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[Commanche Raisin Toast]

Today I was researching a weird issue with my laptop that I still can't seem to solve, and I realized that there's a handful of other issues I have with my various electronics devices that, even with the power of Google at my fingertips, I just can't seem to solve.

-My Samsung Series 9 ultrabook no longer goes to sleep as configured in my Power Options. I made sure to customize the settings of the selected power profile, and made sure that I went through every option meticulously. The screen sleep, HDD sleep, Hibernation, etc. but when 15 minutes rolls around and it should be going to sleep, it simply doesn't. Oddly enough, the screen sleep setting is working as intended, but the laptop itself just won't go to bed. Sometimes I walk into my living room to see it "sleeping" and rejoice, only to find that it didn't actually sleep, it just ran out of juice. It was updated to Windows 10 sometime last year when MS started pushing out the free Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 upgrades via Windows Update, and all of the Samsung software has been updated, as are all of my drivers. It's driving me nuts because I use it every day and can be a pain to leave plugged in all the time. (Note: the sleep issue occurs when it's both plugged in and on battery.)

-My Sony KDL-70W850B tv works great, but when I open Spotify on my PS4 and the solid black Spotify splash screen appears, there's a single bright white pixel over on the very left edge of the screen hear the bottom corner. I tested for dead pixels by having several different solid colors displayed on the screen, including black, but the white dot doesn't show. It's only there when I open Spotify on my PS4. Is this an issue with my tv or is it the Spotify app? Maybe there's a white dot on the splash screen?

-Chromecast (I have 3, a new model in the living room, and 2 original units in my bedroom and guest bedroom) all have this strange issue where if me or my wife are casting from Chrome on one of our laptops, the 'connection' in Chrome will get 'kicked out' showing that it's not connected, yet the video/playlist continues to play on the Chromecast. When trying to reconnect, the Chrome extension will act like we are already connected, but then won't allow us to regain control. I eventually have to open up my phone and cast a random app to it, and then disconnect. After the CC is back to the normal screen, we can go back into Chrome and start casting again, making us start all the way over again. Is this normal? Or did I set up my CC's wrong? It's been happening since the original launched.

-Going back to my PS4 for a moment: I have the white Gold headset that I use all the time when it's late or my friends want to play Destiny. There's a strange issue that I can't seem to find anything online for. When I have my PS4 on, and I turn on my headset, it beeps to indicate it's connected. I can then hear audio, and I can hear a slight hiss that indicated the talkback feature is working- AKA the mic is on. If I go into a game or a party chat, NOBODY can hear me until I mute the mic via the button the headset, and then unmute. It happens EVERY. TIME. Is this a thing? Or am I going crazy?

I am by no means one of those bad luck people that just has a hard time with electronics. I've worked in IT for over 8 years and I know how to research problems and thoroughly troubleshoot issues I come across, but these are really just baffling to me. It actually makes it extra frustrating because I can solve all sorts of problems at work that are much crazier or impacting than the above issues, but I can't get my laptop to go to sleep? Sigh.

What unexplained and/or unsolved electronics problems do you guys have and deal with on a regular basis to no end? Perhaps we can find some common ground or share solutions with each other that weren't immediately obvious, or fixes that we've accidentally stumbled across that we can try?

Also: Let's shy away from citing anyone's issues as an Error ID: 10T, please.

UPDATE: also have an issue with one of my ADT cameras in my house. i had ADT come set up a camera in my living room and one outside facing my driveway. it was free with my alarm service, so i figured if someone breaks in i can at least get surveillance, and if a delivery dude doesn't come but says i wasn't home i'll have proof. HA!

well, a few days after setting everything up, my living room camera no longer shows anything in color. it only shows black and white. i made sure to try rebooting the alarm hub, the camera, and even turned all the lights on in the living room in case it was thinking it was too dark and kicked off that faux 'night vision' mode. no dice. i even have a pic on my laptop in color that i originally took when we set up the camera, so i KNOW FOR A FACT it's a color camera.

anyone have any ideas or tips i could try?

 

[Übermatik]

https://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=934054&highlight=

Notorious issue of mine that only cropped up after I'd been gaming for about a year. Everything just suddenly went to shit (even non-demanding PC games).

Reward for anyone that solves it...

 

[DizzyCaffeine]

My Xbox One is powered on sometimes in the morning when I wake up. Not everyday, but like 2-3 days out of the week it will be on. I'm sure it has something to do with Instant On, but why doesn't it go back into Standby?

 

[LucidMomentum]

https://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=934054&highlight=

Notorious issue of mine that only cropped up after I'd been gaming for about a year. Everything just suddenly went to shit (even non-demanding PC games).

Reward for anyone that solves it...

◾ Intel HD Graphics 4000
◾ NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory

From what it sounds like, your discrete GPU isn't being utilized when in Windows mode.

If you have Nvidia control panel in Windows, set it to always have the GPU on and to always prefer maximum performance.

That's my guess anyways.

 

[Brawndo Addict]

Netflix App on Xbox One keeps defaulting to having subtitles on even though I have closed captioning turned off in every conceivable location (global master settings, netflix app, etc). Whenever I play anything, subtitles get turned on. I can turn it off for one episode, but it comes right back on the next.

 

[Ultima_5]

My xbox one no longer automatically does updates.
Did it ever?
I think it did

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

◾ Intel HD Graphics 4000
◾ NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory

From what it sounds like, your discrete GPU isn't being utilized when in Windows mode.

If you have Nvidia control panel in Windows, set it to always have the GPU on and to always prefer maximum performance.

That's my guess anyways.

that's what it sounds like to me too. i had a laptop once with Intel 4000 + an nVidio GPU and once it refused to switch back to the nVidia chip. i had to reinstall all the drivers and the applet that controls the automated switching. i believe it was one of the beefier (lol) Eee PC laptops Asus used to put out.

 

[Mass Effect]

https://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=934054&highlight=

Notorious issue of mine that only cropped up after I'd been gaming for about a year. Everything just suddenly went to shit (even non-demanding PC games).

Reward for anyone that solves it...

Go to the Nvidia Control Panel is make sure that the Nvidia GPU is the default one for your games.

or

Disable the Intel GPU completely and see if that works.

Also, download EVGA Precision to monitor the usage of your Nvidia GPU.

 

[theepicoftyler]

Sometime my laptop randomly clicks and shuts itself off. I have no idea how to determine what is causing it, or what it would require to fix. I thought overheating the first time it happened, but it's happened several times since then while it's been on my lap and it hasn't been hot or anything.

I may never know. Happens once every 2 months or so.

 

[LucidMomentum]

Netflix App on Xbox One keeps defaulting to having subtitles on even though I have closed captioning turned off in every conceivable location (global master settings, netflix app, etc). Whenever I play anything, subtitles get turned on. I can turn it off for one episode, but it comes right back on the next.

My brother's 3DS does the same thing. Always Russian subtitles.

He calls and asks about it, I've even called and they don't care it seems. Been like that for a couple years now.

 

[enzo_gt]

My PS4 randomly turns itself on from a power off state at random times of the day.

The internet has no solutions for this problem besides updating firmware, or it being due to power fluctuations in the building, or pushing the foam feet back away from the power button if it's moved too far up, none of these work or are relevant to my PS4 as is right now.

I have absolutely no idea what to do, but I fear all those improper power-offs it does also as a result of this issue are taking a toll on my machine.

 

[therapist]

I've been having weird stuttering on my pc for a while now , maybe 1 month or so.

It shows up in videos / games etc , and its highly irritating.

Cleaned the crap out of it just in case , still stutters.
Ran all the tests i could , memtest , intel diag etc etc , all pass.
So i think , fuck it must be the VC.
So i go out and buy another one because i dont have another to test.
Still stutters. Fuck.
3 drives in pc , reinstalled windows one by one on each one to see if maybe its a drive , nope still stutters.

So this weekend i take the whole thing apart , thouroughly clean ( I mean even taking the motherboard out etc) put it all back together , low and behold the stutter is gone!
So i play a few rounds of CS super fucking happy because i can play , finally.
However , i can hear a wire rubbing on a fan , and to move said wire i need to remove the video card , so i do unseat the card , move the cable a bit , re-seat boot back up./
Stutter is back. HWHAT.
So i reseat it again , same thing. Reseat it again and no more stutter. At this point im so fucking confused. But anyways im happy no stutter
All good , go to sleep. Wake up next morning fire up CS , fucking stutters back. WHAT THE FUCK. I didnt even turn off the pc.

So again i open it up , re-seat the card , test , stutter present.
Do the same thing again and the stutter is gone.
The stutter has been gone for 3 days now.

I have no fucking clue what it is. Ive never had random reboots , no bsod's etc.
Was thinking a mobo capacitor but they are all clean / no bulge.

TL;DR my pc made me think im insane for a while. No idea how this fixed it , or if its going to come back. Weirdest pc issue i've ever had.

 

[Dai101]

The PCM/ECU of my car is a random mess. I think i'll just sell the shit as junk since i'm fed up with it trying to see what the fuck is wrong with it.

 

[xxracerxx]

I cannot for the life of me get rid of my constant "Resolving Host..." issues. BLAH!

 

[ThreePiMatt]

Not really an "electronics" issue, but twice in the last year, while parked at my community college during class, when I got back to my car the passenger side rear window was down. Its only happened at school so far, nowhere else.

 

[Codiox]

The Spotify dead pixel problem is not a dead pixel. Just a white pixel. I have it too on all of my TVs. No worries.

 

[Ogodei]

My old 2008 laptop (college era) would occasionally power itself on if it was plugged in. My guess is it had to do with Windows Vista's "Turn Off" option, where you could shut the device down without doing a full shutdown of Windows and could then quick-boot the next time you powered on.

 

[Rivitur]

Where the fuck is the remote!?

 

[3phemeral]

-Chromecast (I have 3, a new model in the living room, and 2 original units in my bedroom and guest bedroom) all have this strange issue where if me or my wife are casting from Chrome on one of our laptops, the 'connection' in Chrome will get 'kicked out' showing that it's not connected, yet the video/playlist continues to play on the Chromecast. When trying to reconnect, the Chrome extension will act like we are already connected, but then won't allow us to regain control. I eventually have to open up my phone and cast a random app to it, and then disconnect. After the CC is back to the normal screen, we can go back into Chrome and start casting again, making us start all the way over again. Is this normal? Or did I set up my CC's wrong? It's been happening since the original launched.

This same thing happens to me but what I find works is:

If Netflix disconnects from the "casting phone" and Netflix asks you "Are you there?", you can go to any wifi-connected phone and open the Chromecast app. Once the CC is detected, there will be a play and volume button available. Pressing play will continue the paused video.

Another way you can do this (which usually works, but not always) is to open the recent apps list and swipe away Netflix/Youtube/etc. When you reopen the app, it'll detect CC and usually reconnect with the play/pause options available. If it doesn't reconnect, you can open the CC app to reconnect and it'll usually just connect without having to restart the CC stream.

If all else fails, you can select the CC app and once it connects, choose "disconnect" or "Stop casting" (whichever it is, I forget) and then reconnect.

One thing I dislike about using the CC app is when you're adjusting the volume: The CC volume control acts as a separate volume from the app that's casting the media. So, if you lower the volume through the CC app and forget that you did, and then later adjust the volume in Netflix/Youtube to max and find that it's too low, it's because the CC app volume slider functions separately. So you'll need to go into the CC app to fix the volume issue.

 

[Maklershed]

Within 3-5 minutes of turning on my PC it'll either disconnect from the Internet (and there's no possible way to get it to connect again) or it'll freeze. If I restart it though it'll work properly.

Also the other day while listening to a podcast my car's Sync lost connection to my iPhone's Bluetooth signal and I can't get them to synch up again. Still working on that one.

 

[User 479360]

1) I'm unable to visit a movie theatre's promotion website, because it always tells me my computer can't establish a secure connection with its server. I can only access it on mobile.

2) I can't view videos on a local news network and sports station's websites. They're the same company. Don't know why. The player simply won't load. Videos work perfectly fine everywhere else.

3) My HDTV is about 10 years old now, but it still works pretty well. It's an awesome (build quality, picture, sound) Sharp Aquos. I'm really happy with the purchase given how long it's lasted and how good it's been. But it makes a whirring noise when black screens and loading screens are shown, and there was a time where its HDMI ports occasionally wouldn't produce sound. Resetting the TV multiple times fixed that issue.

There's also a burned in line across close to the bottom of the screen, and I have no clue of how that happened. In its old age, it is suffering from some image retention ghosting, but it goes away when the TV's been off for a while.

 

[PeterVenkman]

I've got a fun one that I actually did manage to solve - the short version is that I couldn't get my computer to turn back on, even after swapping out a PSU, MOBO + CPU, RAM and GPU that all worked on a friends comp or were purchased at Micro Center. I was going insane trying to just get the thing to power on (it had only a day ago).

On a whim, I unplugged my case front panel USB ports and it turned on. Turns out, one of the pins was bent and was touching the case, so my PC was shorting. Go fucking figure, must have jammed a controller in the wrong way.

 

[phyrlord]

-My Samsung Series 9 ultrabook no longer goes to sleep as configured in my Power Options. I made sure to customize the settings of the selected power profile, and made sure that I went through every option meticulously. The screen sleep, HDD sleep, Hibernation, etc. but when 15 minutes rolls around and it should be going to sleep, it simply doesn't. Oddly enough, the screen sleep setting is working as intended, but the laptop itself just won't go to bed. Sometimes I walk into my living room to see it "sleeping" and rejoice, only to find that it didn't actually sleep, it just ran out of juice. It was updated to Windows 10 sometime last year when MS started pushing out the free Windows 8.1 to Windows 10 upgrades via Windows Update, and all of the Samsung software has been updated, as are all of my drivers. It's driving me nuts because I use it every day and can be a pain to leave plugged in all the time. (Note: the sleep issue occurs when it's both plugged in and on battery.)

- The laptop will go to sleep if you force it?
- Are you editing a current power setting preset or making a new one? Have you tested both?
- If you're in IT, like me, you and I both know you can't trust an upgraded OS if you life depended on it. I think you need a fresh install of 10.

-My Sony KDL-70W850B tv works great, but when I open Spotify on my PS4 and the solid black Spotify splash screen appears, there's a single bright white pixel over on the very left edge of the screen hear the bottom corner. I tested for dead pixels by having several different solid colors displayed on the screen, including black, but the white dot doesn't show. It's only there when I open Spotify on my PS4. Is this an issue with my tv or is it the Spotify app? Maybe there's a white dot on the splash screen?

-Sometimes DEV's will put off color pixels in BLACK screens to let you know the app actually launched and is not just a black frozen screen. This may be the case. Not sure. If you have tested it (I assume with another BLACK SCREEN) then it's just the app.

-Going back to my PS4 for a moment: I have the white Gold headset that I use all the time when it's late or my friends want to play Destiny. There's a strange issue that I can't seem to find anything online for. When I have my PS4 on, and I turn on my headset, it beeps to indicate it's connected. I can then hear audio, and I can hear a slight hiss that indicated the talkback feature is working- AKA the mic is on. If I go into a game or a party chat, NOBODY can hear me until I mute the mic via the button the headset, and then unmute. It happens EVERY. TIME. Is this a thing? Or am I going crazy?

-is the headset USB? This sort of sounds like a USB initialization type thing. Have you ever REBOOTED the PS4 while the headset is in and see if the headset works with out the mute/unmute?


I have one of my own. I currently have a headset from corsair a v1500. The sound is insanely loud. I usually keep it max 8 volume. I just sum it up to drivers.

 

[DJ_Lae]

I had one issue when I built my current PC a little over 3 years ago, and I've never managed to solve it. I know it relates somehow to an aspect of power saving, but I've never been able to nail it down.

Basically, whenever it comes out of sleep mode it hangs for 10-15 seconds. I don't know if it's the motherboard or some hardware device plugged in, it did it with Windows 7 and 8/8.1 and now Windows 10 with no real change. I've change settings, played around with pretty much everything I can think of but could never get it to stop doing it.

I just live with it now, it's a quirk of my computer. It also means that the only real advantage sleep mode has over a full shutdown is that it keeps my programs open, because it takes roughly the same amount of time to get to a working desktop.

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

The Spotify dead pixel problem is not a dead pixel. Just a white pixel. I have it too on all of my TVs. No worries.

thanks! well, it still sucks we have it, but at least i know my TV isn't defective. (it's huge and wall mounted and would be a pain in the ass to replace)

how hard could it be for the artist to make sure that image is solid black? jeez.

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

- The laptop will go to sleep if you force it?
- Are you editing a current power setting preset or making a new one? Have you tested both?
- If you're in IT, like me, you and I both know you can't trust an upgraded OS if you life depended on it. I think you need a fresh install of 10.

-is the headset USB? This sort of sounds like a USB initialization type thing. Have you ever REBOOTED the PS4 while the headset is in and see if the headset works with out the mute/unmute?

I have one of my own. I currently have a headset from corsair a v1500. The sound is insanely loud. I usually keep it max 8 volume. I just sum it up to drivers.

if i make a completely new power profile my PC will just switch it back to the Samsung Optimized profile. i can edit the Samsung profile all i want though and it won't revert any of my settings. i think it's the Samsung software that forces me to use it's profile. i should also mention that it behaved the same way before Win 10. (the switching to Samsung's profile, not the sleep issue) i'd rather not fresh install but i just might have to. EDIT: yes, it will go to sleep if i hit the power button. i set it up so the only thing the button does is sleep and wake, since i prefer to shut down and reboot via the start menu.

yeah i've tried rebooting the PS4 with the headset on, i've tried starting a party chat myself, and also starting a party chat while the headset is off, then turning it on, etc. and it's always the same issue.

it's wireless. the Gold headset is wireless but connects to PS4 with a USB dongle. i've tried the other USB port too. also fiddled with the Mic priority settings and even disabled the headset and re-enabled. it's the strangest thing. if my wife actually liked the Gold headset i would try buying the blue UC4 one they just came out with just for the sake of seeing if it's consistent across all of them or just my particular unit.

 

[Tigress]

I don't deal with it anymore, it was a long time ago. But I had a VCR that would randomly play in black and white. It only did this sometimes and when I'd take it to Best Buy cause I had an extended warranty on it it would play fine. Though if I was thinking I would have pointed out to them (not sure it would have mattered to them as I expect they would have assumed like I did the first time I noticed that that it was just part of how the VCR worked <- I noticed that before it started playing in black and white) that when you fast forwarded or rewound it would show the scenes you were going past in black and white. Odd thing was when it played in black and white it would fast forward and rewind in color (seriously).

I have no fucking clue what would cause a VCR to do that nor did I expect Best Buy to be able to figure it out which is why I was ticked they wouldn't just let me replace it with the same exact VCR (kinda stupid really. I bet they spent more money in manpower fixing a VCR that really isn't worth much than by just replacing it. And they lost a customer too but that is a long rant and honestly, I won't deny I at one point during that whole ordeal became a sucky customer. I have no illusions that at least one group of Best Buy people I dealt with aren't happy I don't go there anymore ). They never did fix it and by the "third repair" (fourth time I brought it in cause they refused to even try to fix it the first time) they required before replacing it they no longer made the VCR (I really liked that one when it worked, had a lot of good features). So then I got stuck with a worse VCR (by that time VCRs were kinda going away and they didn't put much effort into a VCR's features).

And if anyone knowledgeable on electronics knows what would cause that, I'm curious. Cause I can't even imagine what would cause a VCR to do that.

 

[SecretMoblin]

For some reason about 70% of the time I plug something into the front usb ports on my computer, it freezes completely and I have to reboot


I don't know how to fix and it drives me mad to have to cross my fingers every time I want to charge my phone/ipod

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

And if anyone knowledgeable on electronics knows what would cause that, I'm curious. Cause I can't even imagine what would cause a VCR to do that.

do you remember what kind of connection you were using? i know that sometimes if the connectors are messed up you'll lose certain colors, or in some cases only see a B&W image. not 100% on this though, just remember from back in the 90's fiddling around with VCR's and sometimes getting B&W accidentally without messing with the settings.

 

[N.Domixis]

how the heck do microchips have billions of placed components like resistors and transistors.

 

[ss_lemonade]

This happened twice now I believe. There have been instances where I would come home and find my ps4 turned off and my xbox one powered on. They both are on power saving mode. Booting the ps4 up greets me with those screens that tell you that the ps4 was not shut off properly. The xbox one just stays in the dashboard.

Is this something that could happen if the power goes out? If so, is the xbox one powering on on its own some sort of feature?

 

[Dai Kaiju]

My TV keeps talking to me.

 

[Poltergust]

My laptop keeps going to the screensaver even though I explicitly turned off that option. For whatever reason, this only happens when the built-in web camera detects movement, since I can leave my room for a couple of hours, come back, and see that the screensaver is still not up. But the moment I move in front of the laptop, it transitions over to the screensaver.

Someone please help me. I'm running Windows 10 and I don't see any other options to permanently turn the screensaver off. This affects me when I'm watching videos and don't touch the mouse/keyboard for like 20 minutes. D:

 

[megarockexe]

How do I fix the audio lag on my Vizio TV and soundbar setup? All the processing effects are off and the TV audio is off. It's also hooked up by optical. Yet I can't get rid of the nasty near-1 second lag.

 

[Tigress]

do you remember what kind of connection you were using? i know that sometimes if the connectors are messed up you'll lose certain colors, or in some cases only see a B&W image. not 100% on this though, just remember from back in the 90's fiddling around with VCR's and sometimes getting B&W accidentally without messing with the settings.

Just a coax cable. But that wouldn't explain why it would FF and rewind in black and white when it would play color and then FF and rewind in color when it played in black and white.

Otherwise that would have totally explained everything (cause it always fixed itself when I brought it to Best Buy and tried to show them). It would seem to do this about every three months though (I'd bring it to them, they'd pretend to fix it, it went back to playing color for three months, then do it all over again). My next VCR never had this issue.

 

[Baka Sempai]

How do I fix the audio lag on my Vizio TV and soundbar setup? All the processing effects are off and the TV audio is off. It's also hooked up by optical. Yet I can't get rid of the nasty near-1 second lag.

Your vizio TV has a setting that allows it to control the volume of the soundbar (or any device connected to the audio output)
Try turning that setting to "off", as that may help fix the lag.

 

[Commanche Raisin Toast]

How do I fix the audio lag on my Vizio TV and soundbar setup? All the processing effects are off and the TV audio is off. It's also hooked up by optical. Yet I can't get rid of the nasty near-1 second lag.

can you switch to HDMI instead? i've always had issues with optical for some reason. my Vizio i used to have had a tiny bit of audio lag via optical, and when i switched everything to HDMI it started working fine. (or at least improved greatly, as i still had some unfortunate input lag making MP games super frustrating)

 

[StoneFox]

My remote/controller seem to disappear without me moving from my seat!

In all serious though, last time I used my Netflix app on my TV the video stream only used 1/4 of the screen (top left), and the rest of the screen was black, like the video had been tiled. Turning the TV off and on fixed it but I have no idea what caused it.

 

[Gen X]

Netflix App on Xbox One keeps defaulting to having subtitles on even though I have closed captioning turned off in every conceivable location (global master settings, netflix app, etc). Whenever I play anything, subtitles get turned on. I can turn it off for one episode, but it comes right back on the next.

We had a freeview box that did that, just randomly too. One minute watching a show and adverts come on, nek minnit subtitles!

 

[mclem]

https://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=934054&highlight=

Notorious issue of mine that only cropped up after I'd been gaming for about a year. Everything just suddenly went to shit (even non-demanding PC games).

Reward for anyone that solves it...

Looking at that, it's an outside possibility, but it might be that Windows is misdetecting your hard disk as PIO, which would mean - IIRC, and loosely speaking - that anything that involved data transfer would have to go through the CPU rather than directly into RAM. Happened to me a few times in the past. If the 1fps runs were to coincide with the hard disk thrashing a bit, that'd be a hint. I don't know if it still does by there was a time where Windows would fall back into PIO mode for a given hard drive if it was having significant difficulty carrying out successful reads - and then stay there, without actually notifying the user about the change.

Maybe take a look at this and this and see if there's anything that stands out.

 

[CronoShot]

Sometimes my laptop decides it won't load any website other than Google sites. Seriously, something like GAF or Twitter won't load, but Google and YouTube work fine. Happens in every browser, too. Usually solved with a restart, but it's very odd.

The laptop is only a few months old too.

 

[DiscoJer]

My Kindle will reboot if I place it on a certain lawn chair.

 

[theusedversion]

I had one for the past 30 something years but I think I just discovered the answer thanks to this thread. I did a quick search and luckily I think I found the answer.

So here is the mystery. Around the mid-80s, we had a television in my parent's room that could change channels just by taking a metal chain in your hand and dropping it into another. Yeah right? No seriously. I am confident that it wasn't anyone playing a joke on me because I remember at least one specific time that I did it when no one was around. So how could a metal chain interact with the television? Well, I did a search on television remote control technologies and came across this.

The improved "Zenith Space Command" remote control went into commercial production in 1956. Zenith engineer, Doctor Robert Adler designed the Space Command based on ultrasonics. Ultrasonic remote controls remained the dominant design for the next twenty-five years, and as the name suggests they worked using ultrasound waves.

The Space Command transmitter used no batteries; inside the transmitter were four lightweight aluminum rods that emitted high-frequency sounds when struck at one end.

Each rod was a different length to create a different sound that controlled a receiver unit built into the television.

This has to be the answer right? Non-powered. Metal. That has to be it, right? Please tell me it could be because I've always wondered this and it always bugged me. Plausible?