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3D render of old tv set with animated static on its screen, as if tuned to a dead channel.

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[–] 38 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

Waves are everywhere. The TV picks up whatever waves it can. Some of those waves are signals meant to transmit an image (eg from a broadcast tower), others are just random noise in our environment.

Not an expert, but that was my understanding

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    It's been awhile since I've messed about with this, so I don't remember (and you may not either, so this is an open question), but wouldn't it produce the effect even if disconnected from an antenna?

    If so...Would the same principle be in play of it picking up on general EM waves to cause the effect?

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Yeah, the same way a radio tuned to a station could be static until you plug in an antenna.

    You could also get hums and interference from other sufficiently strong EMF sources, like how AM radios can pick up the sound of transmission lines

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    The display on the screen is the strongest signal. Without a strong signal from a TV tower, you just get noise from 60 Hz AC running through the wall, or radio towers, or power lines, or whatever else makes that radio noise.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

    Afaik the antenna is picking up the background waves/radiation and the TV is displaying that background waves/radiation. If you disconnect the antenna, the TV will have no signal to display, it'll be as blank as it can get.

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