I had no idea DVRs are such energy hogs...

[Lisa0825]

http://lifehacker.com/5812931/keep-your-dvr-turned-off-unless-using-it-to-save-big-on-energy-bills

"It turns out that DVRs, cable boxes, and satellite TV boxes are horrifying energy hogs, eating up half as much as a brand new, full-size refrigerator, and more than most modern TVs.
(snip)
The NRDC wants regulation for set-top boxes that could fix this problem by forcing manufacturers to build them with power consumption in mind, but until that day comes, it's probably best to just turn them off when not in use.

That's easy for regular cable or satellite boxes, but it's understandable that it could be a bit of a problem for DVR users. The point of a DVR is to stay on while you're not home so it can record your shows for you—but if you're not planning on recording anything while you're sleeping, you could end up saving a pretty decent amount over the span of a month by shutting it off at night."

[txlibdem]

1. You make a good point

It seems like manufacturers haven't cared about power consumption ever before. The "Energy Star 4.0" government standards are far too lax, even today. I'm glad to see that some are finally getting the idea that people want new features AND energy efficiency in whatever electronic gadgets they buy.

Few people have just a TV anymore, and all sorts of ancillary devices contribute to your yearly energy costs as well. Think of all that's plugged into your set, from a DVD or Blu-ray player, an AV receiver, and a gaming console to a satellite receiver, DVR, or Slingbox that never really turns off. They all need power. It may not sound like much, but a DirecTV DVR can use about 33 watts, while a Slingbox draws about 9 watts--constantly. All told, these boxes can use more power than the TV itself, especially when it comes to gaming. The original Xbox 360 draws an impressive 187 watts, but is outdone by the power-hungry PlayStation 3, which requires 197 watts of juice (newer versions of the game consoles are more energy efficient, however--the PS3 Slim uses about 96 watts during gaming, for example). A recent study by PG&E in California estimated that 10 percent of household power use is devoted to TV-related activity.

http://reviews.cnet.com/green-tech/tv-power-efficiency/
Read more at the link, esp. a chart that shows the relative energy use of home entertainment devices.