Which TV Power Control Method Should I Use?

Modified on Mon, 27 Apr at 8:56 PM

The Pulse-Eight USB-CEC Adapter on Windows supports four different methods for automatically controlling your TV's power based on your PC's state. This guide explains each method and helps you choose the right one for your situation.

All four methods require libcec to be installed first. See: How to install libcec (Windows)

Quick Comparison

Method	TV On	TV Off	Trigger	Best for
CEC-Tray	✓	✓	PC boot / shutdown	Most users — simple and reliable
Standby Monitor	✓	✓	PC inactivity / activity	Screensaver-style behaviour
Windows Commands	✓	✓	PC boot / shutdown	Advanced users wanting scripted control
Task Scheduler	✓	—	User logon	Multi-user PCs or specific logon timing

The Methods Explained

CEC-Tray — Recommended for most users

CEC-Tray is a background application that runs in the Windows system tray and monitors your PC's power state. It turns the TV on when the PC boots and off when it shuts down or sleeps. It waits until the HDMI connection is fully ready before sending commands, making it the most reliable of the four methods.

✓ Most reliable — waits for HDMI to be ready before acting
✓ No manual configuration needed
✓ Runs silently in the background
✓ Handles both TV on and TV off automatically

CEC Adapter — How to turn your TV on when your Windows 11 PC boots using CEC-Tray →

Standby Monitor — for screensaver-style behaviour

Standby Monitor watches for PC inactivity rather than boot/shutdown events. When the PC has been idle for a set period, it turns the TV off. When activity is detected again, it turns the TV back on. This is useful if you want the TV to mirror the PC's screensaver behaviour.

✓ Based on inactivity, not boot/shutdown
✓ Configurable inactivity delay
✓ Turns TV back on when activity resumes
✗ Does not handle PC boot/shutdown

CEC Adapter — Using the LibCEC Standby Monitor →

Windows Commands (batch files) — for scripted control

libcec installs tv_on.cmd and tv_off.cmd batch files that can be called from Windows startup scripts, shutdown scripts, or other automation tools. This gives you full control over when and how the TV is turned on or off, but requires some manual configuration.

✓ Full control over when commands are sent
✓ Can be combined with other scripts
✓ Works with Windows startup/shutdown hooks
✗ Requires manual setup and configuration

CEC Adapter — How to turn your TV on when your Windows 11 PC boots using Windows Commands →

Turn on/off TV using USB-CEC Adapter (Windows Batch Script) →

Task Scheduler — for multi-user PCs or logon-triggered control

Windows Task Scheduler can run the tv_on.cmd batch file when a specific user logs in, rather than at boot. This is useful on shared PCs where you only want the TV to turn on for certain users, or where boot and logon happen at different times.

✓ Triggers at logon, not boot
✓ Can be configured per user
✗ Requires a delay to be set to allow HDMI to initialise — without this it may not work reliably
✗ Does not handle TV off on logout

CEC Adapter — Turn your TV on automatically at Windows Logon using Task Scheduler →

Which Should I Choose?

If you just want it to work automatically with minimal setup: use CEC-Tray.
If you want the TV to turn off after a period of inactivity rather than only at shutdown: use Standby Monitor.
If you want to combine TV control with other scripts or automation: use Windows Commands.
If you share the PC with other users and only want TV control for specific accounts: use Task Scheduler.
You can combine methods. For example, use CEC-Tray for boot/shutdown control and Standby Monitor for inactivity-based power off — they can run alongside each other.

Need help?
Email: cs@pulse-eight.com | Submit a support ticket