Power Your Profits

Today’s home theater power accessories are much more than simple surge protectors. Failing to attach power to home theater sales not only is a missed opportunity but a disservice to the customer. Still, many sales associates have only a vague understanding of exactly how power conditioners work. It’s difficult to demonstrate the benefits of a better quality power conditioner without a simple explanation to the customer. But once the device is hooked up, your customer will notice the difference it makes to image and sound quality. That experience will help close the sale.

Most people know they need to protect their home theater and electronics from surges and spikes delivered through power lines. Electrical storms and lightning can send a wallop through the lines that can damage or fry equipment. More frequently, blackouts or brownouts cause the power to surge or spike after it returns to a normal level. An inexpensive surge protector will give its life to save more precious components. But consumers should be warned that although the unit’s surge protection function has fried, therefore losing its protective abilities, it may continue to supply power. Higher quality units use an active circuit that switches off power to the components when it receives a power surge, which protects both the electronics and the power unit.

Remind customers that to achieve full protection of their components, all coaxial cables—from satellite, cable, rooftop, home networks and phones, for example—must be connected to the power center. In fact, product guarantees may require that all incoming cables are connected. Another element of power products is power conditioning. This is where most confusion lies and is best cleared up by understanding a little about electricity. In the U.S., electricity runs at 60 Hz (“60 cycles”). As long as power maintains a constant 60 Hz over the power line, it is considered “clean” power. But interference from outside the home and from appliances inside your own home, even lamps, can dirty the power. That interference can affect the quality of the TV or AV receiver. Removing the interference, through filtering—power conditioning—results in better performance from home theater components: overall audio is clearer, musical instruments more discernable and the separation of sound frequencies improved. Video has less onscreen interference like static and other artifacts. With absolutely clean power, the TV’s processors work as they should, resulting in a sharper, brighter picture with better shadow detail. It stands to reason that no matter how good the TV, a quality power center will improve its performance.