# My TV Turned Itself On and Off Last Night! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617 "2004-03-16T12:53:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/21 "2004-03-16T16:09:28Z")
My TV sometimes turns itself off and on when I am zapping. Funny enough it never happens when I am watching a movie. You wouldn’t happen to own a Philips tv-set? ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/22 "2004-03-16T16:11:46Z")
> [@vinryk](#): > > My TV sometimes turns itself off and on when I am zapping. Funny enough it never happens when I am watching a movie. You wouldn’t happen to own a Philips tv-set? It _is_ a Philips. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/23 "2004-03-16T16:27:53Z")
I would have to go with FariyChatMom’s first explanation. Semi-related: About twenty years ago, my brother and I were sharing a room while staying with our great-uncle for a couple of day. My brother talks in his sleep. To this day I would swear that one night, my brother was giving a lecture (seriously, he would give lectures in his sleep), and our great-uncle came into our room, and said, “All right now, boys.” The next morning at breakfast, I made my brother apolgize for waking Uncle Art up. Uncle Art had no clue what he was talking about. Turned out it was one of those vivid semi-sleep dreams. No aliens or anal probes, though. ---
**Author:** ![Etherman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@Etherman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Etherman)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/24 "2004-03-16T16:33:16Z")
Actually my off brand remote for my PS/2 DVD does this too when the batteries are low. Suddenly starts fast forwarding, stopping, etc. It was a little freaky the first time, till I saw the LED on the remote flashing. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/25 "2004-03-16T16:34:56Z")
You should really get your tv fixed. Certain types of Philips TV’s have been known for burning down the house (literally). Make sure you have a good smoke detector, if you leave it switched on while you are not at home or asleep. Always better to be safe than sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@Scoundrel\_Swanswater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scoundrel_Swanswater)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/26 "2004-03-16T16:35:57Z")
Although I still haven’t had mine fixed. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/27 "2004-03-16T16:51:45Z")
> [@Jim B.](#): > > As I’ve said, I was _half_-asleep. And I am quite certain the TV was off and on again 🙂 . As I’ve said, I do favor some simple technological explanation. People dream when they’re only half-asleep, too. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/28 "2004-03-16T17:17:13Z")
This is _soooo_ weird! I turned _myself_ on then off last night! But that might be TMI. ---
**Author:** ![rinni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rinni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rinni)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/29 "2004-03-16T17:48:11Z")
Some TV’s are just crazy. I had a TV that turned itself on frequently. The power button was kind of loose and jiggly, and I guess every so often random movements would jiggle it on. It was a Magnasonic. It would suck when I forgot to turn it down before I went to bed and it would wake me up blaring! 😃 Also, my friend had a TV that would turn itself off whenever it was showing anything bright or flashing. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/30 "2004-03-16T18:00:52Z")
“Honey, these new Energizers in the remote work Great! I can change the channel from anywhere in the house now. See…?” ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617/31 "2004-03-16T20:25:13Z")
We had a TV growing up that would turn itself on and off when the sun hit it’s remote ray detector thingy. Creepy until we figured it out. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-tv-turned-itself-on-and-off-last-night/234617.md?page=1)