Solving playback issues

[harasmb]

We have a Roku 3600x, an old plasma TV, and a Sony S2000 soundbar. We're using a digital optical cable to connect the soundbar to the TV; we can't use HDMI because the TV doesn't have eARC/ARC. The Roku stick is plugged into the TV's HDMI port. We can't get the Roku audio through the soundbar. I tested and the TV sound is coming through the soundbar; but not Roku. There isn't a setting in Roku's audio settings for Optical, as it looks like from online videos that more recent Roku models have. How do we get Roku audio through our Sony soundbar? Is there a setting that needs to be changed? Or does our Roku model not support this setup. Second question then is, are there any soundbars that work with Roku 3600x and a digital optical cable? Which ones? Thank you!  

Roku Streaming Stick (3600 series) 

[Krosh]

I have a very similar problem - I have an old receiver that I connect via optical but there’s no optical output option in the settings. A few months ago, I was able to use the exact same setup, but something in the software appears to have changed since then. Hopefully someone can help!

[renojim]

Only Roku TVs will mention "optical" since only Roku TVs have an optical output.  Try the various options under the Roku device's Audio settings and if none of them help it's a setting or capability of the TV that's to blame.

[harasmb]

Hi - thanks but it's not only Roku TVs that have an optical port; we have a Pioneer plasma. When I change the source on the TV to thr regular TV input for local channels, we hear audio through the soundbar. So based on that the issue seems to be Roku settings, not the TV.

[renojim]

What I meant is that TVs have optical ports, Roku or otherwise, so you won't find any "optical" settings in a Roku device that connects to a TV.  Once again, if the Audio settings in the Roku device don't affect it, your only other option is to adjust the TV's settings.  Lots and lots of people have a soundbar connected to their TV via optical and get audio from their Roku devices.

[harasmb]

Thank you for the clarification. I saw in an online video from 2024 that there are Roku models with an Optical option in Audio settings. The weird thing on our setup is that I hear audio through the soundbar when I switch the source on the TV from Hdmi Roku to TV/ antenna. Unfortunately the audio settings on our tv are very limited. But if the soundbar works with the TV antenna source won't it work with Roku HDMI source?

[renojim]

The only thing i can think of is that the TV can't convert the audio format into something that's compatible with an optical connection.  For example, DTS audio that Blu-ray discs may contain can't be transmitted over an optical connection, so the TV would have to convert it.  There are other audio formats that optical connections can't handle, but I'm no audiophile and can't give you any kind of specifics.  I would think that the beeps, boops, and other sound effects you get when you navigate and select things on your Roku should always be heard, so if you're not getting them I may be off base.  Do you have any other device you can connect to the TV through one of its HDMI ports?

[harasmb]

Thanks all for your advice. Pioneer support confirmed that the old plasma TV can not support a soundbar.

Per support: "Pioneer Plasma TV’s only output Digital Audio from the Optical jack when using the TV tuner.

Your TV cannot convert input HDMI Audio for use at the Optical.

In addition they also never had the ARC feature as well.

This isn’t something software can add because the TV doesn’t have the supporting electronic

circuitry to allow for this.

In other words the Plasma TV’s were not designed for Soundbar use."