# Best way to setup my soundbar...



## mastrauckas

I have a:
Vizio M-4221-B1 42inch TV
Samsung HW-H550 Soundbar
Sony BDP-S390 Blu-ray Disc Player
Xbox 360
Direct TV HR24-200 receiver

Currently this is how I have it hooked up:
HDMI cable going out from Blu-ray Disc Player => goes into HDMI in on soundbar => HDMI out from soundbar => HDMI in on TV
Direct TV Receiver optical out => optical in on soundbar

With this setup I can listen to Direct TV on optical source and Blu-ray player on the HDMI source on the soundbar.

However when I watch Netflix on my Vizio TV or turn on my Xbox 360 I have to use the sound on my TV instead of the soundbar.

How can I make it where all digital sound that passes though my TV is passed to the soundbar?


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## Laxguy

TV optical out to sound bar? That's how I have mine, except instead of sound bar, it's a Denon AVR. That also allows me to not fire up the AVR easily.


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## sigma1914

Looks like your TV has optical out, so you need optical into the soundbar, therefore use coax from the DirecTV receiver.


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## mastrauckas

sigma1914 said:


> Looks like your TV has optical out, so you need optical into the soundbar, therefore use coax from the DirecTV receiver.


What do you mean by "therefore use coax from Direct TV receiver"? Neither my soundbar or tv have digital auto coaxal.


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## mastrauckas

I'm going to try optical out too.


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## mexican-bum

mastrauckas said:


> I'm going to try optical out too.


Does your TV have an HDMI that supports ARC(audio return channel), for example, on my Sony tv HDMI 2 has ARC, I connect my audio receiver to the TV directly via HDMI 2. Now Connect directv receiver into HDMI 1 on TV, Playstaion HDMI 3 on TV etc. All audio will go through the AVR, not the TV speakers

Optical out on most TV's is PCM only and you will lose Dolby digital 5.1

Looked up TV does have ARC on HDMI 1, connect HDMI cable from HDMI 1 to sound bar.


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## mexican-bum

mastrauckas said:


> Ok I went from optical out from my TV to my soundbar. However it sounds more like PCM and not Dolby Digital. Right now I'm watching to a Dolby Digital program on Dirct TV. Unfortunately, after calling Samsung they told me this soundbar doesn't tell if it's out putting PCM, Dolby Digital or DTS.


Correct, optical out on TV is PCM.


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## mastrauckas

mexican-bum said:


> Correct, optical out on TV is PCM.


Ok, thanks for that. So I need to use HDMI.


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## mastrauckas

mexican-bum said:


> Does your TV have an HDMI that supports ARC(audio return channel), for example, on my Sony tv HDMI 2 has ARC, I connect my audio receiver to the TV directly via HDMI 2. Now Connect directv receiver into HDMI 1 on TV, Playstaion HDMI 3 on TV etc. All will go through the AVR, not the TV speakers
> 
> Optical out on most TV's is PCM only and you will lose Dolby digital 5.1
> 
> Looked up TV does have ARC on HDMI 1, connect HDMI cable from HDMI 1 to sound bar.


Yes, my TV supports ARC as you said. I'm going to try the way you said. I just wish my soundbar would tell me what it's outing.


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## mexican-bum

mastrauckas said:


> Yes, my TV supports ARC as you said. I'm going to try the way you said. I just wish my soundbar would tell me what it's outing.


According to vizio TV manual should work.


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## mastrauckas

mexican-bum said:


> Does your TV have an HDMI that supports ARC(audio return channel), for example, on my Sony tv HDMI 2 has ARC, I connect my audio receiver to the TV directly via HDMI 2. Now Connect directv receiver into HDMI 1 on TV, Playstaion HDMI 3 on TV etc. All will go through the AVR, not the TV speakers
> 
> Optical out on most TV's is PCM only and you will lose Dolby digital 5.1
> 
> Looked up TV does have ARC on HDMI 1, connect HDMI cable from HDMI 1 to sound bar.


Ok I went from soundbar HDMI in(also tried HDMI out) to ARC on HDMI 1 and I put my Direct TV receiver into HDMI 2 and I shut off my speakers on my TV and I get no sound. Also when trying to use my the volume control on my TV I get "TV speakers are off."


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## mastrauckas

mexican-bum said:


> According to vizio TV manual should work.


Maybe I was getting Dolby Digital? It just sounded like PCM.


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## mexican-bum

mastrauckas said:


> Maybe I was getting Dolby Digital? It just sounded like PCM.


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## mexican-bum

Also make sure HDMI CEC is on (consumer electronic control)

Soundbar will call it Anynet, make sure on


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## mastrauckas

mexican-bum,
Yep I just found the setting when I change it from PCM to Bitstream and now I'm getting what I expected using optical. My soundbar says ARC should work when using optical too but it don't seem to work. I've t tried changing Analog Audio out to "Fixed" and "Variable" and it doesn't seem to work.

Tell you the truth I've never heard of ARC working over optical signal before.


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## mexican-bum

mastrauckas said:


> mexican-bum,
> Yep I just found the setting when I change it from PCM to Bitstream and now I'm getting what I expected using optical. My soundbar says ARC should work when using optical too but it don't seem to work. I've t tried changing Analog Audio out to "Fixed" and "Variable" and it doesn't seem to work.
> 
> Tell you the truth I've never heard of ARC working over optical signal before.


ARC won't work over optical, only HDMI


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## Laxguy

With a sound bar does lack of DD 5.1 really make a difference?


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## mexican-bum

Laxguy said:


> With a sound bar does lack of DD 5.1 really make a difference?


 a little difference I suppose, PCM is 2 channel audio, soundbar usually has subwoofer with it for 2.1 audio


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## mastrauckas

Laxguy said:


> With a sound bar does lack of DD 5.1 really make a difference?


Yes it does. The quality of PCM vs DD 2.1 or DTS is much different.


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## mastrauckas

mexican-bum said:


> a little difference I suppose, PCM is 2 channel audio, soundbar usually has subwoofer with it for 2.1 audio


The sound is also much more defined(If that's the correct word?)


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## mastrauckas

mexican-bum said:


> ARC won't work over optical, only HDMI


That is what I thought. However the soundbar source name for optical is "D IN" and there is a note that states "The ARC function is activated in D IN if the unit is connected to an ARC supported TV". So that makes it sound like it supports ARC over optical.


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## mastrauckas

I did get it working using HDMI as mexican-bum earlier. I just had to turn on my cec settings as mexican-bum also said.


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## mexican-bum

mastrauckas said:


> I did get it working using HDMI as mexican-bum earlier. I just had to turn on my cec settings as mexican-bum also said.


Great! good to hear!


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