Issue with Bravia TV & Philips soundbar

[stratman82]

I just bought a Philips TAPB603/10 soundbar to connect to my Bravia TV (KD-55XD7005) via ARC.

All is well when watching a Tivo box connected directly to the soundbar (HDMI) - sound comes out the soundbar and video shows on the TV (TV set to HDMI ARC channel).

My problem is when trying to send sound from the TV to the sound bar, e.g. from the YouTube app on the TV. When I switch the soundbar channel to ARC to play audio output from the TV, the Bravia TV detects the audio device and plays through the soundbar, however, if I alter the volume at all everything mutes and I have to cycle through all input channels on the soundbar back to ARC again for it to work again.

Surely there aren't compatibility issues as both are reasonably new tech with ARC support.

I've tried:

* hard restarting the TV

* manually updating the TV firmware to latest (6.6555)

* disconnecting all other devices

* adjusting sound settings one at a time

* I'm using the HDMI cable supplied with the soundbar (which works with pass-through with devices connected directly to the soundbar HDMI ports)

Pulling my hear out with this...

[royabrown2]

@stratman82 

Alter the volume on which device?

[stratman82]

@royabrown2 

Have tried altering volume on just the TV and just the soundbar.

UPDATES:

On further playing around, I can generally alter the volume after restarting the TV and IF I don't change the input channel on the soundbar. If I do switch input channel on the soundbar and cycle back to ARC, the TV switches to internal speakers (when leaving ARC) and then back to 'Audio Device' (as expected) but then the muting issue persists.

Its as though the TV can't handle switching between the two.

Also the soundbar troubleshooting guide says to check an audio setting is set to Fixed as opposed to Variable. So I found the 'Setting > Headphones/Audio Out' option and set to 'Audio Out (Fixed)' - no luck!

[royabrown2]

@stratman82 

OK, so when the sound is coming over ARC, any alteration of the volume, on TV or soundbar, causes the signal to mute?

Does the soundbar drop out of ARC mode?

Does a Mute indication appear, either on the TV, or on the soundbar? (If, indeed, a Mute indication ever appears on the soundbar when you mute it from the remote?)

When the muting happens, can you fix it by pressing the Mute button on either remote? By changing the volume on either remote?

Is your TV sending ARC, and not actually sending eARC that the soundbar can’t handle? This should be negotiated between the devices, but could go wrong, I suppose, so fixing it to ARC in this situation may be worth investigating.

I think the note about fixed output in the Troubleshooting is a red herring, as you are exactly supposed to be able to control the volume from the soundbar with the TV remote in ARC mode.

(Unless this is a tacit admission by Philips that this muting problem happens, something you might want to take up with them).

But the volume you want to set fixed on the TV, if setting one fixed is needed here, is the Digital Out volume, not the Headphones one.

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00180150

Though it may already be Fixed, the above might not apply to your TV, etc., etc.

Do make sure though, that your TV is set to output audio in a format the soundbar is set to handle, as per that Troubleshooting.

And then I’d get on to Philips, as I haven’t seen anything like this issue reported here with any other soundbar, Sony or not, that was hooked up via ARC to a Sony Android TV.

[stratman82]

@royabrown2 please see answers below:

Does the soundbar drop out of ARC mode?

- No

Does a Mute indication appear, either on the TV, or on the soundbar? (If, indeed, a Mute indication ever appears on the soundbar when you mute it from the remote?)

- The TV shows as muted (when I try altering the TV volume) because the audio is set to 'Audio Device' rather than 'Internal Speakers'. The soundbar does not show as muted.

When the muting happens, can you fix it by pressing the Mute button on either remote? By changing the volume on either remote?

- No

Is your TV sending ARC, and not actually sending eARC that the soundbar can’t handle? This should be negotiated between the devices, but could go wrong, I suppose, so fixing it to ARC in this situation may be worth investigating.

- I don't see anything relating to eARC for this TV.

I think the note about fixed output in the Troubleshooting is a red herring, as you are exactly supposed to be able to control the volume from the soundbar with the TV remote in ARC mode.

(Unless this is a tacit admission by Philips that this muting problem happens, something you might want to take up with them).

- When its working, I can control the soundbar volume with both TV and Soundbar controllers (the TV vol jumps up a few at a time I'm guessing to match the soundbar control)

But the volume you want to set fixed on the TV, if setting one fixed is needed here, is the Digital Out volume, not the Headphones one.

https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/articles/00180150

Though it may already be Fixed, the above might not apply to your TV, etc., etc.

- Have checked this and the digital audio output volume is set to Max.

Do make sure though, that your TV is set to output audio in a format the soundbar is set to handle, as per that Troubleshooting.

- I have tried every variation in the settings, without luck.

Appreciate your help!

[royabrown2]

@stratman82 

OK, let’s summarise this. If I interpret what you have told us correctly:-

When the soundbar and TV are working together fine to play the TV sound over ARC, changing the volume with the Philips remote causes the soundbar to mute, (without any indication of Mute if the soundbar gives this ever), but it does not break the ARC connection, so the TV keeps sending the audio to the soundbar, which does not play it.

i.e. completely a problem with the soundbar, which you should take up with Philips, to get a fix, a replacement, or a refund.

It is also the case that the same muting happens if the volume adjustment comes over CEC from the Sony TV. But I think the common factor here is the soundbar’s response.

As a final experiment, try unplugging the soundbar from the mains while the muting is going on. I think you will find that this causes the TV to go back to its internal speakers and you will find the sound starts playing again, arguably showing that the TV never stopped sending audio. Certainly, this is what my TV and soundbar do, though they are not the same makes as yours.

[stratman82]

@royabrown2 

The soundbar shows text if I hit the mute button, but this does not happen when the issue occurs so it doesn't appear to be set to muted. The TV is still set to external audio device.

When disconnection the ARC by changing input channel on the soundbar OR powering the soundbar off - the TV shows a message to say it has switched back to internal speakers but it remains muted until I adjust the volume on the TV. Pretty sure I saw different behavior as well yesterday, where the TV sound just came back on.

My hunch is it could still be the TV at fault. Contacted Sony and Philips support which they referred to 2nd line a couple days ago but not heard back, I may just get the soundbar returned as it's only a few days old and see if I get better compatibility with another model.