# Tivo won't play sound from sound bar



## dysprog (Sep 20, 2017)

I have a Tivo Roamio. I just upgraded my tv from a 10yo lcd to a new 4k OLED from LG. With it I got a cheap sound bar, because even a cheapo had better sound then the internal speakers. 

I connected the Tivo to the TV with HDMI and the TV to the sound bar with an Optical wire. 

Tivo ---hdmi---> TV ----optical---->Soundbar

And the sound won't work. All the other devices will put sound out. The blu-ray and the nintendo are connected to the tv in the exact same manner. and they put sound out the out bar. And if I switch the TV to internal speakers, all the devices including the TiVo work. 

1) Other device to sound bar: Works
2) Other device to internal speakers: Works
3) Tivo to internal speakers: Works
4) Tivo to Sound bar: DOES NOT WORK

What the heck is going on here? Is this some kind of stupid DRM? Is the Tivo buggy?


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## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Is the TiVo plugged in to the ARC input (output?)? Is CEC enabled?

Maybe try swapping the inputs?

-KP


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## kitt84 (Apr 26, 2017)

Check your audio setting on the Tivo. If it's using Dolby, try changing it to PCM.

Sent from my SM-T820 using Tapatalk


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

dysprog said:


> I have a Tivo Roamio. I just upgraded my tv from a 10yo lcd to a new 4k OLED from LG. With it I got a cheap sound bar, because even a cheapo had better sound then the internal speakers.
> 4) Tivo to Sound bar: DOES NOT WORK
> What the heck is going on here? Is this some kind of stupid DRM? Is the Tivo buggy?


Are you stating that the TiVo's optical output does not work with the sound bar? The Roamio's optical and A/V outputs are always active.

Yes, usually anything is better than the TV's speakers.


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## jtdon99 (Oct 26, 2014)

dysprog said:


> I connected the Tivo to the TV with HDMI and the TV to the sound bar with an Optical wire.


You need to connect the optical wire from the Tivo to the soundbar not the TV. My Roamio works fine with my SB this way.


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## dysprog (Sep 20, 2017)

kitt84 said:


> Check your audio setting on the Tivo. If it's using Dolby, try changing it to PCM.


This worked. I have no ideas why the tivo and or tv could not either auto select the proper protocol or conver if need be, but it's working now.


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## rsamos (Aug 20, 2015)

jtdon99 said:


> You need to connect the optical wire from the Tivo to the soundbar not the TV. My Roamio works fine with my SB this way.


No doubt that works for you, but the Tivo HDMI connection carries the audio too. If your display does audio passthrough it _should _work doing the connection from it to the sound bar.


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## kpeters59 (Jun 19, 2007)

Plus, the TiVo Remote would need to work the audio on the Soundbar, unless you always listen to the volume at 100...


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