Vizio VX37L; Cannot change channel without using numbers, volume changing on it's own, plus...

Question

I turned the tv on this am and it was going crazy. It was going through all of the channels on it's own, then the volume was going all the way up on its own. Now, it is stuck on channel 1 and, no signal unless I have it hooked to cable without the HD box. The Vizio remote, nor the cable box remote which is programmed for the tv will change the channel-neither will the side controls on the tv; you have to use the actual numbers. I use a tv cable box from Time Warner for HD or something. I called support and it's refurbished so I had to call another company and they want to charge $700 to come out. It's more than the TV cost. We've had it since December but because it's refurbished they won't help me unless I pay $700. To me, it seems like an input problem but that doesn't explain why the channels cant be changed with using the up and down arrows, and the volume changing on it's own... Does anyone know what might be going on with it?

Answer 1

This is what happens when you buy a tv from a third-tier brand.  Sure it was cheap, but now it is broken, and the company that makes it doesn't manufacturer their own parts, so it becomes, like you said, more expensive to fix than to buy a new one.  Next time try buying from a brand that actually manufactures their own product and stands by it, even if it does cost more money.  Try Sony, Samsung, Panasonic.

It sounds like an issue with the ir-receiver, and the chip that regulates a/v inputs.  It needs new parts.