Article ID : 00135581 / Last Modified : 03/10/2022

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How to hear the television sound through the A/V Receiver or Home Theater System speakers.

IMPORTANT: This article applies only to specific products and/or operating systems. Check the Applicable Products and Categories section of this article before starting these steps.

The four most common methods used to hear TV sound from the A/V receiver or home theater system speakers are:

  • Option 1: HDMI connection using the Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature (Preferred method)
  • Option 2: Connection using an Optical digital audio cable and HDMI cable
  • Option 3: Connection using only an Optical digital audio cable
  • Option 4: Connection using only an Analog audio cable

Notes:

  • For model-specific information about other possible connections and system settings, refer to the operating instructions supplied with your products.
  • Separate steps are available when connecting a disc player, cable set-top box, satellite receiver or other source device to the audio system.
  • Some Android TV™ or Google TV™ models can be connected with speakers via Bluetooth. For more details about Bluetooth connection, refer to the Can I use Bluetooth audio devices with my Google TV™ or Android TV™? article.

Option 1: HDMI connection using the ARC feature:

Image connecting a TV and a Soundbar using an HDMI cable, indicating A, B, C from the left to illustrate the port or cable

  • A: HDMI IN
  • B: HDMI cable
  • C: HDMI OUT

Note: Both devices being connected must support the ARC feature. HDMI ports may be marked with ARC or eARC/ARC to show which one to use. If not, check your product manual or specifications to see if the ARC feature is supported.

  1. Connect an HDMI cable to the HDMI ports labeled ARC, or the port identified in your manual that supports ARC.
  2. Set Speakers to Audio system.
    The steps below are an example on Android TV or Google TV.
    1. Open the Settings screen. How to access Settings
    2. The next steps will depend on your TV menu options:
      • Select Display & Sound → Audio output → Speakers → Audio system.
      • Select Sound → Speakers → Audio system
  3. Set the BRAVIA Sync control to On.
    Note: If your TV is other than a BRAVIA TV, check the supplied manuals to search the settings related to the HDMI CEC function and set it to On.
  4. Turn on the Control for HDMI setting on both the TV and the audio system.

Option 2: Connection using an Optical digital audio cable and HDMI cable:

Image connecting a TV and a Soundbar using an HDMI cable and an optical digital audio cable, indicating A, B, C from the left on the upper row, D, E, F from the left on the down row to illustrate the port or cable

  • A: HDMI IN
  • B: HDMI cable
  • C: HDMI OUT
  • D: Optical Digital OUT
  • E: Optical digital audio cable
  • F: Optical Digital IN
  1. Using the HDMI cable, connect the HDMI IN (ARC or eARC) port on the TV and the HDMI OUT (ARC or eARC) port on the audio device.
  2. Using the optical digital audio cable, connect the Optical Digital OUT port on the TV and the Optical Digital IN port on the audio device.
  3. Turn on the TV.
  4. Set Speakers to Audio system.
    The steps below are an example on Android TV or Google TV.
    1. Open the Settings screen. How to access Settings
    2. The next steps will depend on your TV menu options:
      • Select Display & Sound → Audio output → Speakers → Audio system.
      • Select Sound → Speakers → Audio system
  5. Set the BRAVIA Sync control to On.
    Note: If your TV is other than a BRAVIA TV, check the supplied manuals to search the settings related to the HDMI CEC function and set it to On.
  6. Turn on the Control for HDMI setting on both the TV and the audio system.
  7. Set the TV sound to the desired setting of either Fixed or Variable.
    Notes:
    • Some TV models do not have this setting.
    • For Android TV with this setting option, select Audio out (Fixed) and adjust the volume on an external output device such as an audio system.
      If you select Audio out (Fixed), audio will be output from both the TV and external output device. If you want to output TV sound only from the external output device (mute sound from the TV), decrease the TV volume to the lowest level or mute it.
  8. Turn on the audio system.

Note: When the TV's Headphone/Audio out is set to Audio out (Variable): The volume on an external output device such as an audio system is linked to the TV volume, and audio is output from both the TV and external output device. If you want to turn off only the audio output from the TV, change the Speakers setting on the TV to Audio system.
Note that if you decrease or mute the TV volume while the Speakers setting on the TV is set to TV speakers, the sound from the external output device will decrease or be muted.

Option 3: Connection using only an Optical digital audio cable:

Image connecting a TV and a Soundbar using an optical digital audio cable, indicating A, B, C from the left to illustrate the port or cable

  • A: Optical Digital OUT
  • B: Optical digital audio cable
  • C: Optical Digital IN
  1. Using the optical digital audio cable, connect the Optical Digital OUT port on the TV and the Optical Digital IN port on the audio device.
  2. Turn on the TV.
  3. Set Speakers to Audio system.
    The steps below are an example on Android TV or Google TV.
    1. Open the Settings screen. How to access Settings
    2. The next steps will depend on your TV menu options:
      • Select Display & Sound → Audio output → Speakers → Audio system.
      • Select Sound → Speakers → Audio system
  4. Set the TV sound to the desired setting of either Fixed or Variable.
    Notes:
    • Some TV models do not have this setting.
    • For Android TV with this setting option, select Audio out (Fixed) and adjust the volume on an external output device such as an audio system.
      If you select Audio out (Fixed), audio will be output from both the TV and external output device. If you want to output TV sound only from the external output device (mute sound from the TV), decrease the TV volume to the lowest level or mute it.
  5. Turn on the audio system.

Note: When the TV's Headphone/Audio out is set to Audio out (Variable): The volume on an external output device such as an audio system is linked to the TV volume, and audio is output from both the TV and external output device. If you want to turn off only the audio output from the TV, change the Speakers setting on the TV to Audio system.
Note that if you decrease or mute the TV volume while the Speakers setting on the TV is set to TV speakers, the sound from the external output device will decrease or be muted.

Option 4: Connection using only an Analog audio cable:

Image connecting a TV and a Soundbar using an analog audio cable, indicating A, B, C from the left to illustrate the port or cable

  • A: Analog Audio OUT
  • B: Analog audio cable
  • C: Analog Audio IN
  1. Using an analog audio cable, connect the Analog Audio OUT port on the TV and the Analog Audio IN port on the audio device.
  2. Set Speakers to Audio system.
    The steps below are an example on Android TV or Google TV.
    1. Open the Settings screen. How to access Settings
    2. The next steps will depend on your TV menu options:
      • Select Display & Sound → Audio output → Speakers → Audio system.
      • Select Sound → Speakers → Audio system
  3. Set the TV sound to the desired setting of either Fixed or Variable.
    Notes:
    • Some TV models do not have this setting.
    • For Android TV with this setting option, select Audio out (Fixed) and adjust the volume on an external output device such as an audio system.
      If you select Audio out (Fixed), audio will be output from both the TV and external output device. If you want to output TV sound only from the external output device (mute sound from the TV), decrease the TV volume to the lowest level or mute it.

Note: When the TV's Headphone/Audio out is set to Audio out (Variable): The volume on an external output device such as an audio system is linked to the TV volume, and audio is output from both the TV and external output device. If you want to turn off only the audio output from the TV, change the Speakers setting on the TV to Audio system.
Note that if you decrease or mute the TV volume while the Speakers setting on the TV is set to TV speakers, the sound from the external output device will decrease or be muted.

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