Soundbars .. a little explanation, please!

[Rupert]

I'm fully aware of what a soundbar is and what it is designed to achieve. My Panasonic TX-39AS600 is only a year old and, although I'll admit to a little bit of hearing loss (I'm 66, played in a band in the sixties, went to loads of gigs back in the day, etc.) I have always felt that the TV sound is well below par. Even my wife, who has hearing like a bat, sometimes presses the subtitle key when there's a TV drama on and the actors appear to be mumbling!

What I really want to know is: Do soundbars automatically come on when you turn on the TV? If one has to turn on the soundbar separately (and operate its volume separately), it won't sit well with my wife. She already has a phobia over all the equipment and cabling that sit neatly under the TV table (HD recorder, CD/DVD player, FM tuner, VHS recorder, amplifier), to say nothing of the heap of remote control units that go with them (!), so if she then has to consider activating the soundbar in addition to turning on the TV, then I'm afraid it's going to be a no-no.

Can anyone tell me how these things are linked in to the TV speakers, volume control, etc. Does the soundbar cut out the internal TV speakers so that the listener only hears sound from the soundbar? Does operating the TV volume on the remote activate the volume of the soundbar? Can the soundbar be positioned behind the TV so that it's not so much in plain view? The TV stand allows a two inch gap between the bottom of the cabinet and the surface on which it's positioned.

There isn't a TV/Hi-Fi shop in my area, so I've nobody in the business to whom I can turn for answers.

 

[nugget2014]

I'm fully aware of what a soundbar is and what it is designed to achieve. My Panasonic TX-39AS600 is only a year old and, although I'll admit to a little bit of hearing loss (I'm 66, played in a band in the sixties, went to loads of gigs back in the day, etc.) I have always felt that the TV sound is well below par. Even my wife, who has hearing like a bat, sometimes presses the subtitle key when there's a TV drama on and the actors appear to be mumbling!

What I really want to know is: Do soundbars automatically come on when you turn on the TV? If one has to turn on the soundbar separately (and operate its volume separately), it won't sit well with my wife. She already has a phobia over all the equipment and cabling that sit neatly under the TV table (HD recorder, CD/DVD player, FM tuner, VHS recorder, amplifier), to say nothing of the heap of remote control units that go with them (!), so if she then has to consider activating the soundbar in addition to turning on the TV, then I'm afraid it's going to be a no-no.

Can anyone tell me how these things are linked in to the TV speakers, volume control, etc. Does the soundbar cut out the internal TV speakers so that the listener only hears sound from the soundbar? Does operating the TV volume on the remote activate the volume of the soundbar? Can the soundbar be positioned behind the TV so that it's not so much in plain view? The TV stand allows a two inch gap between the bottom of the cabinet and the surface on which it's positioned.

There isn't a TV/Hi-Fi shop in my area, so I've nobody in the business to whom I can turn for answers.

from what i believe if the soundbar has ARC on HDMI (audio return channel) it might turn on with the tv at the same time and you can control the volume from the tv remove. i could be wrong but i can change my volume from the tv remote when my av receiver is plugged in via ARC although depending on how i used it last i may have to turn it on seperately

an example being, i turned my receiver off and used my tv speakers the last time i used my tv which means next time i have to turn it on seperately it doesnt come on at same time with my tv.

 

[Deleted member 116933]

I'm fully aware of what a soundbar is and what it is designed to achieve. My Panasonic TX-39AS600 is only a year old and, although I'll admit to a little bit of hearing loss (I'm 66, played in a band in the sixties, went to loads of gigs back in the day, etc.) I have always felt that the TV sound is well below par. Even my wife, who has hearing like a bat, sometimes presses the subtitle key when there's a TV drama on and the actors appear to be mumbling!

What I really want to know is: Do soundbars automatically come on when you turn on the TV? If one has to turn on the soundbar separately (and operate its volume separately), it won't sit well with my wife. She already has a phobia over all the equipment and cabling that sit neatly under the TV table (HD recorder, CD/DVD player, FM tuner, VHS recorder, amplifier), to say nothing of the heap of remote control units that go with them (!), so if she then has to consider activating the soundbar in addition to turning on the TV, then I'm afraid it's going to be a no-no.

Can anyone tell me how these things are linked in to the TV speakers, volume control, etc. Does the soundbar cut out the internal TV speakers so that the listener only hears sound from the soundbar? Does operating the TV volume on the remote activate the volume of the soundbar? Can the soundbar be positioned behind the TV so that it's not so much in plain view? The TV stand allows a two inch gap between the bottom of the cabinet and the surface on which it's positioned.

There isn't a TV/Hi-Fi shop in my area, so I've nobody in the business to whom I can turn for answers.

Hi There Rupert.

Just to add to the above a little. You have the be aware that not all sound bars are made equal. Sound bars like the sonos play bar for example have no HDMI input so wont talk with the tv at all though it sounds impressive and relys one wire using the tv as an HDMI hub. Also (though im not to sure on this) has no standard remote instead reling on an i device of some sort..... It really depends on what you would use it for the most and how much you wish to spend (if you haven't bought one already). Some are aimed more towards movies and surround sound (sort of ) and others are basically stereos in a tube.

£500 and above should see you getting a pretty nice one with all the bells whistles that allow control from one remote especailly if you stay within the same brand.

Sony componets have very good intergration along with Yamaha with the yamaha being the better option just pick you poision from the ranges.

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

At the risk of starting yet another war, I would say if you can still get Panasonic soundbars, I'd go Panasonic with Panasonic.

There's a thing Panasonic calls Vierra Link, or something like that, which, built into their TVs, which, once set up, automatically links your Panasonic TV with your Panasonic sound bar. They then switch on and off together, the sound comes out of the sound bar and not the TV (thus avoiding sound delays that sounds like echoes) and one remote controls the volume.

Either that or use the ARC feature someone else mentioned, possibly, even, using a "trigger" cable to link the two. A trigger cable is simply a mono cable with a standard 1/8 inch (3.5 mm) headphone type plug on each end. The TV sends a "trigger" down the wire to switch other devices on and off.

 

[Rupert]

Thanks Benedict_Arnold ... going the Panasonic route would make a lot of sense to me, since my TV, HD recorder and CD/DVD/Blu-ray player are all Panasonic (I've always liked the brand!). Vierra link is currently disabled because when it was 'on', each time I turned on one or other of the components that wasn't the TV, it cut across the TV .. which was very annoying! If I can find a way to connect a Panasonic soundbar and use it in the way you describe (which is my ideal solution) that would seem to be the answer to our problems.

I shall investigate this option and hopefully we'll be able to hear the TV characters who whisper and mumble!

P.S. Thanks to others who offered help and advice, although if truth be told I don't what an ARC is!

 

[Benedict_Arnold]

ARC = Audio Return Channel

It's basically an extra (or spare) wire in the HDMI cable that returns the digital sound signal from the TV back to a receiver or soundbar.

So, for example, if your Bluray was hooked up directly to the TV, not through a receiver or through your soundbar, the ARC channel would return the sound signal the TV is receiving to your soundbar, but only, I think if the soundbar HDMI cable is connectecd to the ARC equipped (and marked as such) HDMI socket on your TV.

If your TV is reasonably new then one of the "Ins" on the back of your TV will probably have an ARC line in it, usually HDMI No. 1. You'd have to experiment with how, and in what order, you hook up source devices (satellite, freewiew, Bluray, DVD, etc.) to the TV and then the TV to the soundbar.

My Panasonic Soundbar is set up so that you connect source > HDMI cable > Soundbar > HDMI Cable > TV, but it also has a fibre-optic input as well. Your Panasonic TV probably has a fibre-optic audio output on the back of it as well, so that's another option. Leave the soundbar switched on all the time, hook it up with a fibre-optic, then use the TV setp controls to just output "sound" down the fibre-optic. Source boxes can then just be connected to the TV as you have them, I presume, at present.

 

[Rupert]

Thanks again .. that's very informative. I feel some experimentation coming on!

 

[daveh75]

There's a thing Panasonic calls Vierra Link, or something like that, which, built into their TVs, which, once set up, automatically links your Panasonic TV with your Panasonic sound bar. They then switch on and off together, the sound comes out of the sound bar and not the TV (thus avoiding sound delays that sounds like echoes) and one remote controls the volume

That's just the HDMI-CEC.

It's nothing special or unique to Panasonic, the different manufacturers just have their own names for it.