Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Those of a certain age will remember the time that television closed down for the night. At the end of the day, the continuity announcer would usually say "don't forget to unplug your television set before going to bed". They also used to broadcast a high pitched tone for a time before switching off the transmitters, which I assume was to wake up anyone who had fallen asleep in front of the telly!

I always used to unplug the TV before going to bed, but haven't bothered for many years and now leave it on standby in case it needs a software update. Also, as we have to leave our PVR's plugged in, there doesn't seem to be much point.

Is it still necessary and/or advised now that TV's are much safer?

There were cases when colour televisions first came out that they were prone to catching fire, so I'm assuming that this is why people were advised to unplug them at the socket. Surely there would be no power running through it after it had been switched off though?? I know that some TV's maintain an amount of power inside them for a time, but surely that would be the case even if it was unplugged??

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

When mains sockets didn't have switches, and aerials were not properly grounded, there could have been a problem with lightning strikes perhaps?

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Absolutely correct :tu:

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Some older colour TV's used to maintain the tube heater in standby so they could do a quick start. More modern tubes had a specially constructed heater that warmed up in under 5 seconds.

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

We do turn off the TV each night, not just standby, but not at the wall. (We had 8 points put in when had the electrics redone, that's not enough any more.

TV
DVD
Tivo
Tivo V6
HDMI -> SCART since V6 doesn't have SCART - shame it's only composite not RGB
Shub
Router
Sam Knows box
HiFi
Mobile Phone pico/femto? cell

Used to have VCR in there too but it's not working. Lots of films not released on DVD or digital (or too expensive in those formats). Could probably move the phone box.

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

We leave most of the things in standby except the SH1. That's left fully on and the VHD box displaying time as letting that go to sleep usually means it has to be power cycled to get it to wake up. The amount of power consumed over a day is very low when compared to using an electric oven or similar for just a few minutes. The TV can also get it's software updates that way without impacting viewing time.

Incidentally it's all plugged into a 4way extension lead with 3 multiway adaptors. Quite safe as the over all power even with everything going is under 200W. The lead is rated for 3000W.

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

As Taf has already said, many houses only had switched sockets in the kitchen years ago, so the only way to disconnect the set from the mains was to pull the plug.

As for the high pitched whistle, it was nothing to do with waking you up. The "pilot tone" was actually a switching signal instructing the transmitters to turn on or off, as most transmitter sites operated unattended.

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Doesn't switching it off at the wall have the same affect as unplugging it? That's why I voted for unplug, even though we don't, we just switch off at the socket.

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

I have never unplugged a TV before going to bed, ever.

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Also never unplugged a TV before bed ever.

You should remove the STILL from the poll.

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

What "still" ;)

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Oh. My. God.

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Yes......:angel:

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

I know some people who unplug their WiFi before going to bed to save electricity. I don't bother as I often can't sleep due to various problems, so tend to surf the internet during the night. Also (no idea if it's true or not) it's been said that doing this can lead to your ISP slowing down your connection.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/....php?t=2422615

Not heard of that before, AIUI the transmitters automatically switched themselves off after a period of not receiving a signal to broadcast.

Sometimes BBC1 had to stay on air with a tone until all the nation's had finished broadcasting to enable them to opt back into the sustaining feed ready for the following morning!

Never thought of that! I agree, for the purposes of the poll, that switching the socket​ off can be considered as unplugging the TV.

I've come across some people who switch things off and unplug appliances! Not sure if this makes things any safer or not.

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

I always have done. As a kid in the seventies and early part of eighties I have strong memory of my mom insisting that EVERYTHING except the fridge was unplugged before we went to bed (we didn't have DVRs in those days). I guess its a habit I've never been able to break. I think that's the only reason I do it now - habit!

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

The BBC certainly used this method for a few years with TV, & it was used with the BBC Radio 1 & 3 Medium Wave transmitters until the frequencies were given up for commercial use.

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

No i leave my tv in standby mode mostly incase Samsung send any updates over night to it, i leave my ps4 in rest mode so it can synch and update over night, routers are left on constantly and android tv box is left in standf by.
My pc is switched off at mains though.

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

There's also the issue with todays smart TV's that just because you've put it in standby doesn't mean the set has fully finished its internal housekeeping. I've noted that our Sony doesn't power down the external HDD that I have in the back for about 5 minutes and during that time there are occasional accesses. Just pulling the power at these times could corrupt the drive.

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

I never unplug or switch off any electrical items.

TV is wall mounted anyway and the socket is behind the TV so can't be reached.

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Good point.

I bet there's a fair few people in this position these days.

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

I haven't heard it called a television set in decades :D

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Well, that's how I remember the Continuity Announcer used to phrase it "Please don't forget to switch off and unplug your television set" :D

This begs the question as to why we call it a television set. My own theory is that, due to cost, a lot of early TV's were self build sets. A friend thinks that it's a hangover military term from the terminology used for radios.

Another thought as to why people were urged to unplug their telly might have been because the wiring in people's homes left a lot to be desired in days gone by??

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Or,

Why don't you just switch off your television set and go out and do something less boring instead (sung badly out of tune and with an impenetrable Ulster accent). :disturbd:

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Ahhh yes! An early Russell T Davies programme, never knew anyone who liked it as a kid lol.

---------- Post added at 13:55 ---------- Previous post was at 13:47 ----------

I'll ask one of the BBC technologists whose been there a long time and let you know what he says.

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

I hated it ... I used to take their advice as soon as it came on. :D

Re: Do you still unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

This video shows how the tone was generated :p:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kkmf8zHqnU[/quote]

---------- Post added at 14:47 ---------- Previous post was at 14:47 ----------

Me too, the kids were so annoying.

Re: Do you unplug your TV set before going to bed?
 

Well, it looks like most people (myself included) no longer bother to unplug their TV before going to bed, if they ever did in the first place.

The Government of the day advised people to unplug their appliances, the first being the TV, by getting into a bedtime routine:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ImWWrAAIReo