Power Re Generator capacity questions


I am looking into purchasing a power re generator for my surround setup.  I have heard many reviews of its benefit in a system.  I do not understand the size of the unit I would need, wattage wise, to handle the system and not get over loaded from too much being put into it.  I suppose the biggest question is does the WPC of each amp translate into the total number needed for that particular component?  For instance, I have three large load components included in my system.  I have a 2 channel and a separate 3 channel amp - each one rated 200 WPC into 8 ohms as well as a 512 watt into 8 ohms powered sub.  The combination of those 3 components would appear to mean that I need a re generator that handles approx. 1500 watts for just those 3 pieces alone.  I would then have a universal player, plasma tv, set top box, tube pre amp and a small surround processor to add in after that.  Am I understanding this correctly?  Do I need to look for a unit that handles 2500 watts or so to cover all of my gear or are these wattage numbers from my gear the wrong numbers to calculate in the first place?  Any help would truly be appreciated.

llippman
Thank you Al - great additional input.  I will get a multimeter and test it out.  I think a friend of mine has one...  I so appreciate everybody's time and knowledge in trying to help me pick the right product.  This is such a great community.  
I'm not sure what the OP's target budget is but I do see mention of a P10 so I'm inclined to think a budget of about $4-4.5K.

Assuming any of the above is correct then I would recommend you give the Torus RM line or Bryston BIT line a close look for your purposes.

The Torus RM20 @ about $3300 will handle 2400VA and is an awesome product. I recently picked one up and it's been impressive to say the least. I am using the RM20 for my Mono Block Amps only which have a load of around 1000VA each @ a 4ohm load.

I'm so impressed with what the RM20 has done in my system that I intend to pickup a RM10 or RM15 now also to cover my front end gear.

I've been running all my gear straight to the wall for YEARS and never felt the need for a power conditioner. I have x 4 dedicated 20A lines in my room. One for each component (total overkill). I decided to try a power conditioner now for several reasons that I won't bore you with. The RM20 is plugged into x 1 of these 20A circuits and it is now responsible for powering both of my amps, which previously, each had their own 20A plug/circuit.

Based on what I'm hearing now I honestly feel the RM20 is providing MORE current to the amps now than the x 2 dedicated wall sockets were before. Seems far fetched but in lookng at the Specs on this unit it's able to supply some serious Juice during transient peaks (400A @ half cycle, 100A for up to 30sec..) which is more then going stright into the wall by a long shot.

Moral of the story, there are other options available I haven't seen mentioned in this thread (until now) that can handle your system requirements with ease. I'll leave one final remark, this is the first time I have ever been impressed with any power conditoner product (I've tried the most popular brand out there more than once whose name I'll keep to myself but isn't hard to figure out) so take my recommendation as you see fit.
Balanced power works better than power regen, cheaper too (been there done that). Best of all, if you can do American 240V, you get balanced power for free.
Use P10, all gear is connected to it, on average idling at 89watts, voltage in 118, voltage out 120.3 volts and using 16% of capacity. THD in 2.7-3.4 THD out 0.1-0.3. When in operation can reach 20%-30%. All this information can be found on the various touch screens in front of unit and also on-line through graphs that collect realtime data from P10 and then be found on Powerplay page on PS Audio website when you login.

Gear connected: Rotel RB1572, (Class D), A250 (Class A/B) each Amplifier RMS 250watts per channel 8ohms. Sim Audio 260D, PS Audio DLIII DAC, Monarchy Audio DIP, (Digital Interface Processor) for 'Clock Jitter', Superphon CD Maxx, (Preamplifier), DCX3400-M HD, TEAC A-400 Deck, (Tape), PSW 505 subwoofer, Sony BDP-S390.