Your new soundbar has arrived. The sound from your television will now sound a lot more powerful and fuller. But before that, you first connect the soundbar to your television. Below, you can read exactly how to do this.
- Steps
- Which cable do I need
- Place soundbar
- Connect the soundbar
- Place the subwoofer
- Turning on the television
- Select the output device
- Synchronize
Connect your soundbar in 5 steps
In this article, we'll connect your new soundbar to your television in 5 steps.
- Step 1: determine which cable you need
- Step 2: place the soundbar
- Step 3: connect the soundbar to your television
- Optional step: connect the subwoofer
- Step 4: turn on the TV
- Step 5: set the output device
Step 1: determine whether you need an HDMI or optical cable
HDMI cable
To check if you can use an HDMI cable, check the connector of the television and the soundbar. If your television has an ARC connector, it's suitable for an HDMI cable. You can recognize this connector by the text 'ARC'. It says so above or next to one of the HDMI ports. If you have an eARC connector on your television, you can use an HDMI 2.1 cable. With this cable, you can transfer sound from your TV to your soundbar without quality loss. Do you want to use the ARC connector on your TV? You'll need an HDMI 2.0b cable. You can recognize the correct HDMI port on your soundbar by the text HDMI OUT.
Optical cable
In case your television or soundbar doesn't include an HDMI port, you need an optical cable. You can recognize the optical input on your television by the text DIGITAL AUDIO OUT. The shape of the input is hexagonal and the input is protected by a plastic cover.
Step 2: place the soundbar
Place the soundbar where you want it. For an optimal sound reproduction, place the soundbar in front of the television or mount it above or below the television. Don't place the soundbar in a closed cabinet, because the sound won't be able to spread and the device will overheat.
Step 3: connect the soundbar to your television
Use the HDMI cable or optical cable to connect the soundbar to your television. You connect the HDMI cable to the input that says eARC or ARC. On the soundbar, use the HDMI OUT port. Are you using an optical cable? You have to use the television input that says OPTICAL OUT, and the soundbar port that says OPTICAL.
Optional step: place the subwoofer and connect it if necessary
If your soundbar doesn't include a separate subwoofer, skip this step. If you do have a separate subwoofer, connect it now. Place the subwoofer near a wall. The subwoofer doesn't have to be visible, and it doesn't have to sit right next to the soundbar. Some subwoofers can be connect by cable, while other subwoofers need to be connected to the soundbar wirelessly.
Wireless and wired subwoofers
Wired subwoofer
You can connect a wired subwoofer with the included subwoofer cable. The connections can be found at the rear of the subwoofer and soundbar.
Wireless subwoofer
A wireless subwoofer will automatically connect to the soundbar. All you have to do is plug the subwoofer and soundbar into the socket and turn on both devices.
Step 4: turn on your television
Turn on your television and play some sound. You can do this by putting on a movie or channel. Use the remote of the soundbar to select the correct input. The button you use to do this is usually labelled Input or Source. Press this until the soundbar screen indicates the correct input. For HDMI cables, this connector is called TV, ARC or HDMI. For optical cables, this connector is called Optical, Digital or D-In.
Step 5: set up the output device for your television
Is the sound playing via your soundbar, instead of your television speakers? Skip this step. If the soundbar doesn't produce any sound or if your soundbar and television are both playing sound, you need to adjust the settings in your television. The setting you need is called Output Device and can be found in the audio menu of your television. In this menu, you select External Speakers. Your television will now transmit all audio to the soundbar.
Synchronize
All your television's audio is now being played via your soundbar. Sometimes, it can happen that the audio from your soundbar isn't entirely synchronized with the images on your television. You can adjust this in your televisions settings. The menu you need to do this is called AudioSync. Check your television's manual if you're unable to find this option in the menu.
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Article by:
Donato Audio Expert.