Short answer: AV gear needs both clean power and battery backup. For a home theatre or lounge, use a ZapGuard surge board (PSZ5U2, PSZ8U2) plus a SafeGuard (PSG1000) or silent Defender UPS (PSD650, PSD1200). For meeting rooms and AV racks, use the short-depth Defender Rackmount (PSDR800). For events, broadcast and touring, use the online Centurion RT (PSCERT2000) with battery banks: the model NW Group used at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
ARC IP Networks is a trusted PowerShield supplier in Australia: genuine stock at competitive prices, with the full PowerShield Australian warranty, Australia-wide delivery and trade pricing.
AV power protection at a glance
| Need | Recommended PowerShield series | Why |
|---|---|---|
| TV, soundbar, streaming boxes and consoles | ZapGuard (PSZ5U2, PSZ8U2) | High surge ratings, wide-spaced socket for plug packs, USB charging |
| AV receiver, projector or home theatre PC | SafeGuard (PSG1000) or Defender (PSD650) | AVR evens out the voltage; battery keeps the show running |
| Quiet rooms: cinemas, studios, boardrooms | Defender (PSD1200, PSD2000) | No internal fans, so complete silence |
| Meeting room or lectern AV rack | Defender Rackmount (PSDR800, PSDR1500) | Short depth for shallow AV and comms racks |
| Live events, broadcast and touring racks | Centurion RT (PSCERT2000) plus PSRTBB12 | True online double conversion and extendable runtime |
| Lighter road cases, faster turnaround | Centurion RT LiFePO4 (PSLCERT2000) | One-third lighter, three times faster recharge (PowerShield) |
ARC IP Networks recommendations, based on PowerShield specifications and the PowerShield audio visual solution page.
What power problems do to AV equipment
Whether it is a corporate event or a home theatre, PowerShield's audio visual solution has one goal: clean power to valuable and critical equipment, so that fluctuations and disturbances from the mains cannot damage or interrupt your system. PowerShield describes two jobs a UPS does for AV:
- It conditions the input power, cleaning it up so the voltage that reaches your equipment is even.
- It provides battery backup, so there are no sudden interruptions when the power goes out.
PowerShield gives a classic example: projection systems with hot lamps cooled by fans. A UPS keeps that projector running, and undamaged, through a loss of power.
PowerShield groups mains problems into 9 power problems: power failure, power sag, power surge, under voltage, over voltage, spikes, frequency drift, switching transients and harmonic distortion. Its Shield System then matches each UPS design to how many of the nine it deals with:
| PowerShield Shield System level | Power problems solved | PowerShield series |
|---|---|---|
| Standby (Basic Protection) | 3 of 9: power failure, sag, surge | Ninja Slimline (PSLN600) |
| Line-interactive with AVR (Enhanced Protection) | 5 of 9: adds under voltage and over voltage | SafeGuard, Defender, Commander |
| True online double conversion (Premium Protection) | 9 of 9: adds spikes, frequency drift, switching transients and harmonic distortion | Centurion (tower, rack/tower and LiFePO4); three-phase Centurion Pro and Platinum on project quote |
Source: PowerShield Training Deck 2023 (the 9 power problems and the Shield System).
For a home theatre or meeting room, line-interactive Enhanced Protection (SafeGuard, Defender) is the right level. For live events on generator or temporary power, broadcast, and touring racks that plug into whatever the venue provides, choose online Premium Protection with a Centurion, which deals with all nine problems.
UPS and surge protection by AV application
Home theatre and lounge
Start with surge protection for the whole cabinet. The ZapGuard 8 Way is rated to withstand surges and spikes of up to 2,100 joules / 60,000 amps (the 5 Way: 1,400 J / 40,000 A), with a wide-spaced socket for plug packs, a recessed on/off switch and USB charging. Then put the AV receiver, projector or media PC on a UPS. PowerShield names the SafeGuard and Defender ranges for AV because they offer complete silence, having no internal fans, which matters in a quiet cinema room.
Boardrooms, classrooms and presentations
A presentation that drops halfway through is a bad look. The Defender 1200VA (720 W) and Defender 2000VA (1200 W) cover a projector, display, codec and switcher in a credenza, with an informative LCD. In a lectern or wall rack, the Defender Rackmount 800VA is only 230 mm deep, and the Defender Rackmount 1500VA is 300 mm deep with 900 W.
Live events, broadcast and touring
Production racks often run on generators or temporary venue power. The Centurion RT 2000VA (1800 W, 2U, rack or tower) is true online double conversion, generator compatible, and has programmable outlets so you can shed less important loads and keep the critical gear running longer. Add a PSRTBB12 battery bank for more runtime and an SNMP Comms Card V4 to monitor every UPS on the network. Where weight matters, the Centurion RT LiFePO4 2000VA uses lithium iron phosphate batteries that PowerShield says are up to one-third lighter and recharge up to three times faster.
Case study: the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
NW Group, the international audio visual and effects company behind the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Vancouver 2010, London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, teamed up with Hibino Corporation to supply key parts of the Tokyo 2020 audio system, including dual Optocore networks, RF solutions, Pyramix replay and timecode systems. After testing, its Norwest engineering team selected the PowerShield Centurion Rack Tower 2000VA: 31 true online double conversion UPSs, all with SNMP communications cards, plus 8 battery bank modules to extend runtime. PowerShield reports the event was a seamless success. Read the full Tokyo 2020 Olympics case study.
Recommended PowerShield solutions for AV
From the lounge room to the stadium. Live Australian pricing (inc. GST) and availability are shown on each product page.
Small: home theatre and lounge
Surge protection for everything, battery backup for the receiver, projector or media PC.
Medium: boardroom, classroom or AV rack
Keep presentations and conferencing running through a dip or outage.
Critical: events, broadcast and touring
The Tokyo 2020 recipe: online Centurion RT, battery banks and SNMP.
12 batteries in 2U for the PSCERT2000 and PSCERT3000.
1800 W online; lighter LiFePO4 batteries for road cases.
Sizing a UPS for AV equipment
Total the watts of the gear that must stay on (amplifiers at their rated draw, projectors, processors, switchers and playback machines) and choose a UPS rated comfortably above that. For events, decide the runtime from the show: how long you need to ride through a generator change-over or finish a segment.
PowerShield asks five questions before it recommends a UPS: where the site is (metro or regional, and how stable the power is), the electrical load (from the equipment specifications), rackmount or tower, how much backup time you need, and how critical the equipment is. Backup time depends on the UPS capacity, the number of batteries and the load. In PowerShield's own example, a Centurion RT 2000VA carrying a 1500VA load runs for 18 minutes on its internal batteries, 67 minutes with one external battery bank and 101 minutes with two.
Work through the numbers in our UPS sizing guide (VA, watts and runtime) and, if you need longer backup, the battery bank and runtime guide.
Models on PowerShield's AV page
PowerShield's audio visual page also lists the DC Mini 36, which PowerShield has marked end of life as of July 2026, naming the DC Mini 12V as the alternative; we stock it as PSDCMIN12-18 for 12 V devices up to 18 W, such as a small streaming or control box.
Why buy PowerShield from ARC IP Networks
ARC IP Networks is a trusted PowerShield supplier in Australia: genuine stock at competitive prices, with the full PowerShield Australian warranty, Australia-wide delivery and trade pricing.
- Genuine PowerShield stock, supplied new for the Australian market.
- PowerShield Australian warranty: ZapGuard surge boards carry 60 months; SafeGuard and Defender UPSs 24 months with advance replacement; Centurion UPSs 24 months, or 36 months when registered with PowerShield; Centurion RT LiFePO4 models (including their battery modules) 60 months.
- Trade accounts for installers, integrators, electricians and MSPs: apply for a trade account.
- Project quotes for multi-site rollouts, volume orders and lines we supply to order, including three-phase Centurion Pro and Platinum Modular UPSs.
- Australia-wide delivery (shipping details), or pickup from 6 George Street, Blackburn VIC 3130.
- Pre-sales advice on 1300 100 440 or info@arcip.com.au.
Browse the full PowerShield range at ARC IP Networks.
Common questions
Straight answers from the ARC IP Networks team. Last reviewed October 2026.
A UPS conditions the power so the voltage reaching your equipment is even, and its battery stops sudden interruptions. Protect the whole cabinet with a ZapGuard surge board and put the receiver, projector or media PC on a SafeGuard or Defender UPS.
PowerShield points out that projection systems with hot lamps are cooled by fans. A UPS keeps the projector running and undamaged when the power is lost.
PowerShield says the SafeGuard and Defender ranges offer complete silence because they have no internal fans, which suits home theatres, studios and boardrooms.
A ZapGuard surge board protects against surges and spikes, but it has no battery and does not regulate voltage. For equipment that must not drop out, add a UPS.
NW Group's Norwest engineers selected the PowerShield Centurion Rack Tower 2000VA: 31 true online double conversion UPSs with SNMP communications cards, plus 8 battery bank modules to extend runtime.
An online UPS such as the Centurion RT 2000VA, which is generator compatible and handles all nine power problems. The Centurion RT LiFePO4 is up to one-third lighter, which helps in road cases.
From ARC IP Networks. ARC IP Networks is a trusted PowerShield supplier in Australia: genuine stock at competitive prices, with the full PowerShield Australian warranty, Australia-wide delivery and trade pricing. Call 1300 100 440 for a quote.
Powering an AV install or an event?
Send us the equipment list for the room, rack or show and we will specify genuine PowerShield UPSs, battery banks and surge protection, with a project quote.
Related guides and solutions
- Case study: Centurion RT at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics
- Online vs line-interactive UPS
- Lithium (LiFePO4) vs lead-acid UPS batteries
- How to size a UPS: VA, watts and runtime
- UPS for home office, NBN, gaming and home theatre
- UPS for small business: data loss, POS and office servers
- Industrial UPS for PLCs, control systems and manufacturing
- UPS for security systems: CCTV, NVR, access control and alarms
- Shop the PowerShield range at ARC IP Networks