My digital TV has a menu containing a guide to several days' worth of forthcoming programmes on each channel. When I first bring up the guide, there are lots of blanks in the schedule. Over the next few minutes these gaps are gradually filled, seemingly at random. How does this happen and what determines the order in which the holes in the schedule are filled?

Alex Andrews, Newton Abbott, Devon, UK

Everyone is probably familiar with the white noise or snow that can appear on an analogue television screen. I know this comes from electronic noise and stray electromagnetic signals, but television signals encode colour information, so how come this random noise always shows up as white?

Jack Bishop, Redditch, Worcestershire, UK

Is it possible for a television  to stop working because it's charged up with static? My grandmother's T.V. stops working every half-hour or so, the screen just goes black, but as soon as I touch it it goes back to normal. I'm wondering if that's the problem and I discharge it. However I don't feel a shock when I touch it. It's not just me who can fix it by touch, anyone can do it, but my grandma now thinks I have magical powers relating to electronics! It's a 32" LCD bought in 2006.

Amrit Sidhu-Brar, Northampton, UK, Age 15

What impact can this have on how they work or on the circuitry inside the remote control itself?

These particular batteries have been in use for more than 12 months, so they may well be nearing the end of their useful lives.

Nia and Steven Faulder, by email, no address supplied

While out walking today, my son asked me another question I couldn't answer. He said that we're all told not to look directly at the sun, it's bad for our eyes; but what if a camera had filmed the sun, then we watched it on television - would that still be bad for our eyes?

Peter Finan

Haworth

West Yorkshire