For HDTVs, power protection depends on projection

By BILL HUSTED

Cox News Service

April 20, 2008

Q:  I am using a UPS (uninterruptable power supply) with my plasma TV. I believe that's what you recommended in an earlier column. However, a friend says that I don't need to use the UPS. What's the deal?

—  James Allen

More Tech Q&A New program can trip intruder alert  'Rolling lines' likely fault of cable firm  Battery-powered TVs suddenly turn digital  Full list "Technobuddy" columns

A: My recommendation is that a UPS is darn near a necessity for HDTVs that use a projection bulb (rear projection or the type that project the image to a screen). Otherwise, if power goes out, the fan that cools the bulb after shutdown won't work and you stand a really good chance of ruining a bulb that costs between $200 and $500.

But with a plasma or LCD that does not use projection, there's no need to use a UPS. Any good voltage surge protector will do as well.

Notes from readers

Readers of this column have always been eager to help out. But I was stunned by the response to my request for help to a question about camera batteries. A reader's camera shows a low battery reading, even with brand new batteries that test fine. I got more than 60 e-mails providing tips. Here's a sampling:

Some cameras require that you set the type of battery you are using. You might advise Brian to read the manuals carefully to ascertain whether the cameras should be reprogrammed (reset) to accept a different type battery.

— Alan J. White

Your reader needs to buy lithium rechargeable batteries for his camera. I had the same problem with my camera. Rechargeable batteries fixed it.

— Mark Blazer

I recently had the same problem . . . after leaving my digital camera (a Fujifilm FinePix S7000) unused for several months with rechargeable batteries left in the camera. It would only work for a short time whether I used freshly charged batteries or brand new alkaline batteries. I dug out the owner's manual and found the problem.

What was required was completely discharging the batteries in the camera, recharging them again, and repeating several times. This cleared up the problem.

— John Cawthon

I had the same problem recently with my brand new digital camera. No matter what brand of AA battery I used, I still received the "low battery" message. As a last resort, I purchased Energizer E2 lithium batteries and, voila! Problem solved! I don't know if this is a true solution as they have only been in there for a week, but time will tell.

— Mary Jenks

Please send your questions to Bill Husted at tecbud@ajc.com. While he reads every e-mail, not all are answered. E-mails are selected for publication based on the likelihood that the answers will be of general interest.