Why is it that when my roommate turned on her hair dryer, my tv reception went nuts?

I don't have cable and I only get channel 8. The major disruption started and ended at the exact same time as the hair dryer.

Why is it that when my roommate turned on her hair dryer, my tv reception went nuts?

the hair dryer causes rf interference. and it interferes with the tv signal.this is very common

Why is it that when my roommate turned on her hair dryer, my tv reception went nuts?

Simple...your picture on your TV is an AM (amplitude modulated) signal....

And the HAIR DRYER has a motor with BRUSHES that create a SPARK...

That SPARK generates a Magnetic and Electric Fields that emanate throughout your home and generates various frequencies....

Those frequencies are picked up by the TV set because they are an AM SIGNAL....(Varying amplitudes)

So the hair dryer is being recieved by the TV set. You can also turn on an AM radio and you can tune in the hair dryer on that too....

Why is it that when my roommate turned on her hair dryer, my tv reception went nuts?

Install an outside antenna. This will help you pick one if you live in the US. Might still have interference but it will be less than with an indoor antenna.

http://www.antennaweb.org/aw/welcome.asp...