posted
Ok, I just moved out of a house that had an interesting phenomenon in one room. In one bedroom, the TV channel changes by itself. I had the room first, It did it with two TV's that I had in there and now a third with my roommate. There is another TV in the living room but it has never happened in there.
It's done it before and after getting sattelite TV as well, and two different remotes.
I had mentioned it to my roommate once when it happened one of the first times, but that had been eight months ago(and she has short term memory issues). I moved out recently and we moved her into that room. Then two weeks later when I had stopped by to see if she needed anything she asked me if the TV had ever changed channels by itself, , uh, yup, it sure did. It was a "huh" moment.
It was a strange thing, it could go four or five days without the channel changing and then in one night it would change 3-4 different times. Sometimes though it would be like the tv would change channel once a day for two or three days. It would do it with the remote sitting on top of the TV, one time I had the remote setting on my knee and the channel changed and I could SEE the remote when the channel changed, there was nothing putting ANY pressure on any of the buttons.
It usually changed to cartoons, it was annoying to be watching a show and boom, there's spongebob. It has done it in all sorts of weather. I don't know much about these things though. Is there a logical explination that can cause this phenomenon?
-------------------- ~All we see or seem is but a dream within a dream~ E.A.Poe
Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today. ~James Dean~ Posts: 516 | From: Anderson, Indiana | Registered: Oct 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
Could it be possible that somebody in a nearby room/house owns a similar remote control?
Posts: 49 | From: Denmark | Registered: May 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
It s possible that there is another infrared (IR)source in the room that is causing the problem. The only practical way of testing this without special equipment is to tape over the IR receiver on the TV set. If the channel changing stops, then there is an external IR source interfering with the TV. The only downside to this test is that your roommate would have to live without using the remote for a while.
Now, if you happen to have a set of IR goggles, you can just turn out the lights and see if there are any IR sources in the room.
Posts: 306 | From: Tacoma, WA | Registered: Sep 2005
| IP: Logged |
-------------------- "This air we're breathing. Oxygen, isn't it?"~I’mNotDedalus, impersonating Vincent D’Onofrio.|"Sometimes trying to communicate can be like walking through a minefield."~wanderwoman "Give people a break. It's not easy doing a life."~Joshua Halberstam Posts: 4020 | From: Oklahoma | Registered: Nov 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
My brother said when he was housesitting, a TV in the den came on by itself. Evidently the reason eluded him until he noticed that when the sun shone on it in just the right way, that's what caused it.
Startled the hell out of him though.
Just a possibility.
-------------------- Stand up, slip on the bathtub floor, fling a hand up to balance yourself, and happen to have your mouth open on the downswing. Voila, a new hole in your face.
-Tabby, on how she cut her lip while shaving her legs. Posts: 5097 | From: Nova Scotia, Canada | Registered: Sep 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
My idea is that Mythophobia is on the rigth tract. When I used to sell Dish Network equipment, their sales rep told us that the new remotes (this was in the late 1990s mind you) were powerful enough to transmit their signals through walls. It is possible one of your neighbors has a remote tuned to a very similar frequency as yours. That would explian why it doesnt' always witch the channel, but why it is an infrequnet phenonmenon.
Barring that, is it poissible the residence is built over an ancient burial ground?
-------------------- "See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." -George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005 Posts: 382 | From: Wyoming | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Keep in mind that the source doesn't necessarrily have to be an IR source.
We use hand held radios at work, and even though they are not that powerful, we are able to cause a DVD player to rewind and fast forward (the DVD player has an IR remote), change channels on a TV (the TV has an IR remote) and turn a paper shredder on (the shredder has no remote sensor).
And, on the fun side - we are able to temporarily disable optical computer mice (wired).
-------------------- "We take evil really seriously" Posts: 175 | From: Tokyo, Japan | Registered: Aug 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Are you sure that no one is using a Slinky?
-------------------- Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of the time he will pick himself up and continue on. Winston Churchill Posts: 821 | From: Delaware | Registered: Apr 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
My Aunt had one of those old sonic remote controls way back when. An almost un-heard of luxury at the time. She lived on a very busy road, each time a heavy lorry drove past, the TV would change channels.
-------------------- "Ladies and gentlemen, this is what is commonly known as money. It comes in all sizes, colours, and denominations - like people." Posts: 997 | From: Maidstone, UK | Registered: Jun 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
It is possible that the TV has a program that causes it to turn to a certain channel at a certain time of the day?
When hubby and I were first married and moved into our new house, a radio in our bedroom turned on by itself every night for a couple of weeks before we realized it was programmed to turn on at a specific time.
-------------------- I'm an excellent speller, but a lousy typist. "Just so you know, the words 'just' and 'cramps' - they don't go together." - Ginger Snaps Posts: 323 | From: Chandler, AZ | Registered: Oct 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I had problems with my cable box turning channels on its own. In fact, I'd get into "fights" with it, changing channels back and forth. It always seeemed to want to change to sports. I called the cable company and they had me set my remote to a different frequency or whatever you'd call it, and the problem went away. I do live in a townhome, though, so it was pretty plausible that the neighbor's remote could go through the walls. I don't know what your living setup is, so maybe it wouldn't apply.
So I third that possibility.
Bee
-------------------- People do not wish to appear foolish; to avoid the appearance of foolishness, they are willing to remain actually fools. -Alice Walker Posts: 335 | From: Minnesota | Registered: May 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
We had this happen in college. After many months of suspecting a poltergeist to be at play, we somehow discovered that the glass ball with the sparks in it was sending out signals that affected our TV.
posted
I agree with the majority that it's mostly strange IR signals from somewhere. Have you checked your lighting? In our local grocery store I have sometimes small issues with my Palm PDA, when checking my grocery list. For some reason the lighting (I guess) gets recognized as IR signals and when I have IR Keyboard set as ON, my Task List/ Grocery Store list gets messed up.
-------------------- ~Reality, the refuge of those who fail in RPGs~ aka Darkfist Dragon -==(UDIC)==- Posts: 334 | From: Lancaster, Ohio | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I remeber getting spooked by the t.v. turning off by itself. I was weirded out when the same thing happened a couple nights later. I guess hubby thought it would be funny to use the auto shut-off feature
-------------------- "Fate is like a strange, unpopular resturant, filled with odd waiters who bring you things you never ask for and don't always like."-Lemony Snicket Posts: 1119 | From: Bronx, NY | Registered: Dec 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
You don't need IR goggles. If you have a video camera, surprise! Most of them are sensitive in the IR range. Try it - point your remote into the lens and press a button.
If you can see the "light", then you can use your camera to track down stray IR emitters. It's a two-eye operation, takes a little practice.
-------------------- Fundamentally Unfundie since 1975 Posts: 7942 | From: Louisiana | Registered: Jun 2000
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Squishy0405: I remeber getting spooked by the t.v. turning off by itself. I was weirded out when the same thing happened a couple nights later. I guess hubby thought it would be funny to use the auto shut-off feature
I did that to my sister once. She jumped three feet in the air. It was priceless!
-------------------- "I will take the Ring," he said, "though I do not know the way."
"Doesn't 'Frollo' sound like a delicious hobbit chocolate?"--Amanda F. Posts: 107 | From: Kansas | Registered: Mar 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
When our cat wants attention he has learnt to go and stand on the nearest remote - that usually gwts attention. At once stage my College bought cheap computer mice that stopped working in the sun, it appears that bright light could swamop the internal optical mechanism.
Posts: 135 | From: UK | Registered: Jan 2006
| IP: Logged |
posted
Once as kids we took the cable remote next door and used it through the window of the neighbor's house to turn their cable box off. The kids were our age (siblings and I) and were home alone and freaked out. That was good fun
-------------------- "Silly customer, you cannot hurt a Twinkie." -Apu (The Simpsons) Posts: 2026 | From: 10 miles South of Boston | Registered: Oct 2002
| IP: Logged |
UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Embarrassed]](redface.gif)
![[lol]](graemlins/lol.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
