:
On 11/01/2026 17:01, David wrote:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 16:52:43 +0000, David wrote:I have one. Works fine, seems to measure down to small currents
We seem to be using more electricity than expected, so I want to
monitor individual devices over a 24 hour period.
There is a very wide range of devices which all seem to offer much
the same features.
Recommendations would be welcome.
<https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Tapo-Monitoring-Required-P110/dp/
B097YBXHTW/?th=1>
Could this be a viable alternative?
I already have a Tapo device (security camera) so the software may
already be installed.
Cheers
Dave R
like the 3W or so standby usage on my 43" Sony smart TV + Humax
HD FOX T2. I haven't used it on higher power devices.
This shows an interesting anomaly. I go to bed at about quarter
past midnight but the usage recorded by the Tapo 110 shows the
Sony TV dropping from about 70W to 16W and then at about 4AM
(and at almost identical time every day) it suddenly drops to 3W
and stays there with occasional blips up to 16W until it comes
out of standby again.
This may be a red herring, but 4 am is when the Humax prepares
to receive an update. Are they talking to each other?
On 11/01/2026 19:57, alan_m wrote:
The 3W may be the eco mode user setting which puts the TV into a
deeper standby. The time may be a default 4 hours. The TV may
periodically wake during standby to regularly update an over the air
EPG, taking 16W.
It's reporting to the overlords compressed screenshots of your viewing habits apparently....
On 11/01/2026 18:37, Davey wrote:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 17:22:38 +0000
Andrew <Andrew97d@btinternet.com> wrote:
On 11/01/2026 17:01, David wrote:
On Sun, 11 Jan 2026 16:52:43 +0000, David wrote:I have one. Works fine, seems to measure down to small currents
We seem to be using more electricity than expected, so I want to
monitor individual devices over a 24 hour period.
There is a very wide range of devices which all seem to offer
much the same features.
Recommendations would be welcome.
<https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Tapo-Monitoring-Required-P110/dp/
B097YBXHTW/?th=1>
Could this be a viable alternative?
I already have a Tapo device (security camera) so the software may
already be installed.
Cheers
Dave R
like the 3W or so standby usage on my 43" Sony smart TV + Humax
HD FOX T2. I haven't used it on higher power devices.
This shows an interesting anomaly. I go to bed at about quarter
past midnight but the usage recorded by the Tapo 110 shows the
Sony TV dropping from about 70W to 16W and then at about 4AM
(and at almost identical time every day) it suddenly drops to 3W
and stays there with occasional blips up to 16W until it comes
out of standby again.
This may be a red herring, but 4 am is when the Humax preparesNot sure. It's a 15 YO model, and I think I have disabled
to receive an update. Are they talking to each other?
'auto OTA downloads' anyway. It isn't connected to the web
Fair enough. I think in fact the OTA time is more like 4:30 anyway.
Keep looking!
I have a contractor who is really into his conspiracy theories, he gets
all his news from TikTok, and he keeps talking about how our TV sets
are all spying on us.
When I point out that my TV is neither 'smart',
in the modern abuse of the word, and has no way of receiving any
information apart from signals from the remote control, he then says
that he only means modern sets. Whatever.
That is the best approach. If you have to buy a smart TV (and it's pretty hard not to nowadays), don't connect it to the internet. Plug in some other box into the HDMI port that you have carefully chosen to not track you:
Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
That is the best approach. If you have to buy a smart TV (and it's'The' HDMI port? Surely most TV's have several nowadays.
pretty hard not to nowadays), don't connect it to the internet.
Plug in some other box into the HDMI port that you have carefully
chosen to not track you:
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
Fair enough. I think in fact the OTA time is more like 4:30 anyway.
Keep looking!
I have a contractor who is really into his conspiracy theories, he gets
all his news from TikTok, and he keeps talking about how our TV sets
are all spying on us.
It's true. Modern smart TVs are tracking what you watch (typically via the audio) and gathering that data in order to sell it to advertisers:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/08/tv-industrys-ads-tracking-obsession-is-turning-your-living-room-into-a-store/
The vendors make more money from the data collection than they do from selling the TV, and it's a recurring revenue stream. They're all at it.
On 13 Jan 2026 at 10:38:37 GMT, Theo wrote:
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
Fair enough. I think in fact the OTA time is more like 4:30 anyway.
Keep looking!
I have a contractor who is really into his conspiracy theories, he gets
all his news from TikTok, and he keeps talking about how our TV sets
are all spying on us.
It's true. Modern smart TVs are tracking what you watch (typically via the >> audio) and gathering that data in order to sell it to advertisers:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/08/tv-industrys-ads-tracking-obses >>sion-is-turning-your-living-room-into-a-store/
The vendors make more money from the data collection than they do from
selling the TV, and it's a recurring revenue stream. They're all at it.
I've not consented to any of it on my LG TV - at least I think that's what >I've done. I use the 'LG Channels' a fair bit.
At best it seems to have confused the advertising content - most of the time >it's just a splash screen with lift music during breaks. The very few ads that >break through tend to be for the pay channels, and nothing like what I watch.
At worst it is, as you say, quietly monitoring everything.
If you have to buy a smart TV (and it's pretty
hard not to nowadays), don't connect it to the internet. Plug in some other box into the HDMI port that you have carefully chosen to not track you:
On Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:26:36 +0000
Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
'The' HDMI port? Surely most TV's have several nowadays.
That is the best approach. If you have to buy a smart TV (and it's
pretty hard not to nowadays), don't connect it to the internet.
Plug in some other box into the HDMI port that you have carefully
chosen to not track you:
'... most TVs ...'.
Even when I was watching/listening to broadcast (rather than streamed) programmes, the amount of network traffic the TV was generating was astounding.-a I looked into it, and every few seconds it was sending out
a message to everything on my network advertising its presence.-a There doesn't seem to be a way of turning that off.-a As I (currently) have no desire to link my phone to the TV, it isn't a "service" I have any use for.
Adrian
On 13/01/2026 10:38, Theo wrote:
-a If you have to buy a smart TV (and it's pretty
hard not to nowadays), don't connect it to the internet.-a Plug in some
other
box into the HDMI port that you have carefully chosen to not track you:
I am in the process of turning all my TV s into HDMI screens driven by rasberry Pis.
The only thing I need them (as TVS) for is HDTV which doesn't always
work well on computer dingles
A Pi 5 is fully capable of driving full HD these days and really good
stereo music from wherever your stuff is stored and the rest is all
browser.
In message <10k5ict$35p59$1@dont-email.me>, RJH <patchmoney@gmx.com> writes
On 13 Jan 2026 at 10:38:37 GMT, Theo wrote:
Davey <davey@example.invalid> wrote:
Fair enough. I think in fact the OTA time is more like 4:30 anyway.
Keep looking!
I have a contractor who is really into his conspiracy theories, he gets >>>> all his news from TikTok, and he keeps talking about how our TV sets
are all spying on us.
It's true.-a Modern smart TVs are tracking what you watch (typically
via the
audio) and gathering that data in order to sell it to advertisers:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/08/tv-industrys-ads-tracking-obses
sion-is-turning-your-living-room-into-a-store/
The vendors make more money from the data collection than they do from
selling the TV, and it's a recurring revenue stream.-a They're all at it. >>>>
I've not consented to any of it on my LG TV - at least I think that's
what
I've done. I use the 'LG Channels' a fair bit.
At best it seems to have confused the advertising content - most of
the time
it's just a splash screen with lift music during breaks. The very few
ads that
break through tend to be for the pay channels, and nothing like what I
watch.
At worst it is, as you say, quietly monitoring everything.
A while back my Samsung TV asked me if it could report back my viewing habits.-a I said no, and then unplugged the network cable.-a Digging into the settings, there are well over a hundred "interested" parties that Samsung has allowed to peek at what I'm doing.-a Apart from disabling
their cookies, I don't think there is any easy way (firewall rule ?) of stopping that.-a Most of those parties I've never heard of, and judging
by their names, I suspect aren't British companies, so are of no
relevance anyway.
Which is another thing (apologies for the thread drift).-a Even when I
was watching/listening to broadcast (rather than streamed) programmes,
the amount of network traffic the TV was generating was astounding.-a I looked into it, and every few seconds it was sending out a message to everything on my network advertising its presence.-a There doesn't seem
to be a way of turning that off.-a As I (currently) have no desire to
link my phone to the TV, it isn't a "service" I have any use for.
Adrian
On Tue, 13 Jan 2026 13:26:36 +0000
Chris Green <cl@isbd.net> wrote:
Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> wrote:
That is the best approach. If you have to buy a smart TV (and it's pretty hard not to nowadays), don't connect it to the internet.'The' HDMI port? Surely most TV's have several nowadays.
Plug in some other box into the HDMI port that you have carefully
chosen to not track you:
'... most TVs ...'.
On 13/01/2026 14:48, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
On 13/01/2026 10:38, Theo wrote:
-a If you have to buy a smart TV (and it's pretty
hard not to nowadays), don't connect it to the internet.-a Plug in
some other
box into the HDMI port that you have carefully chosen to not track you:
I am in the process of turning all my TV s into HDMI screens driven by
rasberry Pis.
The only thing I need them (as TVS) for is HDTV which doesn't always
work well on computer dingles
A Pi 5 is fully capable of driving full HD these days and really good
stereo music from wherever your stuff is stored and the rest is all
browser.
Apart from BBC news, I only watch recorded stuff so I can skip through
the ads.
I could wish there was less time wasting program/i player promotion on
our user funded broadcaster:-(
Only hundreds of "interested parties", I had closer to a thousand!
Soon afterwards I found in
menu/settings/terms and privacy
two options
I consent to viewing information services on this device
and
I consent to interest based advertisement
where all could be turned off in one go
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