I'm not missing your point John. Infact, I've agreed that a sick motor could cause that effect. However, the OP made no mention of a sick motor, and claims the problem isn't always present, at least not to the same degree of severity. I'm not sure just how bad the engine would have to be for it to affect TV operation as severely as has been described, but its a fair guess its gotta be bad enough to notice more than a bad shift point. Further, since the OP noticed it in the last week, its also a fair bet its a noticable change, not a gradual one such as an out of tune engine.
Again, I'd check codes first, and go from there.