KD50X75WL TV - internet disconnects when connecting JBL soundbar

[mannisrai]

Hey everyone - my first post on here as I've encountered an issue!

Just got the KD50X75WL TV (2023, BRAVIA Google TV) last week - absolutely great! However when I try and connect my JBL SB400 soundbar (2013 model) - the internet just disconnects. All my apps (including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube) all stop working and tell me to connect to a network. As soon as I shut my soundbar off, they all work again. So strange right?

I went back to the shop I got the TV from and they've never heard of this issue and I also rang Sony support who said the usual (turn it off and on, software updates etc) - but this was already done and has had no effect.

I've tried connecting via HDMI, optical and Bluetooth and the same thing happens with every connection type. I connected one of my portable speakers via Bluetooth to see if it was connecting a speaker that was the issue - but this worked fine and didn't turn disconnect the internet.

Does anyone have any ideas of what to do?

[royabrown2]

@mannisrai 

I note the soundbar pairs with its sub over wireless, and I would guess this is the culprit.

i would ensure that the HDMI cable from the TV to the soundbar is of the highest quality, and carefully shielded against outside electrical interference, and that the soundbar is as far away from the TV as possible, consistent with it still being able to do its job properly.

However, you are saying that it happens only when the devices are connected, and even when you try Bluetooth and optical, which make no electrical connections at all. When you try these things, you are disconnecting the other inputs, I hope - I.e. don’t leave the HDMI cable in place, to ensure it’s purely Bluetooth alone.

If it still does it, then I think starting up the soundbar must be starting up the wireless to the sub, and this is knocking out the wifi on the TV,

I don’t know if you can stop this wireless by disconnecting the sub from the mains, or unpairing it, or some such, see if the TV WiFi then survives?

A last but one thought is that the soundbar and sub are probably connecting on the 2.4GHz band, so the TV would perhaps be unaffected if you could ensure it is on the 5GHz band? By selecting that on the TV if that is possible, or else by splitting the bands on your router (if it allows this) giving separate SSIDs to each band, and ensuring the TV is set to the SSID for the 5GHz band.

A final thought is that you should talk to JBL. I don’t recall this sort of thing being an issue with Sony TVs generally, but it may be something JBL are familiar with, and can offer some advice about.