| Blackouts and brownouts = Lost settings, lost recordings, component damage |
| Blackouts and brownouts can be caused by natural disasters or by an overburdened utility grid. Unplanned equipment shutdown resulting from power outages can erase settings, disrupt recording and cause damage to sensitive A/V components. |
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| Power surges and spikes = Catastrophic hardware damage |
| Spikes and surges can be generated by lightning strikes or by utility power distribution problems. A high-intensity power spike can literally fry sensitive A/V components in place. |
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| EMI/RFI line noise interference = Degraded audio and video performance |
| Line noise may be produced by radio transmissions, fluorescent lighting or appliances. It can prevent even the most sophisticated A/V components from delivering peak performance. |
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