Light switch turns on freeview box??

[trevmai]

Just went to a job, tenant says that when she turns her light on it switches her freeview box from standby to 'on'.
So we're in the lounge and she turns the light on, and as usual the fault doesn't happen when i'm in the house. Then i turn the light switch on then the freeview box switches on from standby.
How does this happen?
I've seen something like it before where my friend used to press his light switch and TV picture would go funny for a split second.

 

[JohnD]

"they say" that the light flash from lamps (esp compact fluorescents) can be picked up by the infra-red eye of the remote control sensor on the unit.

possibly shading it or changing its direction will help.

I've never experienced it, but it's one of the excuses a supplier tried on me when a remote control stopped working.