View Full Version : If the power goes out, can I still watch tv, have internet etc.?


mets82
10-30-2011, 12:17 AM
Now with this snow in the northeast, I lost power for 5 hrs. and as people know who have lost power, it isnt great. My question what should you get to survive a storm? Now I know you need flashlights, batteries, water, books, magazines etc. But what else?

For ex., is there anyway I can watch tv or watch DVDs when the power goes out. What do I need for that to happen? Do I have to buy a laptop? What about internet service? Would I need to buy an I-Phone or I-Pad or something to get internet service? Obviously, by my questioning, Im not the most technical guy around. All I know is that when the power goes out, it stinks, obviously. Im just trying to see if there is any way I can pass the time.

Waterston_Fan
10-30-2011, 12:36 AM
When the power goes out, your modem and router go out as well so you will have no internet at all.

I would make sure your laptop is charged and the battery is good but also make sure you have a radio that can take AA batteries. We had a radio but it took those big D or C size batteries which we didn't have much off. Becareful with candles.

EDIT: There are some DVD players but I think I heard their batteries run very short, like 2 hours or so.

tiredmike59
10-30-2011, 12:51 AM
Generator.

Brad Russ
10-30-2011, 02:02 AM
Cell phones, and the library. Those are the first two that come to mind for me. If it's not a widespread outage, that is, then you can go to the library.

TVFactFan
10-30-2011, 01:35 PM
Now with this snow in the northeast, I lost power for 5 hrs. and as people know who have lost power, it isnt great. My question what should you get to survive a storm? Now I know you need flashlights, batteries, water, books, magazines etc. But what else?

For ex., is there anyway I can watch tv or watch DVDs when the power goes out. What do I need for that to happen? Do I have to buy a laptop? What about internet service? Would I need to buy an I-Phone or I-Pad or something to get internet service? Obviously, by my questioning, Im not the most technical guy around. All I know is that when the power goes out, it stinks, obviously. Im just trying to see if there is any way I can pass the time.


a geneartor but they are expensive. When power goes out the only thing u should think of is internet access and maybe DVD's if your laptop is charged but as far as TV you can forget it

Regulus
10-30-2011, 02:22 PM
If you have one of those portable DVD Players with a rechargable battery you could use it, as long as you had it plugged in before your power went out.

Brad Russ
10-30-2011, 02:44 PM
If you have one of those portable DVD Players with a rechargable battery you could use it, as long as you had it plugged in before your power went out.

i got one of those for my mom on her birthday five or six years ago. They are very cool, and very cheap. Believe i got it for just under a hundred dollars.

MrCleveland
10-30-2011, 05:52 PM
i got one of those for my mom on her birthday five or six years ago. They are very cool, and very cheap. Believe i got it for just under a hundred dollars.

I have one too, but I'd have to make sure there's no power for 3 hours.

robyrob
10-30-2011, 08:06 PM
you can buy Uninterruptable Power Supply units from any electronics store, keep an eye out for a good deal or sale price, the bigger the battery, the longer you can run off of it with no power - but of course the more expensive it is.

They are better than just the standard power bars for protecting your electronics, it acts as a buffer to protect from power spikes and surges as well.

We have one attached to every computer in our house, the modem and routers, cable box, dvd recorder etc - when the power goes out I don't miss anything for about an hour on TV, but can keep recording for longer. on the laptop I can stay online for several hours without power

if you want to go longer than that get a big backup battery and an inverter, or buy a generator.

Regulus
10-30-2011, 09:53 PM
I use my Portable DVD Player primarily when I travel. Mine has a 15-Hour Battery. If I'm flying it comes in handy whenever I'm on a flight with no entertainment, or whatever entertainment they have is not my cup of tea. It also comes in handy at the Terminal while I wait for my next flight, I can watch something besides the news. (Last year one Airport I was in had their Monitors staggered so one would show CNN while another showed ESPN - I guess thay received too many complaints about having nothing to watch besides the news). Finally at the hotel I'm free from their "Propietary" Cable System. At home I have it hooked to my 42-Inch HDTV, where it serves as a backup DVD Player. (Sometimes I have freeze-up issues with a disk or two on the main DVD Player, but the disk plays fine on the portable. (I can never figure out WHY some disks freeze up on some players but not others :confused: nonetheless its good to have a backup player). :D Finally it serve me if there is a power outage, last month I had a Power outage while I was watching a movie, which lasted about an hour. I took the disk out of the main player and placed it in the portable and continued watching the movie. :happyface