Excellent build quality
Attractive aluminum housing
Lots of plugs, switched and unswitched
Supports cable and satellite boxes
Actually does what Belkin says it does
Wall mountable
Inexpensive
CONS
Bulky, like all similar units
The Belkin PureAV AP11000FC10 is a new power conditioner from Belkin. It’s an attractive, well laid out power center designed to be wall mounted or laid behind your gear rack. It features 10 hospital grade spring-loaded outlets to prevent your power cables from eventually working their way out of the plug.
Out of the Box
I almost lost a finger getting the AP11000FC10 out of the packaging. Not quite, but you get the idea. This thing comes wrapped in high grade clear plastic that took me some time to remove. After wrestling with the packaging, I was pleasantly surprised with the full aluminum chassis and solid build, especially given the price point. The instructions were clear and logically laid out, but this is not rocket science – plug it into the wall and plug everything you can into it.
The Problem
One of the first things I noticed after installing my new plasma screen and Blu-Ray player were scrolling black bars while my wife and I would watch TV. It wasn’t input based, and happened whether I was watching TV, Blu-Ray or playing video games. My first thought was that there was a problem with the screen itself, but the problem was intermittent. Weird little stuff like this is almost always power related
It wasn’t the worst thing I had ever seen but the point with all of this lovely new digital high definition gear is great picture. Fixing this small issue became priority number one.
The Solution
We live in an older downtown apartment building, so I was pretty sure that it was a power related issue. A few installers I know indicated it might be a ground fault with the cable line feeding my High Def box, and expressed doubt that the AP11000FC10 would fix it. Given that all of my fancy new gear was plugged into a $6 power bar, I figured I’d start there.
.
Frankly, I was doubtful that the AP11000FC10, given it’s low price, would be up to the task. I know a $700 Monster Power solution would probably fix it, but how well would the Belkin handle the same problem?
I spent a few minutes unplugging everything and running everything into the Belkin AP11000FC10. Each input is labeled, with essentially two options – switched for amps and receivers, and always on (non-switched) for the TV, Blu-Ray player and the like. It was a simply matter of running the power cables to the right inputs. I then isolated the cable line into the house, which feeds both my HD box and high-speed modem, by running it through the AP11000FC10 as well. For good measure I also plugged in my modem and wireless router. I opted to remove the wall mount and set it on the floor behind my gear.
The difference was immediately noticeable – no more scrolling black bars. The Belkin AP11000FC10 was doing exactly what it said it would – isolating and removing bad frequencies from my power and cable feeds to eliminate interference and provide better picture. Sound was improved to- I had a small hum through my receiver that was eliminated as well. For me, this allows less volume through the speakers after my wife has gone to bed.
The difference was immediately noticeable – no more scrolling black bars. The Belkin AP11000FC10 was doing exactly what it said it would – isolating and removing bad frequencies from my power and cable feeds to eliminate interference and provide better picture. Sound was improved to- I had a small hum through my receiver that was eliminated as well. For me, this allows less volume through the speakers after my wife has gone to bed.
All in all, money well spent. I can’t provide for how well it will work in your application – everybody has a different set up, but it’s a great place to start. It’s inexpensive, easy to install, and looks great. At the very least it’s good form to isolate your gear from the power grid in your house. This helps prevent damage from surges and extends the life span of your equipment. You also avoid the “hair dryer” effect where your picture takes a hit whenever someone turns on a high current device. Bottom line? It works. Brilliantly.
FEATURES - AP11000FC10 Belkin pureav 10-Outlet Home Theatre Power Conditioner:
Perfect for Plasma's and Home Theatre Systems
4720 joules protection
Level 3 power protection
Phase 2 PureFilter circuitry with isolated video and audio filters
Advanced overvoltage protection
2-line telephone/pay-per-view protection with splitter
240,000A maximum spike amperage
$350,000 Connected Equipment Warranty
6ft Coaxial Cable and 6ft Telephone Cable Included
