Protect Your Home Theater System: Choosing the Right Power Surge Solution

[ffp]

Hi, i have a 50" plasma TV with a reciever and a home theater system that I want to protect against power surge and anything else needed.
I've read about stabilizers, power conditioners and line filters, but i don't know the difference between them. They all seems to do almost the same things.
Which one should i use to protect my system and what does each one do?

 

[nsaspook]

Go to the main power panel and install a whole house surge protection device with proper grounding to a good solid electrical ground, check to make sure all incoming coax or communications cables have ground blocks that are connected to the same ground rod system the main panel is connected to, then use a quality outlet surge protection (MOV) system to protect the components of your system. If you have good utility power you don't need stabilizers, power conditioners or line filters.

 

[Doug Huffman]

I use the largest UPS that I could afford on a very well grounded system. Its batteries will hold up voltage sags or outages for an hour. They can also absorb some too high voltage peaks. I can hear the UPS's relays clanking as the automatic power trips struggle with outages.

For lightning protection I depend on my Island's installed power infrastructure surrounded by trees as charge bleeders/lightning arresters. Signal POTS side is largely underground. Then there is always insurance.

A surge suppressor's capability is directly related to its size, larger-slower-higher capacity / smaller-faster-low capacity.