How to explain a TV turning on by itself?

[Russkafin]

Okay... lately, the TV in our living room has been turning on by itself. Sometimes people will be in the room, not even near the TV or the remote, and it will turn on. Other times, no one will be in the room at all, and it will turn on.

My mother, sister and brother seem convinced that this is a sign of ghosts. I say there must be a more logical explanation. But, I have never heard of anything like this before. Does anyone know of TVs having problems like this, and what causes them, on a technical level? Is there even such a thing?

Or does anyone out there really think we might have a ghost problem?

[AndreaBeaumont]

My sisters tv in her basement does this. There's a short in the circuitry. No ghosts, not a big deal. To prevent it from turning itself on they unplug it instead of just pressing the off switch. Problem solved.

~AB

[Startrekman700]

Maybe someone has remotely accessed the activation circuitry of your TV. :D

I think its a short in your TV circuitry. How old is your TV set anyway?

[Martianinvader]

If you have one of those "plug strips" with 5 or 6 plugs, and you have the TV plugged into one of those, then that could be what's causing it. The plug strip that's connected to my computer makes it turn on without warning if I don't manually shut the strip off every time I've shut the comp down. It might be the same deal with your TV. So before you rip apart your wall, check the strip...

[EinBebop]

http://xenafan.com/movies/ghostbusters/555_s.jpg
We're ready to believe you!!

[Weatherman]

My family's TV used to turn itself off like that. It was a short in a pannel.

[Fone Bone]

My TV has a wake-up timer that can turn itself on at a certain time like an alarm clock.

[randomguy]

As everyone's said, circuit issues, especially if you've got a power strip, can cause this to happen. I used to have an alarm clock plugged into my power strip, but moved it to a different outlet after I missed about a half-dozen classes last semester due to electrical shorts.

Wrap your head around this one, though: a TV that not only turns on and off by itself, but also changes channels, switches to and from FM radio mode, and switches radio stations. I encountered one of those in a cheap motel room I rented with some friends during a road trip a couple of years back. Now that was creepy.

[Ekkostar]

Do you keep your remote between the cushions of a recliner or couch?
Maybe someone has been sitting on the remote...

[zmanjz]

Assuming that it's not an oni (Try leaving it unplugged. If it turns on while it's unplugged, then it's posessed and you'll need to get a priest, or demon hunter.... or a patent on Oni powered televisions.)

Then it's probably a short in the power button. (Assuming that it's a modern touch pad or printed mylar circuit and not a hugely overbuilt circa 1979 toggle switch.)

[Mynd Hed]

Sometimes the frequency used by a television's remote control can be activated by other devices, too. It's pretty rare, especially with new equipment, but I've known remote controlled cars and garage door openers to occasionally mess with other remote controlled electronics. Also I've occasionally known the remote on my DVD/VCR combo unit (which is not a universal remote) to bring up the setup menu on my television set (which I got secondhand without a remote included, but which apparently came with a remote originally). So it's possible that someone elsewhere in the house, or possibly in the neighborhood if they're using a longer-ranged device, is inadvertantly turning your TV on and off.

My Dad tells me that when he was a kid, he owned a walkie talkie set that somehow piggiebacked on a radio tower in his hometown, dramatically boosting its range. Dunno if it's true or if he's just yanking my chain, though....

You can't discount the possibility of a Universal ReMonster lurking on the premises, either....

[zmanjz]

There are too many qualifiers/assumptions in my last answer. so in order to provide some actually useful information;

what type of television is it?
(Brand and year please.)

[Matt-a-Tastic]

Get a new TV

[HumanoidTyphoon]

Just a friendly ghost wanting to watch some television with you. Be careful if you don't appease him he may turn unfriendly.:eek:

[Squall]

Wrap your head around this one, though: a TV that not only turns on and off by itself, but also changes channels, switches to and from FM radio mode, and switches radio stations. I encountered one of those in a cheap motel room I rented with some friends during a road trip a couple of years back. Now that was creepy.
You were in one of those older hotels that still uses the "bunny ears" recievers on the roof to pick up signals? Since TV signals are in the radio band, just like AM & FM signals, all three can be picked up by anything designed to recieve those signals. So getting radio stations on your TV isn't really an unusual idea... :)

As for the TV in question: It's either bad wiring, or you have a neighbor nearby who recently bought a universal remote, but hasn't adjusted it yet. It all depends on the age and make of your TV.

But it would be fun if it were truly a paranormal situation! :p

[Chris Wood]

I think this has something to do with a freaky girl getting thrown down a well, but it's been a while.

[lostrune]

I think this has something to do with a freaky girl getting thrown down a well, but it's been a while.
Couldn't have been too long. Unless you made a copy....

[randomguy]

You were in one of those older hotels that still uses the "bunny ears" recievers on the roof to pick up signals? Since TV signals are in the radio band, just like AM & FM signals, all three can be picked up by anything designed to recieve those signals. So getting radio stations on your TV isn't really an unusual idea... :)Oh, I know that. What was unusual was that it was changing stations (tuning) all on its own, in addition to changing TV channels. It also had a manual tuning knob, making the whole thing even more bizarre.

[Goemon]

A few months my sister's tv turned on by itself?

[Phantasm]

aagghh!!!!!!Ghosts!!!:eek:
:p
I remember when that once happened to me, I was So freaked out.:ack:

[Hordesman]

It's just wiring. Can't say I've dealt with tv wires myself but I do remove fur from dancing hamsters. First time I did it, I accidentally cut a wire and had to solder it. But before I got a chance it went off on its own and did its high-pitched dance move. Man, it freaked me out.

[Chris Wood]

Couldn't have been too long. Unless you made a copy....

Holy crap! Is it Thursday alrea-AIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Funkatron]

My guess: faulty wiring.

I doubt another remote. Most remotes and TV's use infrared, which is line of site. a remote from another room wouldn't turn it on. Yes, there are such things as RF/UHF remotes(for control through walls), in all my years at retail, never seen one used on a TV. Only cable/sat boxes. And maybe VCR's. But there is no practible aplication for RF remotes on a TV.

[Mynd Hed]

People pick up radio stations on their fillings, sometimes, too. Sometimes things are just randomly weird for no real reason, natural or supernatural.

[Wanted]

Oh, I thought that was just Sharon Spitz that did.