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Original poster

Why / how does my TV turn itself on randomly and very occasionally

60 replies

Thetrainisinthestation · 31/10/2021 01:20

It’s 1:16am and I’ve just been woken up by the sound of the tv

Go downstairs and the one remote control is sat next to tv where it was left.
The tv was not on yesterday evening.

There is no pets indoors and no children are awake or able to get downstairs.

What could do this?

We’ve had the tv 5 years but its only turned itself on at random times about 6 times so far over the last few months

Sometimes it’s the middle of the night and the sound wakes me up, other times it’s when I’ve been out in the day and I come hone to the tv on when it hadn’t been switched on that day before I leave

It’s not a woo thing because there would be no sense in that

The tv otherwise functions fine, the remote is fine and has had its batteries replaced

OP posts:
freshcarnation · 31/10/2021 08:45

Ours sometimes does this. Also the robot vacuum cleaner has been known to start up in the early hours

DuckDuckNo · 31/10/2021 08:48

Some Samsung TV's have a software bug that turns them on when they poll for software updates.

HeronLanyon · 31/10/2021 08:53

Clocks going back involved in some kind of update ??
I’ve a touch lamp which turns off or on randomly. I now think it may be a moth/fly but thinking it is a message from the other side is more fun.

CallMeMabel · 31/10/2021 09:46

Ours sometimes switches itself off and on again when we're watching it, but never in the middle of the night. Also a Samsung...

Bananasandevap · 31/10/2021 09:49

I was just coming on to say I had a tv that did that that too, after reading the comments I have to add that it was a Samsung too!
It lasted us a long time though, we had it for 8 years after buying from a friend who’d had it for 5 years! It’s still working now and I’ve just passed it onto someone else (because we downsized our tv not because of the switch thing.)
It’s a bit annoying but turning it off at wall when it’s not being used fixes the problem.

maya71 · 31/10/2021 09:58

Ours is a Samsung and will automatically go into standby if its been on for a certain amount of time & no one has pressed anything. Perhaps it's linked to that: if it's on standby, something could cause it to switch back on. You can disable automatic standby by going into the settings. Alternatively, make sure it's properly turned off & pull the plug out at night!

Aardvarkitsabloodyaardvark · 31/10/2021 09:58

Yes us too and also a Samsung

SallyOMalley · 31/10/2021 10:10

It's not just at night that our TV does this, but at random times throughout the day too. I know that because of WFH - I hear the little chirrups as it turns on then off again.

LadyofMisrule · 31/10/2021 19:14

Software updates. Nothing sinister :-)

Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 31/10/2021 19:35

It did it again today whilst we were out in the daytime

OP posts:
LemonSwan · 31/10/2021 20:54

We have a microwave which does this.

Also have a TV which can occasionally turn on the playstation if you click on netflix on apps. Makes no sense. Drives me mad.

ArcheryAnnie · 31/10/2021 20:57

I had to change the settings on my laptop when I realised it was somehow also changing the channels on my (Samsung) TV.

FindingMeno · 31/10/2021 21:12

Everyone is way too fast in assuming it's not supernatural Halloween Grin

Tee20x · 31/10/2021 21:19

My TV does this - also Samsung. Turns itself on randomly in the night.

At first I thought I may be lying on the remote or something. Nope.

Spooky.

Comedycook · 31/10/2021 21:21

One of our TVs does this...just make sure we turn it off at the plug. It was annoying before we realized it was doing this because dh would nag me for leaving the TV on!

nildesparandum · 31/10/2021 21:23

Mine used to do this after my DH died.Also the bedside radio which he always listened to before going to sleep.I had to bin the radio as it was spooking me up. The TV eventually stopped turning itself on.The lights and radio would go on the front room where he liked to sit and use his computer (which never came on).This carried on for about a year after his death.
I am not woo at all but sometimes I wonder about things.

NumberTheory · 31/10/2021 21:27

Some of Samsung's TVs have "smart" features and can be bluetooth controlled as well as via infrared. We have two Samsung TVs and the remote from one uses bluetooth and sometimes switches on the other TV even though it's in another room on a different floor. We can also turn it on via the Google Chromecast and our DVD player.

Is it possible you have something connected to it that is turning it on? Or that your neighbour has a new Samsung TV and their remote is turning it on? Or some other bluetooth device is sending an on command?

UKmumtobe · 31/10/2021 21:39

Ours does it too and it's a Samsung. With sky TV.
Really annoying and freaky when it does it in the middle of the night!

Polmuggle · 31/10/2021 21:44

PLEASE turn your tv off properly. Such an unnecessary fire risk.

InViewoftheFew · 31/10/2021 22:38

We had this with one of our TV's - I think it means it's on its way out.

Greyeverywhere · 31/10/2021 22:44

My bedroom one dpes this! But it's always on like 42 for volume so it makes me jump up in bed and takes me a while for my heart to stop thumping Blush.
I dont know why or how but it is quite an old tv

NameChange74567 · 31/10/2021 23:19

Just unplug it at the wall before you go out or go to bed, problem solved.

Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 31/10/2021 23:21

@UKmumtobe

Ours does it too and it's a Samsung. With sky TV. Really annoying and freaky when it does it in the middle of the night!
It’s only seemed to start doing it this year

Is it time for a meeting tv?

OP posts:
Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 31/10/2021 23:21

Not meeting - new!

OP posts:
Original poster
Thetrainisinthestation · 31/10/2021 23:22

@Polmuggle

PLEASE turn your tv off properly. Such an unnecessary fire risk.
Oh that’s worrying. I didn’t think it could be. All the sockets are difficult to get to as it’s all built in Confused
OP posts:
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