How to Control Soundbar with TV Remote

No matter what kind or brand of TV and soundbar you have at home, it is always better to control them both using one single remote. Why even bother about juggling with two different remotes when you can get the work done with just one of them?

In order to control the soundbar using the TV remote, it is essential to do some preliminary setting up process. Follow the instructions provided in the article given below to connect the soundbar to your TV and control the soundbar using the TV remote in a few simple steps.

How to Connect Soundbar to TV

Based on the brand and manufacturer, each TV and soundbar will come with either an HDMI ARC or a Digital Optical cable and ports assigned to them. If your soundbar and TV have both, then you can choose any one between the two as you see fit.

1. Locate the HDMI ARC OUT on your soundbar and plug in one end of the HDMI ARC into it.

2. Now, connect the other end of the HDMI ARC to the HDMI ARC IN port of your TV.

Note: If you are using the Digital Fiber Optical Cable, locate the Soundbar’s Digital Audio/Optical In port and connect one end of the optical cable to that. The other end of the cable should be connected to the TV’s Digital Audio/Optical Out port.

3. After that, connect both devices to power and turn them on.

Ensure that you purchase and use a quality HDMI ARC cable and optical cable at all times. If the cables are not in proper working condition, you will not be able to control the soundbar using the TV remote.

How to Control Soundbar with TV Remote

Based on the TV manufacturer, the instructions vary slightly. I have explained them all individually for your better understanding.

TV Manufacturer	Description
Hisense TV	View in detail ↓
Samsung TV	View in detail ↓
LG TV	View in detail ↓
Sony TV	View in detail ↓
TCL TV	View in detail ↓
VIZIO TV	View in detail ↓
Hitachi TV	View in detail ↓
Apple TV	View in detail ↓

Hisense TV

1. On your Hisense TV, locate and open the Settings.

2. Click on the Sound menu and choose Speakers.

3. Under that, select the ARC option, and the sound output will switch from your TV speaker to the Hisense soundbar connected through HDMI ARC.

Now, you will be able to control the sound bar connected to your Hisense TV directly using the TV remote.

Note: For a better audio experience and output, enable the Dolby Digital Plus option. To do that, go to Settings → Click on Sound → Select Advanced Settings → Choose Digital Audio Out → Select Dolby Digital Plus.

Samsung TV

Based on whether you have used the HDMI or Optical option for connecting the Samsung TV and the soundbar, the steps vary. But first, set the Samsung soundbar to D.IN mode by pressing the soundbar’s Source button.

1. For the HDMI ARC connection, press and hold the Right button on the TV remote to enable the Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) option.

2. For Optical connection, go to the Settings and select the Sound option.

3. Under that, choose Sound Output and long press the Left button on your Samsung TV remote to enable or disable the Auto Power Link feature.

Now, you will be able to control your Samsung soundbar through the Samsung TV remote without any trouble.

LG TV

As for LG TVs, you get to connect and control the LG soundbar through the LG Magic remote through Bluetooth. Other than that, you can also connect through the HDMI and Optical connections.

1. Go to the Settings page of your LG TV and tap on the Sound menu.

2. Click on the Sound Out option and select LG Sound Sync Wireless.

Note: The Sound Out option might be set to TV Speaker by default.

3. Alternatively, you can also choose the HDMI or Optical options based on the type of connection made.

Once the connection has been made, you can continue to control the LG soundbar using the LG Magic remote.

Sony TV

As for Sony, you can control the Sony soundbar using the TV remote only if you connect the Sony Soundbar to the TV using an HDMI ARC connection. For models other than BRAVIA, enable the HDMI CEC option found within the TV settings. If you own a Sony Bravia, then turn on the BRAVIA Sync Control.

1. Go to Settings and choose General Settings.

2. Click on Watch TV and tap on the External Inputs option.

3. Choose BRAVIA Sycn Settings, and under BRAVIA Sync device list, select Enable.

4. Once that’s done, turn on the Control for HDMI option. In general, you can do it by pressing the Menu button on the remote → Choose Speaker → Tap on HDMI and select Control for HDMI → Tap on the On option.

Note: The steps to enable this option vary from model to model. If you are not sure how to do it, you can make use of the instructions mentioned on the Sony support page.

You can now control all functions of the Sony soundbar, including changing the volume with the Sony TV remote.

TCL TV

1. On the TCL TV remote, hit the Home button and open Settings.

2. Click on the System menu and tap on the Control Other Devices (CEC) option.

3. Select the HDMI ARC option and unselect the System Audio option.

That is all it takes to control the TCL soundbar connected to your TCL TV using the TCL TV remote.

VIZIO TV

1. On the VIZIO TV remote, press the Menu button.

2. From the menus displayed on the screen, choose System and select CEC.

3. Under CEC, choose between the Disabled, Enabled, and ARC-only options as you see fit to control the VIZIO soundbar using the VIZIO TV remote.

Hitachi TV

Connecting the soundbar using the Hitachi Roku TV remote and controlling it using the TV remote is the same as controlling the soundbar using any other Roku remote.

1. Open the Settings and click on the Audio option.

2. Choose Audio Preferences under that and change the Audio Mode to Auto (DTS).

3. Under the S/PDIF and ARC settings, enable the Auto Detect option.

4. Now, navigate back to the Settings page and click on the System menu.

5. Tap on CEC and select the ARC (HDMI) checkbox.

Once that’s done, you can continue to control the Hitachi soundbar using your Hitachi Roku TV remote.

Apple TV

If you have connected a soundbar to your Apple TV, then you can control basic functions such as the volume of the soundbar directly through the Apple TV remote.

1. Turn on your Apple TV and navigate to the Settings.

2. Click on the Remotes & Devices option, and from the options given, choose Volume Control.

3. Change the Volume Control option to Auto.

Now, your Soundbar volume can be controlled using the Apple TV remote as well, and the Soundbar will automatically turn on and off as you turn your Apple TV on and off.

Make use of the instructions mentioned for each TV and Soundbar brand in the above article to control the sound bar connected to your TV easily using one single remote. Your TV remote is more than enough to control both your TV and your sound bar, thus eliminating the need for multiple remote controls.

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