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Set the television’s sound output to the connected audio system, connect the soundbar to the TV’s HDMI ARC or eARC port, and select the soundbar’s TV/ARC input. Then choose a digital-audio format that both devices support. PCM is useful for diagnosing silence, echoes, or delays, while Auto or pass-through is generally needed when you want a supported encoded surround format to reach the soundbar unchanged. Menu names and available options differ by TV, soundbar, connection, and source, so use the exact manuals for your models.
Change these TV settings first
Sound Out, Speakers, or Audio system
This is the most important setting: it determines where the TV sends its audio. Choose the entry that names an external audio system, HDMI ARC/eARC, or the connected soundbar instead of TV speakers. On many LG televisions, the path is Settings → All Settings → Sound → Sound Out, followed by the external audio device. Sony televisions commonly use Settings → Display & Sound → Audio output → Speakers → Audio system, although the exact wording varies by model and software version. LG and Sony support pages both warn that menu labels differ.
Some televisions offer a simultaneous TV-speaker-and-external-speaker mode. Leave that disabled for a normal soundbar installation. Sending the same program to both outputs can create an audible echo because the speakers and soundbar process the signal at different speeds.
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Digital Audio Out or Digital Sound Output
This control sets the format sent through HDMI ARC/eARC or optical. The common choices are PCM, Auto, and Pass-through (sometimes called Bitstream or a similar label). There is no single value that is best for every setup:
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| Option | Use it when | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| PCM | You have no sound, an echo, a delay, or a compatibility problem, or you are following an optical-only setup. | The TV may decode or convert the source, so the soundbar can receive a format different from the original. |
| Auto | You want the TV to select a compatible format automatically. | Behavior is model-specific; a TV may choose a lower-complexity format when it cannot confirm the soundbar’s capabilities. |
| Pass-through | The TV and soundbar both support the encoded format you want to preserve, such as a supported Dolby or DTS signal. | Unsupported formats can produce silence or fallback audio. Verify both devices and the source before selecting it. |
Sony’s support instructions recommend PCM in some no-sound, optical, and delay situations. LG likewise identifies PCM as a useful test for echo or timing problems. Treat it as a diagnostic or compatibility choice, not a universal upgrade.
eARC
Enable eARC when both the TV and soundbar have eARC and you need a format that requires eARC’s higher-capacity link. Sony lists uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1 audio, Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, DTS-HD Master Audio, and Dolby TrueHD among formats eARC can transfer. Those are capabilities of the standard; your specific TV, soundbar, app, and source still determine what is actually delivered.
An eARC television does not upgrade an ARC-only soundbar. Sony’s documentation states, “Connected devices must support eARC to utilize the features.” In practice, an ARC-only soundbar remains limited to ARC specifications even when the television has an eARC port.
A/V Sync or audio delay
Use A/V Sync when voices arrive before or after the picture. Increase or decrease the delay in small increments while watching a familiar scene. The control may be under Sound, Advanced sound, Audio output, or a similar menu, and some models expose separate controls for internal speakers and external audio. Sony recommends checking A/V Sync along with Digital audio out and pass-through when audio and video are out of sync.
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HDMI-CEC or HDMI control
HDMI-CEC lets the television and soundbar coordinate power, volume, and input switching. Manufacturers give this feature different names, and some ARC/eARC setups require the TV’s HDMI-control function to be enabled before the devices detect one another. Turn it on if your manual calls for it; otherwise, use the model-specific instructions rather than assuming every CEC option has the same label or behavior.
Connect the right ports and select matching inputs
HDMI eARC
Use an HDMI cable from the TV port explicitly labeled ARC or eARC to the soundbar port labeled HDMI OUT (ARC/eARC) or equivalent. A regular HDMI input on the television normally sends video into the TV and does not return television audio to the soundbar. After connecting, choose the external audio system on the TV and the soundbar’s TV/ARC input.
For eARC data transfer, Sony recommends a High-Speed HDMI cable with Ethernet. The cable cannot add eARC to devices that do not support it, but using the recommended cable type removes one common link in the compatibility chain.
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HDMI ARC
ARC is appropriate when both devices support ARC or when the soundbar lacks eARC. Connect the labeled ARC ports, select the TV audio system output, and set the soundbar to TV/ARC. If the television has eARC but the soundbar is ARC-only, configure the connection as ARC and observe the soundbar’s supported formats rather than selecting eARC-only options.
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Optical
Optical is a practical fallback when ARC/eARC is unavailable, unreliable, or not present on one device. Connect the TV’s optical output to the soundbar’s optical input, select Optical on the soundbar, and follow Sony’s optical-only guidance by setting the TV’s digital output to PCM. Confirm the formats supported by both products; optical should not be assumed to carry every format available through eARC.
Bluetooth or another wireless audio link
Use wireless audio only when both products support the same pairing method and you accept the behavior of that implementation. Pair the soundbar in the TV’s Bluetooth or wireless-audio menu, then select it as the sound output. The manufacturer pages reviewed do not establish a model-independent ranking for wireless latency or format performance, so check your devices’ specifications if lip-sync or surround support is critical.
| Connection | Best fit | Required settings and limits |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI eARC | Both ends support eARC and you need a supported high-bitrate or uncompressed format. | Use the labeled ports, enable eARC when required, select the soundbar as output, and use a High-Speed HDMI cable with Ethernet as recommended by Sony. |
| HDMI ARC | Both ends support ARC, or the soundbar is ARC-only. | Use labeled ARC ports and the TV/ARC soundbar input. An eARC TV cannot make an ARC-only soundbar perform as eARC. |
| Optical | ARC/eARC is unavailable or unsuitable. | Select Optical on the soundbar and PCM on the TV according to Sony’s optical setup guidance. Verify format support. |
| Bluetooth or other wireless audio | Both devices support the same wireless connection and a cable is undesirable. | Pair the devices and select the wireless output. Latency and format behavior are model-dependent. |
Set up a soundbar over HDMI, step by step
- Power everything off. This lets both devices renegotiate the HDMI connection cleanly when you reconnect them.
- Identify the ports. On the TV, find the socket marked HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC. On the soundbar, find HDMI OUT (ARC/eARC). Do not substitute an unlabeled TV HDMI input.
- Connect the cable. Use the labeled ports. If you are configuring eARC, Sony recommends a High-Speed HDMI cable with Ethernet.
- Select the soundbar input. Use the soundbar remote or front-panel control to choose TV, ARC, or eARC, depending on the label used by that model.
- Route TV audio externally. Open the TV’s Sound Out, Speakers, or Audio system menu and choose the connected external audio system. On an LG set, this is generally Settings → All Settings → Sound → Sound Out.
- Enable HDMI control if required. Turn on the TV’s HDMI-CEC or HDMI-control feature when the manuals specify it, so volume and power commands can pass between the devices.
- Set eARC only when both ends support it. If either product is ARC-only, use ARC behavior and do not expect eARC formats.
- Choose a starting digital format. Use Auto for a normal compatibility test. Use Pass-through when both devices and the source support the desired encoded format. If there is silence or instability, switch temporarily to PCM.
- Play a familiar source. Test a broadcast, streaming app, and an external HDMI source separately. A format that works for one source may not be available from another.
How to choose PCM, Auto, and pass-through
When PCM is the right test
PCM is the safest diagnostic setting when the soundbar is silent, when optical is the only connection, or when you hear an echo or timing mismatch. It can make the TV send a simpler, broadly compatible signal. The trade-off is that the delivered format may no longer match the source’s original encoded format, so a surround-capable program can be converted before it reaches the soundbar.
When pass-through is appropriate
Pass-through is useful when you deliberately want the TV to forward a supported encoded signal for the soundbar to decode. Confirm three things first: the connection can carry the format, the TV permits pass-through for that source, and the soundbar accepts it. If any of those conditions fails, silence or a fallback format is possible; return to Auto or PCM for diagnosis.
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Why the source matters
Streaming apps, broadcast channels, game consoles, and disc players can provide different audio formats. A TV may also apply different rules to internal apps and devices connected through HDMI. Test the actual source that matters to you instead of assuming that a setting proven with one app guarantees the same result elsewhere.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot the common symptoms in order
No sound at all
- Confirm the HDMI cable is in the TV’s ARC/eARC port and the soundbar’s ARC/eARC output port.
- Set the soundbar input to TV/ARC/eARC, not HDMI, Optical, or Bluetooth.
- Set the TV’s Sound Out or Speakers option to the external audio system.
- Check that the soundbar is powered, unmuted, and responding to volume commands.
- Verify that the soundbar supports the incoming format. Switch Digital Audio Out to PCM as a diagnostic; if audio returns, the previous format or pass-through choice was incompatible.
- If the connection is optical, select Optical on the soundbar and PCM on the TV.
Echo or duplicated voices
Disable any mode that plays TV speakers and the external soundbar simultaneously. LG identifies simultaneous outputs as a cause of echo. If the echo remains, test PCM and adjust the available A/V Sync control. Keep only one output path active while diagnosing; otherwise two different processing delays can mask the real cause.
Audio trails or leads the picture
Open A/V Sync or audio-delay controls and adjust gradually. Then check Digital Audio Out and pass-through, because decoding or processing in the TV can change timing. Sony recommends trying PCM as part of this diagnosis. If the delay persists with a particular external source, connect that source directly to the soundbar when the equipment allows it, bypassing the TV’s audio processing.
Surround sound or Atmos is missing
First verify that the TV, soundbar, source, and connection all support the format. Confirm that eARC is enabled only when both ends support eARC; an ARC-only soundbar cannot gain eARC capabilities from an eARC TV. If Digital Audio Out is set to PCM, the TV may be converting the signal, so test the supported Auto or pass-through option after confirming compatibility.
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Sound cuts out or changes when switching apps
Return to the labeled ARC/eARC ports, power-cycle both devices, and test Auto before pass-through. Different apps can send different formats, so a pass-through mode that works with one source may fail with another. If the behavior changes when you select PCM, that points to a format-compatibility issue rather than a defective speaker.
Model-specific menu differences to expect
Manufacturers do not use one universal menu tree. LG’s guidance uses Sound Out and may expose separate options for internal speakers, wired external speakers, HDMI ARC, Bluetooth, and simultaneous outputs. Sony examples refer to Speakers → Audio system and place Digital audio out, A/V Sync, and pass-through controls in different areas depending on the television model. Firmware updates can also rename or relocate entries.
Use the model number when consulting the TV and soundbar manuals. The manuals are the authoritative source for supported formats, whether eARC must be enabled manually, which CEC label the TV uses, and whether a particular HDMI port supports ARC or eARC.
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Quick Recap
Final verification checklist
- The cable is connected to the TV port labeled ARC/eARC and the soundbar port labeled HDMI OUT (ARC/eARC).
- The soundbar input is TV/ARC/eARC.
- The TV’s Sound Out, Speakers, or Audio system setting names the external soundbar.
- TV speakers are not enabled at the same time unless you intentionally need simultaneous output.
- eARC is enabled only when both devices support it.
- Digital Audio Out is chosen according to the goal: PCM for compatibility and diagnosis, Auto for a general starting point, or pass-through for a verified supported encoded format.
- A/V Sync is adjusted only after the connection and output routing are correct.
- Optical setups use the optical soundbar input and PCM unless the device manuals specify otherwise.
- Persistent problems are checked against the exact TV and soundbar manuals, because menus, formats, and cable requirements vary by model.
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