Playback Issues - Audio/Video & Power

[Cp_o]

I bought a TCL 55 inch P series tv and the Vizio sb3621n-e8m sound bar.  The sound bar doesn’t have an hdmi connection, so for digital audio, the only option is the optical audio cable.  I hooked it up and got nothing.  Sound bar doesn’t even acknowledge a connection let alone produce sound.  Called Vizio and TCL and no solution. I tried the cable box to the sound bar via optical audio and that work, so it seems like the TV is the issue.  Anyone else have this problem and know of a solution? Right now I only can get sound via an auxiliary cable and am ready to start returning items. 

[DrSmith]

I have a TCL 55 and am successfully using the optical audio output.  You've probably tried everything, but here's what works for me: 
  Settings->Audio->TV speakers (Disabled)
  Settings->Audio->Audio mode (Stereo)
  Settings->Audio->S/PDIF and ARC (PCM-Stereo)
Have you tried fixed audio output setting values instead of auto-detect? 

[jeffrok]

Not sure if your Vizio sound bar is like mine, but mine has different input settings controllable by either the remote or the button on top of the sound bar. Have you made sure that the optical input is what's been selected for sound?

[Cp_o]

Thanks to those who responded. I’d tried all the things you suggested before I posted. I figured out the issue. You can’t have anything plugged in the HDMI ARC port when you want to use the digital optical cable (why is this not in the manual or suggested when I called TCL?). Once I removed the device from that HDMI port, it worked. Now if I could just get the sound bar to automatically power on when the tv is powered on, I’d be in heaven.

[gadrago]

It is possible to have an optical cable and a HDMI cable from the ARC input on a TCL 55P605 set attached to an A/V receiver simultaneously, but you will only get sound from either one or the other, depending upon what settings are enabled for CEC and ARC in the TV and in the receiver.  With CEC and ARC enabled on both TV and receiver, sound from the TV and its Roku applications comes through HDMI; when CEC and ARC are disabled, sound comes through the optical cable to the same receiver source input (TV= AV4 on my Yamaha receiver).  CEC is a prerequisite for ARC (you can have CEC control without ARC, but not ARC without CEC control being enabled). CEC and ARC is a dicey proposition depending upon the particular pieces of equipment being connected (works for some equipment combinations, but not reliably for others).  I attached optical first, then HDMI/ARC just to experiment, and verified the current source of TV sound by disconnecting either the optical cable or the HDMI cable from the receiver. In normal operation both cables are attached from TV to receiver.

It's the CEC function through a HDMI connection that would allow the soundbar to power on with the TV.  CEC control is not possible with just an optical connection.

[shaharp]

So...  What if I'm not using HDMI at all.?

I have a TCL TV with Roku, and a soundbar.  They are connected via Optical cable.  The soundbar has no HDMI connection.  

I want the Soundbar to turn on automatically when the TV turns on.  And volume to be controlled by the Roku remote.  Is this possible? 

[WhereYou]

"shaharp" wrote:
So...  What if I'm not using HDMI at all.?

I have a TCL TV with Roku, and a soundbar.  They are connected via Optical cable.  The soundbar has no HDMI connection.  

I want the Soundbar to turn on automatically when the TV turns on.  And volume to be controlled by the Roku remote.  Is this possible? 

As the soundbar has no HDMI, you need the HDMI Converter to extract the audio from the Roku. 
Roku-->HDMI Converter-->TCL TV,  and use the optical cable connect the HDMI convert to the soundbar, you will get what you want.

[atc98092]

"shaharp" wrote:
So...  What if I'm not using HDMI at all.?

I have a TCL TV with Roku, and a soundbar.  They are connected via Optical cable.  The soundbar has no HDMI connection.  

I want the Soundbar to turn on automatically when the TV turns on.  And volume to be controlled by the Roku remote.  Is this possible? 

The only way to control one device from another is via HDMI CEC. I know of no way you can control your soundbar from the TV.

[donjit]

I have the TCL R617 and I have the Vizio SB3621n-E8 36" 2.1 Channel Soundbar System.  This soundbar has no HDMI so I'm using the optical connection. Bought an HDMI ARC Audio adapter.  Here's my connection:

Soundbar to HDMI ARC Audio adapter via optical cable --> HDMI ARC Audio adapter via HDMI-ARC on TV.  I am able to get the sound to come through on the soundbar but the ROKU TV remote can't control the volume of the soundbar.  The HDMI setting is set to 2.0 and CEC is picking up the Soundbar.

Also, when turning on the volume using the TV remote, it would only go to 21 (this has no effect on soundbar volume since as previously stated, the tv remote can't seem to control the volume up/down or turn it on).

Any idea why the ARC is not turning the sound bar on when I turn the TV and why I can't adjust the soundbar volume via the TV remote?

Thanks for any insight on this.

[ajtracey]

Just bought a TCL 6 series, I have an older home theatre system that was installed with the house we recently moved into.  I can take the analog signal from the TCL and plug it into the receiver and get stereo sound, but I cannot get the digital sound to work. My stereo receiver has a digital coaxial input, I purchased a optical to coax converter but I cannot for the life of me get the sound to come out of my stereo from the TCL tv. The TV does not seem to recognize the optical audio signal (yes the optical light is on).  I have tried different optical cords, bought another converter, tried all the sound settings mentioned earlier. I called TCL they had no new advice.   Any help would be appreciated.