TV turns itself on randomly,wont turn off
 

I use an old (15+yrs) TV hooked up to DirectTV mini-satellite box. The TV sometimes powers up for no reason, and pressing the power button won't turn it off. While it's in this state the TV shows staticky images of broadcast signal, and can't show the satellite signal. The only thing to do is unplug it, wait a while and plug it in again.
So I want to avoid buying a new TV, or lugging this beast to the repair shop, if possible. If there is an easy fix, I'd appreciate anyone's suggestion.

Just for kicks, put some electrical tape over the infrared port on the TV. I suspect that the TV will no longer turn itself on (of course, the remote won't work either). Something is probably sending stray IR signals. Open windows? Fluorescent lights? A drink resting on a remote control? Someone outside your window? There are lots of possibilities.

I'd get an excorcist.

Ours does that too! We live in an area that loses electrical power on occasion. When the power goes off, and comes back on, the TV comes on - It is rather disturbing when you wake up at 3 in the morning - hear people talking and flickering light coming down the hall . We have three TV'S and the only one that does this is a Hitachi Projection TV. You can turn our off so we don't have all of your problems.

Isn't that something like The Ring?

thanks for the replies. I'll try what redlemon said.
who knows, maybe it's the solar flare?

You don't have a laptop do you? It took me a while to correlate this happening at home with my mum doing work on her laptop - it was firing infrared at the TV every few minutes in an attempt to find other IR devices to chat to.

For what it's worth, I agree with our lemony friend. Your TV is picking up stray signals.

It could be that someone occasionally aims a radar-guided missile at your TV, then changes his mind prior to launching it.

At the very least, you should install an ECM pod on your roof, and have bags of reflective, metallic chaff handy in case it is launched. If the missile is launched, quickly throw the chaff into the air. It may confuse the missile and cause it to veer a few inches off course, thereby sparing your TV. This may be hard on other furniture, however.

If you have a couple of extra bucks, you might look into buying a Phalanx close-in missile defense system.
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/...phal-blk1b.gif

Unplug the tv. It won't turn on without power.

lmao at powder... thats what i was thinking througout this whole thread

If you see a little girl with long curly black hair down to her lower back RUN

There is no escape....she NEVER sleeps....

*front door slams*

* i scream loud *

PLEASE take it to a repair place IMMEDIATELY. If it is recieving stray signals when you hit the power button it will shut it off. It sounds as if it has an intermittent electrical short that comes and goes if left alone it could cause a fire. If they find no problem then look at other possibilities but have it checked it could save your life and property from a FIRE.

dont worry about her, leslie neilson finished her off

POLTERGEIST!!!!

Or will it...

Some televisions can be programmed to tune in a specific channel at a specific time, or change to that channel from an existing one. Does your tv always turn on to the same channel? I have a poltergeist in mine too, I think this may be the problem, but I have no idea how to make it go away.

Sounds like a TV I need for my rental property.

Your TV is 15 years old...it doesn't cost that much to get a new tv. Throw down 150 bucks at wal-mart. There's no point to taking it to a repair shop because it will cost more to repair it then to buy a new one.