That is actually a rhetorical question... the point I am trying to make here is; you have probably spent a lot of hard earned money building the personal theater (or media room) of your dreams. I hope you are not relying on a $99 surge protector as your AV insurance policy! A power conditioner should have been the FIRST item listed on your equipment list, a power conditioner is your first defender of unwanted electrical spikes, over voltage, and noise filtering (yes this includes video noise). The power conditioner will prolong the life expectancy of your AV equipment, please also make sure your HDTV is making use of your power conditioner and not just the Blu-Ray player and surround receiver. Your hi-def TV will surely have a longer life but also have a better picture due to the noise filtering from the power conditioner, a feature surge protectors do not offer. If your AV installer has not recommended a true power conditioner, ask yourself why. Entry level power conditioner models are well within even the lowest media room budgets. For planning purposes, you should expect to pay around $400 for a decent power conditioner, based on a $6000 media room investment, the power conditioner is approximately 7% of your AV budget. Other models are available, even if your budget allows for a $250 power conditioner, do it! It is the wisest decision you will have made. Surge protectors (even high end models) will not prolong the life of the equipment and will not improve the picture quality like a power conditioner will do. The truth is, power fluctuations are the leading cause of AV equipment failures!
Marc
www.HomeTheaterIntegrators.com
