Bizarre TV Behavior - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: BillB2446
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 05:18:11 am
content: My wife and I have a 52" Samsung TV. We watch it from our couch about eight feet away directly facing the TV. Every time my wife stands up, the TV blacks out for a couple of seconds. Yet when I stand up, nothing happens. I am thinking it must have something to do with static, but it happens when she is at least six feet away and it never happens to me. I am stumped.Any idea for the explanation, and is this slowly killing our TV?Thanks.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 10:11:47 am
content: Quote from: BillB2446 on March 01, 2024, 05:18:11 amThe only obvious difference between you and your wife is that she doesn't have a Y chromosome. Are there any other differences that aren't obvious to us?

author: woofy
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 10:13:15 am
content: No idea, but strange things can certainly happen.Many moons ago I started my working life as a TV engineer for a now defunct company. One customer I visited was complaining that the TV changed channels all by itself at random times. I checked everything I could think of, including making sure the customer wasn't sitting on the remote control, but without anything conclusive. The lady had made me a cuppa and we were sitting down chatting. There was a fire in the hearth and in front of the fire her dog was snoozing. I reach out to stroke the dog and it looked up and yawned. At that moment the TV changed channels and I knew the reason, I said "your dog is changing channels". Imagine the look she gave me.In those days the remote control was ultrasonic, just two channels. One to change channels, cycling through the few that ere available at the time, and one to toggle the sound mute. The dog was emitting just the right frequency to change channels when it yawned. I convinced the lady by shaking my car keys in front of the TV and muted/unmuted the sound a few times. Some time later I did get confirmation from the customer that it was indeed the dog, a very fluffy cuddly labrador.

author: BillB2446
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 11:35:54 am
content: I am a lot bigger than her. That's all I can think of. This happens *every time* she gets up off the couch. I have never seen it happen once to me.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 11:56:08 am
content: Does it turn of or simply lose the signal?Is it cable or via an aerial?Does it happen when it's connected to a DVD player or games console?

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 12:15:21 pm
content: Height, girth, seaing position, jump up and down, signal strength/quality, weather dependence, position of antenna (tx and rx), antenna to TV connections, waggle connectors, move TV, aerial, connectors, effect of percussive maintenance on various components.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 12:35:46 pm
content: If it's from some video source like iptv box, replace HDMI cable with something half-decent (does not need to be expensive, just not from dodgy seller). Also ensure everything is powered from the same extension cord or group of sockets.

author: BillB2446
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 12:42:46 pm
content: The screen goes black and the sound dies for a couple of seconds, it flickers momentarily and then comes back on. We get the signal through fiber internet then wifi to TV. The TV isn't hooked up to anything else except an AV receiver.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 12:49:48 pm
content: Quote from: BillB2446 on March 01, 2024, 12:42:46 pmPerhaps WiFi is the problem.Have you tried connecting the TV via displayport or HDMI?

author: BillB2446
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 01:39:27 pm
content: No, I haven't tried that. but I will. I still don't see how that would explain the strange behavior that only happens to my wife.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 01:42:05 pm
content: Quote from: BillB2446 on March 01, 2024, 01:39:27 pmMicrowaves are funny things. Perhaps her dimensions, just happen to form a band stop filter tuned to the WiFi frequency?

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 01:55:49 pm
content: Quote from: BillB2446 on March 01, 2024, 01:39:27 pmBut have you switched places where you sit? Also could be clothing that causes stronger static discharge.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2024, 07:14:12 pm
content: Quote from: woofy on March 01, 2024, 10:13:15 amI've seen the same thing happen on TVs in the 1960s TVs in the US. A dog would have a metal chain for a collar and when they rattled the chain it would trigger the ultrasonic TV remote control.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 09:56:45 am
content: Quote from: Stray Electron on March 01, 2024, 07:14:12 pmThat's different. A modern TVs uses an infrared, rather than ultrasonic remote control.In this case it's something which is interfering with the signal, most likely Wi-Fi. I could still be caused by jewellery though.

author: rsjsouza
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 10:34:11 am
content: Other environmental aspects might be influencing this, such as static that triggers the TV (or remote) in a funky way. Do you have carpet or a fabric on your sofa? Does this happen when the relative hunidity of your room is low? Electrostatic charges can induce spurious voltages in equipment that is not shielded very well, especially if the TV was repaired in the past and the technician removed or replaced incorrectly all of those copper/aluminium shielding tapes when reassembling.This is usually tested during the certification of a product: immunity tests.Good luck with your investigation

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 11:15:46 am
content: Quote from: BillB2446 on March 01, 2024, 12:42:46 pmKick it. Waggle connectors. Use TV's service information to check WiFi signal . Move WiFi antenna. Move TV antenna.

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 10:30:07 pm
content: BTW even though it's not the older, ultrasonic variation of remotes, thought I'd comment, that a friend once demonstrated channel changing by way of 'HISSING', violently up close to TV set; that caused the channels to (rapidly) cycle, and motorized channel knob to turn. Very impressive but not the case here, of course.If it was my (former), (flakey), DOCTOR, the orders would be for series of (useless / frivolous) tests, like MRI's and X-rays, in what the expression is 'fishing expedition'.In your case, maybe helpful to post a video; maybe someone will spot some detail that helps solve...

author: SiliconWizard
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 10:31:51 pm
content: You'll need to figure out if you want to keep your wife or keep your TV set.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 11:03:27 pm
content: Quote from: tggzzz on March 03, 2024, 11:15:46 amYou forgot move wife ;-)

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 11:28:07 pm
content: Quote from: Halcyon on March 03, 2024, 11:03:27 pmSome of my other suggestions apply equally to the wife

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 03, 2024, 11:33:32 pm
content: Quote from: BillB2446 on March 01, 2024, 11:35:54 amBecause you are big, it is too terrified to misbehave!

author: Gyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 09:27:43 pm
content: She's sitting on the remote.

author: Benta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 04, 2024, 10:15:07 pm
content: I suspect a fault in the occupancy detector.My Sony has that, and turns off the screen when no person is present in the room. Prolly a PIR sensor.

author: EPAIII
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2024, 01:58:58 pm
content: OK, this is a guess. But I have had a career in TV engineering.Like most couples, each of you probably has your own place where they sit. So your wife is always in hers. And then she gets up and flexes something in that area of the room. And an outlet on that side of the room has a loose connection.Electricians wire all the outlets in a room or an area of the house in a chain. The power goes first to the one closest to the breaker box. Then to the next, and the next, and the next, etc. All to save wire/copper. So a loose connection in an outlet BEFORE the one with the TV will disconnect the power from the more distant outlets in the room/area.Get an electrician to check the OTHER outlets in the area for loose connection(s) before you have a fire.If you want to confirm it before calling the electrician, plug a small lamp into the same outlet with the TV. If it blinks when the TV does, call the electrician without delay. And don't play with your new "magic trick". Just get it fixed, pronto!

author: EPAIII
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2024, 02:09:24 pm
content: Ultrasonic remotes. I remember those. But the first one I saw was at a friend's house. It was a "clicker". It literally made an audible click to change channels. That's all it did, change channels."Click" ABC, "Click" CBS, "Click" NBC. That's all, just three channels. His dad sat there clicking away, like the king of the hill. My dad had a better remote, he commanded loud and clear, "Paul, go change it to Channel 4." And I did.

author: themadhippy
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2024, 03:43:35 pm
content: Quotefunny enough my dad had a similar model that could also adjust the volume or hit the telly on the left hand side to sort the picture.

author: RJSV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 05, 2024, 08:27:46 pm
content: The 'click' you hear, when pushing button on ultrasonic controls is a tiny hammer dealy, that hits a metal bar, that is mounted in compliant attachments, and that will emit a decent amount of ultrasonic audio power.Metal bar resonates somewhere in the band the audio microphone receiver circuit accepts...(I might guess, 16 khz audio ?)