I’m thinking about buying a Toshiba Smart TV with 3 HDMI jacks. I Currently have a Samsung AirTrack (Soundbar.) My cable box inputs to the soundbar, then outputs to the TV. If I buy a smart TV and use apps such a Netflix, will I be able to output sound to the soundbar? Basically, does the soundbar work both ways?
Any consumer-class soundbar will work this way. So yes. You should see an audio-in jack on the soundbar.
the soundbar has hdmi in and hdmi out. it also has an aux in, which is yellow. the soundbar is bluetooth so couldnt i just bluetooth it to the smart tv?
I have not seen a TV that used Bluetooth for audio output. That is usually reserved for input devices. Both your TV and sound most likely have Toslink connections (output on the TV, input on the soundbar) which you can use to connect the TV to the soundbar. If you could provide the specific models, that could be confirmed. You could then connect your cable box HDMI directly to the TV and have the TV route all sound to the soundbar.
Thanks for the help. The Samsung Airtrack model number is ps-wf450 There is a slot called “optical in” on it. I’m assuming that’s the Toslink slot? The TV I’m looking at buying is a Toshiba 58" 1080p CS240Hz Smart LED TV. Dual Core processor, 3 HDMI and 1 USB input. I don’t have a model number.
It didn’t with mine. I have a Samsung soundbar and a Samsung TV. I don’t have cable but the TV input comes via a PVR with a tuner. The TV is also connected to the house wifi via a BR player (also HDMI)
The SB is supposed to do what is described above, and has in and out HDMI connections. Theoretically I should be able to route the output from the PVR via the soundbar to the TV and be able to control all the parts with the one controler.
In fact, it just won’t work like that and I had to use the optical connection between the SB and the TV and plug the BR player and the tuner directly to the TV. It all works, except that I have to use the SB’s own remote to control the volume.
Incidentally, the blueray reference may only be to the link between the subwoofer and the SB.
You may find this link useful: Connecting Up a Sound Bar to Enhance Your Flat Panel TV's Audio | Audioholics
Thanks Bob.
It looks like even the cheapest Toshiba 58" 240Hz LED (model 58L5400U) has optical audio out (Toslink). So all you need is a $2 Toslink cable and you are set.
Just to add. To make my ‘smart’ TV work smartly, I had to buy a dongle. Then there was an upgrade and Samsung told me that my £10 dongle would no longer work. Instead they sent me a code to buy a £100 BR player from Amazon.
I find that when I switch to the internet, it takes a minute or more to make the connection. Lose patience and it says there is no connection available. Using the TV to surf or anything else is slow and clunky - streaming from stuff on my hard drive (video or pics) and from Netflix etc works fine.
Thanks guys. I have better knowledge now of this. I’m also reading ROKU is a better option than most smart TVs for streaming. Seems the Toshiba is slow. And Roku has more options. The Toshiba is on sale for $899 and comes with a free Blu-ray player. I might get it and if the streaming is slow, just buy a Roku to connect to it.
I’ve got a Samsung Smart TV as well as an older LG plasma with a Roku 3 hooked up. I like the Samsung because everything is integrated into the single factory remote, but the Roku is certainly more flexible. When it comes time to replace the plasma and I have to choose between paying a premium for the smart TV or add a Roku, I would go the Roku route.
One thing to look for is that a TV has to have an HDMI ARC output to work properly with outputting audio over HDMI. You can go Toslink or digital coax, but if you want HDMI In (or smart functions) to output via HDMI to your soundbar, you need a TV with an HDMI ARC port and a soundbar with an ARC port. It should be marked on the equipment, listed in your manual, or both.
The nice thing about this is that it cuts down the number of connections you have to worry about. If you have a console, BluRay player, AppleTV, etc. that uses a HDMI input you can input everything into your TV and let the ARC channel into the soundbar or sound system take care of the audio. No need to make multiple connections using digital audio options like Toslink or coax. Now, my old 5.1 system didn’t even support HDMI, so I never set up the system that way and I haven’t bought either a new surround system or a soundbar. Instead, I normally just use the TV speakers and if I want surround (and headphones) I output to an Astro MixAmp using Toslink.
Also, if it all possible, use a wired Ethernet connection into your network. This is true for all hardware like a smart TV or a modern console. Better bandwidth and no chance of interference. If you have a cable connection (and are using cable, not satellite) but your modem is in a different room, consider spending some money on setting up a MoCA network. A basic setup will run you slightly more than $100 but it makes a huge difference. I’ve got MoCA running from the office upstairs down to the cable modem in the living room and easily beats the little USB dongle for speed and reliability.