TiVo Update Turning on TV?

[mhoffa]

Lately I have been experiencing a new problem. Every so often at about 4am, I wake up to find my two TVs powered on and see that theTiVo red light is lit...either recording or updating.

This started happening a few months ago, but just thought one of our pets stepped on the remote control. But since we have put the remotes in a drawer, it still is happening.

Needless to say, my wife gets freaked out when this happens, and I am not home.

Anyone have any ideas?

[roy_hobbs]

Its recording the discovery channel, that how those stupid movie trailers and commercials get on your Tivo.

[ZeoTiVo]

That does not turn on the TV though.

deos the TiVo record during the day ? Does that turn on the TV.

is there perhaps a timer for the TV on one of the Tv's menus that got set by the dog ?

[roy_hobbs]

Oh, I did not notice that your TV is turning on, you have a ghost in the house. :)

[mhoffa]

I checked to make sure that no timers are set, and even locked the front panel controls, too.

It does turn on at other times, as well, but most often in the late night/early morning.

My wife believes it's a ghost, but I am not so sure. Just is odd that this is happening.

Believe it or not, it's never happened anywhere else, either. I have had TiVo on this TV since July 2004, in two different states (relocated for job) and no problems until at our latest location.

Weird!

[dgh]

Are both TVs in the same room? Are there cable boxes with IR? Do the TVs also randomly go off sometimes when the TiVo changes channels?

[mhoffa]

Are both TVs in the same room? Are there cable boxes with IR? Do the TVs also randomly go off sometimes when the TiVo changes channels?

The TVs are in different rooms (one is on the main floor, the other in the basement, different models, brands, etc.) The TV in the living room is connected to the cable box by serial cable, while the other in the basement is using the IR cables.

The TVs never turn off, however, when TiVo changes channels.

[dgh]

Wow. I'm starting to like your wife's explanation.

[aadam101]

I have a friend that has a very old TV that turns on by itself once in a while. Its one of those wood models that sit on the floor.

[mhoffa]

I have a friend that has a very old TV that turns on by itself once in a while. Its one of those wood models that sit on the floor.

I remember those. The TVs I am referring to is a 1996 Sony 27" model with 2-tuners and PIP, and the other is a 51" Toshiba Widescreen HDTV bought in '01.

Not very old to have those types of problems......

[Lars_J]

Is the TV in some kind of Standby/screensaver mode? I mean, does it turn itself off if by itself too?

Perhaps the neighbor is playing with you, using a universal remote? :)

[bikerdude]

Several times I woke up to find the TV on in my den - and I know that I turned it off before I went to bed the night before. It didn't happen every day. Just occasionally.

Turns out that the remote in the bedroom was turning on the TV in the den when I turned off the TV in the bedroom. The TV's were the same brand and used similar remotes. The IR extender that I use to change the channel on my DTivo in the den from the bedroom was also forwarding the TV On/Off button push to the TV in the den.

Now I point my bedroom remote towards the floor to turn off the TV at night. The IR extender doesn't pick it up.

I also set up a timer on my TV to turn the den TV on at 11:58pm and off at 11:59 pm just in case a stray signal makes its way to the den.

[dylanemcgregor]

What about power surges? My family had a TV that would turn itself on when there was a quick power outage. It was pretty sensitive I guess, most of the clocks in the house wouldn't even notice. The only way we figured that it was power related is that one of the clocks in the house would reset at the same time.

-Dylan

[beej1024]

Ok, I know this is odd, but I have the exact same problem. A few months ago I started finding my TV hooked to Tivo on. Nobody had been in the room, and no other tv's or remotes are even in the basement.

I moved across Town, and have the SAME problem. I swear a Tivo update caused this.

Anyone else??


BJ

[dtreese]

Did it happen right after a TiVo update?

[tgr131]

Well, here's a thought.

Are you useing the Tivo Remote to cut the TV off?

If so, you could be putting the Tivo into Standby Mode. I'm not sure, but I don't think that sends a signal to the TV. It would appear to you that the TV would be off. If an update came down, the Tivo would start sending a signal to the TV again, and it would appear that they came on, when in fact they had been on the whole time.

[beej1024]

I am using the Tivo remote to power the TV, but it has always been this way. It was not until a few months ago that about once a week I would find the TV on, when nobody had been near it. Nothing else in the set up has changed, and I use the serial cable to control the cable box.

[ZeoTiVo]

The TVs would have to have some sort of wake up on the input that the TiVo video/audio signal coems in on for the TiVo to do it. How else can the TiVo do such a thing.

errent IR remote signals are the usual culprit as noted above, but the TiVo only balsts IR to the cable box via the emitter, it would have to be applied to the cable box wrong to get a signal to the TV and then the TV would have to see something as a power on/off signal. A serial control would provide no way for a signal to get to the TV.

[cstarchild]

I am here because I am freaked out by my TV turning on automatically and did a google search for a logical explanation.

I am not a TiVo customer really - I just have a regular TV, magnavox whatever, not new, but not ancient. I was standing about 4 feet from the TV and it came on right before my eyes. I was on the phone at the time. Once I got off the phone, I looked for the remote thinking the dog stepped on it or whatever. Nope. In fact, the remote was on the table pointed about 90 degrees away from the TV. I even pressed the power button without moving the remote to test whether it was able to send signal to the TV. No luck. I am totally interested in any other logical explanation if anybody can suggest.....

[lessd]

I am here because I am freaked out by my TV turning on automatically and did a google search for a logical explanation.

I am not a TiVo customer really - I just have a regular TV, magnavox whatever, not new, but not ancient. I was standing about 4 feet from the TV and it came on right before my eyes. I was on the phone at the time. Once I got off the phone, I looked for the remote thinking the dog stepped on it or whatever. Nope. In fact, the remote was on the table pointed about 90 degrees away from the TV. I even pressed the power button without moving the remote to test whether it was able to send signal to the TV. No luck. I am totally interested in any other logical explanation if anybody can suggest.....

Your neighbor has the same TV and turns it on from his house by pointing the remote at your window, close the shade. (Saw this in a movie once funny as h**l)

[sudia]

This happened with all 3 of my series 2's but now is happening while 'I'm home alone with the new HD3 with a new tv. Anyone figure this out yet. Just randomly turns on.

[danieljanderson]

Fish tank?

[TydalForce]

It could be something on the electrical line sending a signal to the TV that's somehow turning it on.

Get a good surge protector with EMI noise filtering, and plug the TV in through that.

Could even be something coming through the cable line. My TV has 3 coax jacks (analog, digital cable, digital antenna) and for a while when I had all three hooked up it would turn itself off. I disconnected the antenna line, and it doesn't do that anymore (though occasionally the little Info bubble will come on at random)

[elrcastor]

What about IR extenders any useing them?

[rcapolete]

I may have an idea. I have a similiar issue with my Sirius radio in my car. It is an extrenal unit. THere is one place on my way home from work were the channel will change. Not always mayben a couple of time a month. It would appear that ther eis a stray ir signal out there causing the radio to change. This may be your issue. There may be a stray signal that the tv is occasionaly picking up that it reads on the command to turn on. Could be alot of things that cause this. May liek tohers have said the neighbor has a similiar tv as yours, or a dvd/vcr remote that uses almost the same command.

[steve614]

Well, here's a thought.

Are you useing the Tivo Remote to cut the TV off?

If so, you could be putting the Tivo into Standby Mode. I'm not sure, but I don't think that sends a signal to the TV. It would appear to you that the TV would be off. If an update came down, the Tivo would start sending a signal to the TV again, and it would appear that they came on, when in fact they had been on the whole time.


I can see how this would be possible.
I have my Tivo hooked to the TV via composit cables (red, white, yellow, RCA) and when I put Tivo in standby, TV screen goes black.
If it weren't for my TV putting "video 1" in the corner of the screen when it loses signal, I could think the TV turned off.

[TydalForce]

Find the IR receiver on the front of the unit.

Put a piece of black electrical tape over it. Try to turn the TV on and confirm that its blocked. If the TV stays off, its a stray IR signal. If the TV still turns itself on, its something else.

[restart88]

Any chance a neighbor is using some type of a remote extender and possibly uses that same frequency? I'm tending to think it is a stray signal from outside the house.

Not the same thing, I know, but I'm still rather impressed how my Dishplayer's UHF remote lets me control the receiver from about anywhere on my property. And some cordless phones work even better!

Guess you'll just HAVE TO get a brand new 42" plasma TV to correct this issue. :D

sic

[gwsat]

Fortunately, my S3 does not turn my TV on at inappropriate times. My TV, a circa 2003 RCA DLP HDTV, will turn on following a power interruption. I recently bought a modestly priced battery backup for the sole purpose of stopping my TV from turning on immediately after power is restored following an outage by keeping power flowing to it during the outage.

[TydalForce]

gwsat, I think that's the first time anybody's ever purchased a UPS to keep the power OFF ;-}