- Anthony
Who knew it was possible to control a soundbar with the TV remote? Read on for some exciting news. A lot of people use their separate remotes without realizing they have the functionality to control the soundbar.
You might be asking yourself how it works or what benefits there are. Below are the steps on How to control soundbar with TV remote and the benefits of this.
Contents
Control Your Soundbar with a Remote: Universal Steps
- Find the proper connection for both devices.
- Connect the cable to both devices.
- Both devices must be turned on.
- Modify the advanced settings
Find the Optical or HDMI ARC Connection
To see what inputs your TV and Soundbar have, check out the settings. HDMI ARC is a standard connection that many soundbars and TVs offer. A digital optical cable is an alternative.
If your TV and soundbar have both options, you may be wondering which one you should be using. You can read more about this in one of our articles. Continue reading the instructions below once you have decided which one to use.
HDMI ARC allows you to connect your Soundbar’s HDMI OUT or HDMI OUT(ARC) ports to your TV’s HDMI IN (ARC).
You will need to locate the DIGITAL FLEX OPTICAL OUT or DIGITAL OPTICAL-OUT on your TV and the DIGITAL AUDIO IN (OPTICAL) on your soundbar.
Connect an Optical or HDMI Cable to Each Device
No matter if you’re using an optical connection or HDMI ARC, the manufacturer of your soundbar should have provided a suitable cable. Connect the cable between your Soundbar’s TV and the soundbar.
You might be wondering if an HDMI cable is required instead of any other HDMI cables you may have to lie around, such as directional cables. The answer is yes. You can read more about directional cables in our guide.
Any HDMI cable with the 2.0 standard or higher will work. However, some Amazon listings include a reassuring mention of ARC capability in the listing. For example, the Basics Premium HDMI cable.
Make sure you remove the plastic caps at the ends of the optical cable before inserting them into your TV or soundbar. Push each end in until you feel a click.
If you don’t have one or if your fiber optics are damaged, you can also purchase a replacement cable, such as the iVANKY Optical Cable Digital Audio Cable For Home Theater.
Turn the TV and Soundbar On
Turn on both devices once you have connected your soundbar to the TV via an HDMI or optical connection. This can be done with their respective remotes or by pressing the buttons on each device. Continue holding until ON – TV REMOTE control appears on the display
When Using HDMI ARC
An HDMI ARC connection allows you to control your Soundbar using your TV remote control. Once the optical cable is connected, you will be able to hear the Sound bar coming from your TV speaker.
If you cannot hear the TV’s sound, you should go to your TV’s sound settings or audio settings. Also, turn off your TV’s speaker if you don’t hear it immediately.
It should be listed under TV speaker, speaker list, or something similar. You will also see the option to add HDMI Arc to this list. This option will tell your TV to route audio channels through the Soundbar.
When Using Optical
There is a chance that an optical cable will recognize the sound bar and use it automatically. However, it is more likely that the TV will need to be directed to the speaker selection menu to change the settings described above.
Use your soundbar’s remote or itself to locate the ‘Source/Input’ button. Look at your Soundbar’s display to adjust the input to a shorter version, i.e.
Adjust and Optimize Your Sound
After connecting and setting it up, you might need to adjust its volume. This is because the TV controls the soundbar.
Use your remote to turn the volume down on the sound bar. Next, adjust the volume settings on your Soundbar to get the best sound quality.
You should find a range that allows you to use your TV remote to adjust the sound button. This usually means setting it to somewhere between 50 and 80% of its maximum volume output.
You can also expand your sound system by checking our resources on six ways to make your Soundbar better and add surround sound.
Controlling a Soundbar With a TV Remote
These instructions are an overview of how to connect and control your soundbar with a TV. However, different TV manufacturers (and computer manufacturers – our guide) have different methods. Differ depending on the brand of your TV, follow these instructions.
Samsung
Your Samsung TV remote can be connected to your soundbar via either a digital optical connection or a TV ARC connection. Use the appropriate cables to connect your TV and soundbar. You can also change the source of your soundbar to ‘D.IN.
To activate or deactivate Auto Power Link (which only works with an optical link), connect your Samsung TV’s digital optical connector to the soundbar. Press and hold the left direction on the directional pad on the remote to activate or deactivate Auto Power Link. Also, make sure to change the TV’s audio output settings to control the soundbar from your remote.
An HDMI ARC connection will automatically change the source of your soundbar to TV ARC. Then you can use the TV remote to control Anynet+. This TV remote only works when connected to an HDMI ARC port.
For more information, visit Samsung support.
LG
There are several ways to connect to soundbars with LG TVs. LG TVs include the LG Magic Remote. Your soundbar can be connected to your LG TV via Sound Sync via Bluetooth or an HDMI ARC connector.
You will need to go to LG TV Settings > Sound > Sound Out and click LG Sound Sync Wireless. You will see the Device Selection button. Click it to search for your soundbar.
After ensuring that your Soundbar’s Bluetooth has been turned on, pair the devices. We have a guide that will help you to connect your Bluetooth device to the soundbar.
You can make the digital optical connection and HDMI ARC connections precisely as described above. To change the output from HDMI to optical, use the sound> Sound Out section.
VIZIO
VIZIO TVs can be connected to soundbars the same way as in the instructions above. This is done through either an optical or HDMI connection options.
The port can be called ‘S/PDIF for an optical connection to the VIZIO TV. For an HDMI ARC connection, use ‘HDMI 1’, which is the ARC port. For more information, visit Vizio support.
Your TV will recognize the connection when you insert the cable through ARC. You can use the VIZIO remote menu to change the soundbar setting to system> CEC if this happens.
Sony
Sony TVs can connect to soundbars through either the HDMI ARC connection or an optical digital cable. The instructions for each setup are identical to the ones listed above. For all setups, select Audio System when switching the output setting.
Sony support points out that the TV’s remote cannot control functions such as volume and power interlock that require an HDMI cable.
Hitachi
Hitachi’s low-priced smart TVs are well-known. Many come with Roku TV built-in. It is easy to connect your soundbar to a Hitachi Roku television.
To use HDMI ARC to connect your Hitachi Roku TV remote, you must go to TV Settings > Audio > Audio Preferences. To automatically connect it, change the ‘Audio Mode to Auto (DTS). In the S/PDIF or ARC settings, you can also select ‘Auto-detect.’
Once you have done this, return to the main menu and then to ‘CEC. To give the Roku remote control of your soundbar and TV, click the HDMI checkboxes.
Panasonic
Panasonic TVs can connect to soundbars for control via HDMI or digital optical connections. The ‘HDMI2(ARC)’ input will be displayed on your Panasonic TV when you connect via HDMI. Panasonic’s app allows you to switch between the soundbar and speakers of your TV when connected via HDMI.
The install for an optical connection is identical to the one described above. Once your optical cable has been connected to your TV and soundbar, go to TV settings and turn off the TV speaker.
TCL
TCL TVs usually come with HDMI ARC. This is the preferred connection to connect and control your soundbar using a TCL TV remote. Use high-speed HDMI cables with CEC control and ARC support.
Once you have connected via HDMI ARC, use your remote control to navigate to Home > Settings>>>> HDMI ARC. Click the button. You will also need to disable the ‘System Audio’ feature by unchecking this box.
Hisense
The HDMI ARC connection allows you to control your Hisense TV through your soundbar. Connect the two using an HDMI-certified High Speed 2.0 cable. Next, go to TV Settings > Sound > Speakers> ARC. This will turn off your TV speaker and enable HDMI ARC.
You can change the Digital Audio Out setting to get the best sound quality. Connect using optical cables.
Hitachi
Hitachi TVs often have Roku TV built-in, making HDMI ARC the only connection. Go to TV Settings, select Audio, and then choose Audio Preferences.
Philips
To enable HDMI ARC, connect your cable to the appropriate ports and press the ARC button on the remote. Once you’ve found the settings in the TV menu, do this. The soundbar and Philips TV should automatically connect.
Yamaha
HDMI is supported by Yamaha soundbars as well as other devices. Connect the cable to the ARC on the back of your TV or soundbar. Select CEC from the TV’s settings menu and enable the HDMI function.
Connect the cable securely to the two devices. Next, select the TV menu. You can then enable optical output from Settings and also turn off your TV speakers.
Sonos
You can set up the Sonos soundbar via the app. After connecting it with the TV using the digital optical cable, you will need the app to add it to your multiple remotes.
When you add a new device to the app, you will need an account. The app will guide you step-by-step through the setup process. The same applies to the HDMI connection.
Bose
Bose can accept both HDMI and optical connections.
After you have connected the devices and located their ports, you will need to download and install the Bose app. Once it is installed, the soundbar can be paired with the TV remote. After everything is connected, it will automatically recognize your TV remote.
Read more:
FAQs
Can you control volume with an optical cable?
The TV remote cannot control its optical output because it is put at a fixed level. For the soundbar’s volume control, you will need to use the HTS remote. You can use the one remote for both TV and HTS, such as the Logitech Harmony.
Can you program a universal remote to a soundbar?
How to pair a Universal Remote with a soundbar. You must ensure that both your TV and soundbar are powered on. Press and hold down the Setup button until the light flashes on your remote (this will vary depending upon the brand).
A good alternative, press the OK and AUX buttons simultaneously. Finally, press the channel up button.
Why is my bar not connecting to my TV?
Make sure Control for HDMI and BRAVIA Sync are turned on on your TV or audio device. Make sure the ARC function of your device has been set to AUTO or ON.
Your audio device should be set to the TV input. Check that sound is being output by changing the TV’s audio output setting from PCM to PCM.
Video
Conclusion
You are probably already looking for the very best soundbars with a TV remote control option. It will help if you remember that you are constantly dealing with soundbar remote controls.
For this reason, we feel it is the safest and best option to use a soundbar with a TV remote control.
These devices have a wide range of applications in almost every home entertainment system. And as such, many people find them helpful in controlling their TVs as well.
Hooke Audio hope you find this content helpful. Subscribe to our weekly review newsletter and find more exciting information
