2011-07-05 Comment suggesting requirement for built-in "hard" memory to reduce rebooting.

When considering standards for cable boxes, please include a requirement that such boxes have sufficient built-in "hard" memory such that a brief power failure does not force the box to reboot. In areas where short (i.e., a second or two) interruptions occur during storms, digital boxes often lose their programming and must reboot, taking several minutes to do so each time. To avoid this problem, some of us have connected our boxes to Uninterruptible Power Systems (UPS) as though they were desktop computers. Doing so eliminates the problem but adds to the energy waste: a UPS may pull 20-30 watts to maintain its charge, thus doubling the power consumption of a 20-watt cable box. VCRs and TiVos have had such memory for years to maintain their internal clocks so, even after a brief outage, they can still successfully record programs accoring to a set schedule.