Got a Panasonic TV and had it about 8 years – over the last 3 months it seems to randomly switch to a digital ‘teletext’ type thing and broadcast the audio of BBC1 – exiting it spits you out at BBC1 and you loose the channel you were watching.

Each time the TV is witched on it claims new settings/channels have been detected and we need to rescan – so we do…then once done and restarts, it tells us new channels are available…etc….etc….etc….

I’m not planning on taking it apart but is this a common issue with a tv tis ‘old’ (previous one was 23 years old and actually gave a better picture!) or has anyone else experienced this and able to suggest a cause and repair?

Thanks.

Change the battery in the remote?

Or has a neighbour the same remote?

Does it still do it if you cover up the IR receiver?

Remote has been removed from the room and had the batteries removed as well…I did think this might be it so tried that. It doesn’t just change the once…it will do it repeatedly for about 20 minutes…this digital teletext thing and BBC1, then it’ll stop – tends to happen in the morning and then round dinner time.

Neighbours aren’t close enough to affect the channel – and IR receiver would be blocked by 2 walls if they were there pointing a changer at the box.

I’m not on about the remote, I was thinking “something” hitherto undiscovered might be sending it loopy. I’d stick some insulation tape over the sensor to rule it out.

Failing that, it sounds like some sort of ephemeral controller board failure. Does it do it outside of Freeview (eg, when watching a DVD)?

RE ‘finding new channels at switch on’, with the digital roll out continuing, a neighbouring digital transmitter may have come on line recently, and at start up your tv is getting confused over signals from two different transmitters OR you had a recent new TV aerial which isn’t aligned quite right.You could try fitting an in line attenuator nice cheap option to prove/disprove this theory?
Teletext loading, hmmm weird, never heard of this, check that the auto software update is switched on in your TV menu and check its the latest version, also check all the settings for auto loading of subtitles and such incase anyone has roaming remote fingers, it’ll be a case of just trying things to narrow it down.Hope that helps some?

Does the tv have an LED that flashes when it recieves an IR command? and is it flashing while all the weird stuff starts?
I’ll know doubt keep thinking of things, but in the meantime, what is the model number?

Do you have any older CFL lightbulbs in the room?

some used to set off IR receivers apparently.