maganovox flat screen tv behaving eratically

i have a MAGNAVOX 26md255v flat screen tv and lately it has been acting really strange, whenever i have it in vga mode it will either go to channel 1 0 or 3 (more commonly 3) i change it back to vga mode and it does the same thing, the same happens when i try to watch tv through cable and it will keep entering 3 and 0 into itself (sometimes it lands on channel 3, 30 or 33) it is really annoying and i am about to throw this thing out the window, please don't suggest any service stores i can't afford any of that stuff
(unless its absolutely necessary)

funny thing, my brother says that its the work of a poltergeist lmao :-D

 

take the batteries out of the remote (channel changer) and see if it carries on. Also look around the room for anything else that could be causing it.

 

i already did that, i used one of the universal remotes that my father has from his job hes a cable contracter so they are everywhere, they have been known to act funny so it was the first thing i thought of. i also checked the room for any stray ir signals and nothing. heck i even inspected the backyard to see if i can find any kids sneaking around changing the channels outside the window (it could happen).

 

Block the IR sensor on the TV. Any opaque duct tape should do. If it continues to switch channels- I'm afraid your brother may be correct:-D

 

Certain types of energy saving bulbs especially the older ones can effect IR signals also so make sure they are turned off or replaced.

Depending on the TV you may be able to remove the channels 3,33,30,1 ect from the channel list so check the analogue set up options for a way to do this,hopefully if the numbers are entered the TV won't turn over.Check for an input signal auto detect and disable it or select manual input select,remove other inputs such as analogue,check for a factory reset option in the menu system to reset all options to stock.

Good luck.

 

i found that if i unplug the thing before i leave my room for a extended period of time (like 2 hours or so sometimes an entire weekend) it stopped for a few hours then started doing it again, there is a little box that the power cable goes into before it connects to the actual tv and it has been heating up quicker than it did when i got it any way to get it to stop or to find a replacement (can an overheating power adapter be a factor here)