rla630,
I'm sorry to hear that you're having this issue.
My initial speculation would suggest that the touch panel on the television is activating on it's own based on your battery removal test.
The cost should not have been quoted, as you are under warranty. Call 800-SAMSUNG, and we'll have a service tech come out free of charge.
It's a fixable issue, but if you'd like to exchange it, you'd have to negotiate that with Sears.
Keep me posted.
--HDTech
The volume increases all by itself. Purchased Dec 12 2008. Intermittently the volume increases to 100%. Cannot lower volume with handset or at TV. Must unplug/replug to reset. Removed batteries from handset to see if it was the culprit, volume still increased. So, must be the set. This at least once a week, at which time the increase happens numerous times with an occasional volume icon flashing up on screen. Had Sears come by Jan 2 '09 under Samsung warranty to check it out. He 1)could not find anything wrong, 2)never heard of such a thing, 3) might be the handset (explained the battery removal), 4) might be the boards in the set, 5) that is all he can do never offering to check internal boards in set, and 6)here is what it would have cost if he came to look without the warranty - $224.00. That is about 1/4 of what I paid for the set.
Is this a Lemon?
Any suggestions before I ask Sears or Samsung for a new set?

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