Some TVs are much harder than others when it comes time to connect devices to them. While you might think that you can simply plug in your soundbar or surround sound system and it just magically works.
While that could be true for some TVs and soundbars out there, it’s not always like that. Most of the time, you simply must know the little tricks to make things connect. This might be as simple as changing a setting on your TV or making sure you use the connections that make those two devices best compatible.
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In this guide, we’re looking at a Vizio soundbar and a Samsung TV. These two can sometimes be challenging to connect. However, the good news is that it is totally doable if you just know how to make the connection.
Take a look below to help you get your Vizio soundbar connected to your Samsung TV.
Table of Contents
What is the Best Method?
The basic thing that you should know is that if you have the right cables to make your connection, it is much easier to accomplish. First, check out your TV and the soundbar and see what types of cable connections they have in common.
In most cases, you will be able to choose either HDMI or optic cable. Some devices might only use one or the other so take note of this. If you have the choice, we always recommend an HDMI cable because it captures more types of sound.
If you’re still using a device that requires those multi-colored cables (red, white, and yellow), it’s quite possibly time to upgrade! If either the soundbar or the TV has these, you likely won’t be satisfied with the sound even if you manage to get them connected.
The good news is that the process is primarily the same. You are connecting cables and checking settings. However, we are going to cover both of these separately just to be sure to capture any differences in the steps.
Connecting with HDMI
The first and best option is to use an HDMI cable. If you have this option available on both the TV and the soundbar, you should absolutely opt for this. It’s smoother and the sound is overall better quality. That’s just our opinions. In the end, it will be your decision to make.
Follow these steps to work through the process.
- Position your soundbar where you want it with your TV. Be sure to take into consideration where the cable connections are on your TV and on the soundbar.
- Power off both the TV and the soundbar.
- Plug the HDMI cable into the soundbar and the TV. The order does not matter if they are both powered off.
- Once both ends are securely connected, go ahead and power on both devices.
- You will likely need to update some settings. This works best if you use the soundbar for audio at all times. This is because Samsung will recognize that as your official audio source.
- If you plan to use this as your official audio source, you will need to set it as such. Use the input button on the Samsung remote to select the HDMI port that the Vizio soundbar is connected to.
- Now, you will need to update the audio output in your TV settings. To do this, use your remote and go to settings. Look at audio settings and be sure that HDMI is selected for audio output.
When you power on the TV, the soundbar will likely power on automatically because of the setup. If it doesn’t, you can power it on. Check the sound and make sure that everything is working.
There may be certain occasions where an additional setting needs to be updated. It depends on the devices. If your sound doesn’t work with the above steps, try going to your expert settings on the TV settings.
In expert settings under the TV settings, you simply need to toggle both digital audio output and HDMI to “PCM”. This should resolve the issue.
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Connecting with Optic Cables
If you opt to or need to use an optic cable instead of an HDMI, this is also pretty simple to set up. While it may not offer as authentic of sound, it still works well overall.
Follow these steps for connecting using an optic cable.
- Get your soundbar and TV set up how you would like them to be positioned. Don’t forget to take into consideration the details of connecting the cord to both devices as you determine placement.
- Find the appropriate port on your TV and connect the cables.
- Now, find the corresponding ports on the soundbar and connect the cables there.
- Double check that you plugged in the cables correctly and to the appropriate ports. This will be key to the success of the connection.
- Now power on both devices.
- Use your remote to go to input and select optical input for the TV.
- Now, you need to go to your settings menu. Find the audio settings and look for TV speakers. Toggle this off.
- In audio settings, find the Digital Audio out setting and change this to either Dolby digital or Bitstream if they are available.
- Now test the audio and make sure it works.
If they don’t work yet, you may also need to change the expert setting to PCM as we discussed above with HDMI cables.
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Conclusion
We hope this guide to connecting a Vizio soundbar to a Samsung TV is helpful for you. There are just a few key steps in each process that really make all the difference. Once you’ve got the settings ironed out, you should be able to go on to simply enjoying your high-quality audio from the soundbar.
Don’t forget the added troubleshooting tip if the initial connection and settings don’t work for you. This should be the last piece to perfect sound.
John Fleming is the senior editor for Audiophilez.com, covering everything from headphones to smart speakers. He is a graduate of Music Production and Technology. Before Audiophilez, John began his career as a staff writer for two different magazines, where he became a skilled storyteller across different mediums. When he isn’t writing, he can be found biking, reading books, and playing the piano.