We in the United Kingdom are now being bombarded with warnings to save energy like paper off a Vulgarian helicopter. Apparently turning your television set off rather than leaving it on standby can save you up to £43 a year.
Not wanting to miss out on this incredible money-saving opportunity, I set myself a-thinking. The problem is that people like myself are too lazy to go up to the set and press the button, and and system by which the television turns itself off will fail once the time comes to turn it on again.
Enter the Physical Turn-off Strap-on Remote! It comes in two parts. The first attaches to the current television remote, or it can be used as a component in itself. It need not be large; it contains but a button, an LED and a small watch battery. The second part attaches to the television itself. It goes over the button that would normally be used to turn the set on and off manually, and attaches by means of the straps for which it is named. It contains a small motor on a tread, a small battery, and a small LED sensor. Upon sensing the signal from its partner, it activates the motor and a rubber-tipped device moves to depress the button and send the television to the on or off state in which it belongs.
For those who still wish to get some exercise, the device does not interfere with manual pressment.-- dbmag9, Nov 04 2006 Remote Control Plug http://www.maplin.c...ages/full/N97CQ.jpgNot bad for £5.99! [jtp, Nov 04 2006] I get it. The device covers the on/off switch of the tv. When activated, it physically presses the switch and *truly* switches the tv off, as opposed to putting it in standby. Nice. If it's true about saving up to £43 a year, then I'd buy one. Bun to you.-- jtp, Nov 04 2006 Retails for £42.99?-- methinksnot, Nov 04 2006 [methinksnot] I was hoping to get one for under a tenner. I might even make one myself.
[21] A new tv would cost a hell of a lot more than this gadget, don't you think?-- jtp, Nov 04 2006 [21] Fair play, $80 is damn cheap. I can't think of anywhere in the UK where you could get that sort of bargain.-- jtp, Nov 04 2006 I haven't personally seen a television which can be fully turned off using a remote control, and none of the ones I conducted my incredibly thorough survey on were that old. I'm sure that there are ones such as [21]'s which do, but for what seem to be the majority which do not my idea (which would not cost anything in the region of £43) could help.-- dbmag9, Nov 04 2006 An alternative would be an electrical adapter which comes with it's own remote control. It would plug into the wall socket, and then you connect your tv to that. An even better option would be to plug a 4 way extension lead into it, and then plug ALL your devices (tv, dvd, sat box etc.) into the 4 way. That way, they could all be shut down with the press of one button. I don't know if they exist already?
EDIT Yup, they do exist. See linky.-- jtp, Nov 04 2006 If [21 Quest]'s TV can be turned on with the handset from cold, it's permanently on standby; how else is the IR receiver being powered?-- angel, Nov 04 2006 a strap-on remote certainly sounds like a physical turn off.-- po, Nov 04 2006 Can anyone confirm that I'm right in thinking that the plug in the link would truly turn off every device? If so, I'm going down to Maplins on Monday to buy up all their stock. They would make nice little environmentally friendly Christmas presents.-- jtp, Nov 04 2006 [po] Very witty!-- jtp, Nov 04 2006 I had a TV in my room when I was young - I had a very long wooden stick to press the buttons on it.-- hippo, Nov 04 2006 hippo - <hug> my long lost son.
:)-- po, Nov 04 2006 My parents made their own remote control. {Bows}.-- egbert, Nov 04 2006 random, halfbakery