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My TV is possessed!

Ever since I've had my TV (about 4 years or so) it's done weird things on occasion, usually when I first turn it on.

The most common thing is out of the blue it starts jumping from channel to channel, going through the entire broadcast range and keeps repeating this. I've found that if I turn it off for several hours up to a day, somehow it goes back to normal.

Until 2 days ago. I mostly just watch tv for a few hours before bedtime, but it's on during the day for the noise and midday news. Thursday mid morning I went to turn it on, but much to my surprise it was already on and jumping a range of 4 channels that I don't get. I know I turned it off when I went to bed Wednesday night, but somehow it turned itself on! Sound was gone. I tried my usual trick of shutting it off....no luck. Wouldn't shut off with the remote. I tried the power button on the TV...no luck. I finally had to unplug it because it was making me nuts.

Last night around dinnertime, I plugged it back in. I had some sound, so I was encouraged. I managed to get the menu up, rescanned the channels, and voila, it was working! For a total of 37 minutes. Same 4 channel jumping, sound gone, wouldn't shut off without unplugging.

Hoping someone out there might have some knowledge or insight that can help.

Do I need
A. a TV repairman
B. a TV whisperer
C. a priest for an exorcism
D. a new TV

This is really freaking me out. It's like the thing is possessed or something, just doing stuff by itself.

Sue
 
Find out if it's the tv, or someone/something that sends funky ir signals that confuses it.

Follow these steps:
-Set it to a channel and remember what it's set to.
-Find out where the IR receptor is.
-Block IR receptor with something.
-Wait and see

If nothing happens, someone or something is sending it confusing signals. Hunt for the IR source at night, with a point&shoot digital camera. You'll see it as a white light on the display, where your own eyes don't see any light source.
 
Do you have any kids around with a PDA or "smart phone"? The kids are very good at *ahem* manipulating things and enjoy changing channels on people.
 
nope, no one here but me.

I can't set it to a channel. No matter what channel I click or even try to set manually from the tv itself, it just ignores and keeps jumping from 3 to 9 to 36 to 58, and so on. None of those are actual broadcasting channels.

This is the weirdest it's ever been. If I didn't think they'd cart me away, I'd swear there is some gremlin in there messing with my head.
 
What kind of gremlin?

This one:
proxy.php


Or this one:

proxy.php
 
I think the 2nd one is driving the 1st one inside my TV!

My brother and nephew were just here for a visit, and I showed them the problem.

Brother: Holy sh**! I have never seen a tv do that!

Nephew: Auntie Sue, I think you have a damn Poltergeist!

Not a lot of help with a solution, but immense comfort in knowing I'm not losing my mind...yet.
 
A large hammer for repeated "percussive maintenance" may be helpful also.

It this a cable box or stand alone set up? I'm thinking, going back to Lou's (?) post that there's some other RF signal in the area that's interfering. Any other appliances near by such as a microwave? It would be really rare, but I think possible. That or maybe a bleed over from the neighbors or neighbors kid with a really strong universal remote???

If none of the above, then you got something defective going on.
 
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Just on the off-chance that you have a faulty remote control, pull the batteries from your remote, operate the tv manually and see if the problem persists.

Unless your 4 year old tv was top of the line, it's usually better to just get a new one than get the old one repaired.




- Peter
 

Alacrity59

Wanting for wisdom
Find out if it's the tv, or someone/something that sends funky ir signals that confuses it.

Follow these steps:
-Set it to a channel and remember what it's set to.
-Find out where the IR receptor is.
-Block IR receptor with something.
-Wait and see

If nothing happens, someone or something is sending it confusing signals. Hunt for the IR source at night, with a point&shoot digital camera. You'll see it as a white light on the display, where your own eyes don't see any light source.

IR is line of sight technology is it not? Perhaps remotes in the same room that have something piled on them or buttons that stick is the cause but not likely neighbours or computer interference from outside the room.
 
+1.

Modern TVs have embedded microprocessors, which is what accomplishes the automatic scanning when you do initial setup, for example. A malfunctioning microprocessor can certainly do all of the things you are seeing.

TBH now you can pick up what cost me 4 years agos (a 19 inch Sony LCD, costing about 1400 quid IIRC!), for like 200 quid for a decent make, I'd say why bother paying a repairman, when it's just as cost efficient to buy a new TV.... :D

Tom
 
Well, I thought we might have turned the corner...actually got it to shut off using the manual Power button on the tv, then turned it back on, it held the setup channel long enough for me to rescan the channels and it was working...for a while. I just checked it a minute ago, and it's doing the channel dance again, down to 2 channels this time, and no sound. I don't have cable, so there's nothing I can pin on that.

I'm liking the hammer idea more and more.

Time for a new TV...after I beat the crap out of this freakazoid.
 
Pull the batteries from the remote in case it's a stuck button or bad chip to rule out the remote causing it.

Other than that, sounds like it's time for a new TV.
 
I was staying in lodging for a few months when I discovered that the lamp on the wall by my bed would cause the TV to turn on and change channels. It may be a solution as simple as a recently changed light bulb throwing off strange IR.

Steve
 
Thanks everyone for the great suggestions.

I have taken the batteries out of the remote. I have changed the batteries in the remote. Any button I pushed on the remote did nothing to change what was happening.

Twice I was able to turn on the TV only by pressing the power button on the TV itself, but then it wouldn't shut off until I pulled out the plug.

This last time, as soon as I plugged it in, it was turned on without pressing anything lol.

I had sound and a picture for all of maybe 15 seconds, then it started its happy channel surf dance with sound gone again.

So I give up. Browsing for a new TV that comes with a good warranty, exorcisms included.
 
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