The Rain Didn't Kill Your Presentation. The Power Outage Did.

When the power cuts out in the middle of a presentation, the display goes black, the video bar drops the call and the room switch takes the Wi-Fi and touch panel with it, even though the presenter's laptop keeps running on its battery. A small UPS (uninterruptible power supply) behind the display, video bar and room switch keeps the meeting alive long enough to finish the point, save the work and end the call properly, and a UPS on the internet equipment keeps the room online.

This guide shows what to put on battery in a meeting room, a worked runtime example using published figures for the Samsung QM65C display, Logitech Rally Bar and HPE Instant On 1930 PoE switch on an Eaton 5SC 1000VA UPS, and how automatic shutdown fits in. For lightning, surges and UPS types, see the companion post One Lightning Strike, One Power Trip: Could Your Office Survive It?

What in a meeting room needs a UPS?

Why does a short power trip end a whole meeting?

Because the room is a chain, and every link needs mains power. Even a brief interruption makes a display go through its start-up, a video bar reboot its operating system and rejoin, and a PoE switch restart, which drops the touch panel and access point it powers. By the time everything is back, the remote participants have left or rejoined from their phones. A UPS removes the reboot: the equipment does not see the interruption at all. That matters more in Singapore's afternoon storm season, which we describe in Stuck at Home During a Thunderstorm? Your Next Meeting Is Still On.

Worked example: how much runtime does a meeting room UPS give?

Assumptions (labelled): one medium meeting room with a 65-inch display, a video bar and an 8-port PoE switch on one UPS; the network core and internet equipment are on a separate UPS; figures are the manufacturers' published ratings; battery new, room at normal office temperature.

• Samsung QM65C 65" 4K UHD Smart Signage Display (S$2,187.50): 187 W in on mode.
• Logitech Rally Bar (price on request; quoted per room configuration): its supply is rated 19 V at 4.74 A, about 90 W. Logitech also publishes a heat output of 64 BTU/hr in a meeting, which converts to roughly 19 W, so the bar draws far less than its supply rating.
• HPE Networking Instant On 1930 8G Class4 PoE 2SFP 124W (JL681A, S$410.40): maximum power rating 150.2 W, most of which is its 124 W PoE budget.

Worst case: 187 + 90 + 150.2 = 427.2 W. On the Eaton 5SC 1000VA (5SC1000i, S$495.60), rated 700 W, that is about 61% of capacity, which leaves headroom. Eaton publishes 13 minutes at half load (350 W) and 5 minutes at full load (700 W), so at 427 W expect a figure between the two.

More realistic case: using Logitech's in-meeting figure, the display and bar together come to about 206 W, and a switch powering only a touch panel and one access point sits well below its maximum rating. The total then lands under half load, so Eaton's 13-minute half-load figure is a fair guide. Eaton cautions that runtimes are approximate, vary with equipment, battery age and temperature, and can differ by about 15% either way.

The lesson: a 1000 VA unit is not meant to run a meeting for an hour. It buys enough minutes to finish, save and end the call cleanly, and it removes the reboot from every short trip. If you need longer, choose a larger UPS or an extended-runtime model. Run your own numbers with our UPS size calculator guide and 650VA UPS runtime explainer.

Size the meeting-room UPS for a clean finish, not a full meeting. The internet equipment needs its own UPS either way.

Sine wave or stepped output for AV equipment?

Eaton notes that standby UPS units output a simulated sine wave on battery, which some modern IT power supplies cannot run on. Displays, video bars and room PCs use switch-mode power supplies, so a sine-wave output is the safer default. The Eaton 5SC is line-interactive with a sine-wave output. The APC Back-UPS Pro 1500VA (BR1500GI, S$886.25) is line-interactive with AVR, rated 865 W, and has a stepped-approximation output on battery, which suits switches, routers and most PCs; confirm compatibility for AV loads with us before ordering. Its outlet split is useful: five battery-backed outlets and five surge-only outlets, so a printer or charger can share the unit without draining the battery. APC publishes no runtime table for this model, so ask us for a sizing calculation.

Do the network and internet need a UPS too?

Yes, and they are the most common gap. A room UPS keeps the display and bar powered, but if the router, firewall or core switch in the comms room loses power, the call still drops. Put that equipment on its own UPS and check the PoE budget of any switch that powers phones, panels and access points; see PoE Everything: Smart Office Upgrade or Power Disaster Waiting to Happen? and, for dual internet links, Why the Next Major Internet Outage Should Change How You Design Your Office. Remote presenters face the same issue at home or on the road, covered in Flight Delayed, Meeting Starting: Can You Run a Boardroom From Your Hotel Room? and Singapore's Weather Is Unpredictable. Your Work Setup Shouldn't Be.

How does automatic shutdown work in a meeting room?

Appliance-style video bars and displays simply ride through on battery. Anything with storage, such as a Teams Rooms on Windows PC or a NAS, should shut down cleanly before the battery runs out. Eaton Intelligent Power Protector provides graceful, automatic shutdown during a prolonged power disruption and connects over USB or through a network card; the Eaton 5SC has USB and serial ports for it. On APC, Schneider's PowerChute Serial Shutdown handles Back-UPS and Smart-UPS units over USB or serial, while PowerChute Network Shutdown works with Smart-UPS units fitted with a Network Management Card. Schneider notes that Serial Shutdown does not support macOS. Test shutdown once after installation, then keep an eye on battery health with Your UPS Battery Might Be Dead Before You Realise It.

Buying meeting room UPS and AV equipment in Singapore

SourceIT supplies Eaton, APC, Samsung, Logitech and HPE Networking with local warranty; the listings state 3 years on the Eaton 5SC UPS and internal battery, 2 years on the APC Back-UPS Pro, 3 years on the Samsung QM65C and 2 years on the Logitech Rally Bar, and HPE's Limited Lifetime warranty on the Instant On switch. Prices are as listed on 24 Oct 2026; all five products were in stock at the time of writing, and room systems are quoted per configuration. Browse the Eaton UPS collection and the APC UPS collection. Equipping several rooms? See volume discounts and special pricing, use Request for Quotation on the product page, call (65) 6978 3502 or email Sales@sourceit.com.sg. Government buyers can reach us through GeBIZ.

Frequently asked questions

What size UPS do I need for a meeting room? Add the published power of the display, video bar and room switch, then pick a UPS whose watt rating leaves headroom. In our worked example the worst case was about 427 W, about 61% of a 700 W unit.

How long will a 1000 VA UPS run a meeting room? Eaton publishes 13 minutes at half load and 5 minutes at full load for the 5SC 1000VA. Real runtime depends on the actual load, battery age and temperature.

Should the presenter's laptop be on the UPS? Not usually. A laptop has its own battery; keep it charged and keep the presentation saved locally as well as in the cloud.

Does the internet router need a UPS? Yes. If the router, firewall or core switch loses power, the meeting drops even when the room equipment stays on.

Do I need a sine-wave UPS for a TV or display? It is the safer choice. Eaton notes that some modern power supplies cannot run on the simulated sine wave of a standby UPS.

Can a UPS shut down a room PC automatically? Yes, with software such as Eaton Intelligent Power Protector or APC PowerChute Serial Shutdown over a USB or serial connection.