# Bolt with soundbar



## wthomas69 (Nov 28, 2009)

I have a bolt, looking at new TVs and sound bars, can the bolt remote control volume if the TV and soundbar are different brands.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Yep.


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## wthomas69 (Nov 28, 2009)

Mikeguy said:


> Yep.


Does the digital sound cable from the tivo go into the TV or the soundbar? Right now looking at vizeo brand TVs and soundbars. The mostly important thing for me is ease of use. My wife needs to be able to control everything with the tivo remote.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Without adding further equipment, you have 3 options:

(1) Bolt box -> HDMI cable -> TV -> (whatever audio connection your TV and soundbar have options for, e.g. optical cable/HDMI cable/audio cable/Bluetooth) -> soundbar

(2) Bolt box -> HDMI cable -> TV, + Bolt box -> optical cable -> soundbar (note: your soundbar would need to have an optical input port for this)

(3) if your soundbar has multiple inputs: Bolt box -> HDMI cable -> TV, + Bolt box -> optical cable -> soundbar (note: your soundbar would need to have an optical port for this), + TV -> (whatever audio connection your TV and soundbar have options for, e.g. optical cable/HDMI cable/audio cable/Bluetooth) -> soundbar. (Note: I haven't done this and it could require some extra setup work in the TV's settings for the audio/there could be other audio complications.)

In terms of ease, you might find the first option an easier/more attractive approach: it's just simple, and under the second option, if you are viewing something via the TV's tuner (as opposed to thru the TiVo box), the sound would need to come out of the TV's speakers, as the TV is not connected to the soundbar; the third option handles this, if your soundbar has multiple inputs that you can use and you don't mind a possible extra cable and any setup/use complications. Some people might go option 2 or 3 because the TiVo can output Dolby sound which they want to use and their TV might not be capable of handling that, while their soundbar can through a direct connection to the TiVo box.

One extra point about the TiVo remote: the remote has a large number of TV and receiver/soundbar codes built into it, so that you can set the TiVo remote up so that it can control your TV (on/off; volume/mute; and input) and your receiver/soundbar (on/off (if needed); volume/mute), rather than having to use separate remotes for the TV and receiver/soundbar. It always is possible that the code for your particular TV and/or receiver/soundbar is not listed as part of the remote's setup process. (You sometimes will see here someone asking if others know the code for a particular TV or receiver/soundbar.) In that case, TiVo has a manual search process that can be used, to try to find the appropriate code. But even there, the code might not exist--it's less common, but does happen (I had that with some earlier equipment), and you may not know until you try setting things up (if you haven't read something about the remote's compatibility or not with a piece of equipment beforehand). In that case, you are left with using each piece of equipment's own remote, or: you can purchase a universal remote and program/use that.

In that case, TiVo also has its own learning remote, the Slide Pro remote, that can be taught the codes for your TV and/or receiver/soundbar, which works great.* (This is what I purchased and used when my earlier equipment didn't have codes in the regular TiVo remote's database.) The Slide Pro remote has gone missing from the TiVo online store for awhile, but still can be found around, including at WeaKnees.com, a major online seller of TiVo equipment. Note that while the Slide Pro remote has some nice advantages (its learning capability, illuminated keys, and a full alpha-numeric keyboard, all ~in the same space and design as the original remote), it also has some limitations: it doesn't do voice, and it has limitations when used with a TiVo Mini VOX.

* The Slide Pro remote's learning capability also can be used to teach the remote's on/off, volume, mute, and input buttons other functions--people especially sometimes will do this with the input button.

Sorry that this got so long--I kept on thinking about other variables. Hope it helps--


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## wthomas69 (Nov 28, 2009)

Mikeguy said:


> Without adding further equipment, you have 3 options:
> 
> (1) Bolt box -> HDMI cable -> TV -> (whatever audio connection your TV and soundbar have options for, e.g. optical cable/HDMI cable/audio cable/Bluetooth) -> soundbar
> 
> ...


thanks for the help, I have a panasonic plasma tv with hdmi and a yamaha soundbar with optical in, as long as the tv power button turns on the tv and the volumes buttons adjust sound on the soundbar, I'll be good. Trying to make this as simple as possible for my wife who is NOT tech savvy. Also we NEVER use the tv tuner, EVERYTHING is done through the tivo bolt including watching DVR, live tv, and built in streaming apps.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

wthomas69 said:


> thanks for the help, I have a panasonic plasma tv with hdmi and a yamaha soundbar with optical in, as long as the tv power button turns on the tv and the volumes buttons adjust sound on the soundbar, I'll be good. Trying to make this as simple as possible for my wife who is NOT tech savvy. Also we NEVER use the tv tuner, EVERYTHING is done through the tivo bolt including watching DVR, live tv, and built in streaming apps.


Frankly, I find the first option above the easiest. But some people may prefer the second or third options, because of the Dolby sound option under the TiVo box and a soundbar. Once things are set up, whatever way, operation should be easy.

For the remote's operation and the soundbar: be sure to go into the TiVo box's Settings screen for the TiVo remote, and set the remote to function with the soundbar under the A/V option (option 3, I believe--I'm not in front of my TiVo box right now). There, you'll choose the make of your soundbar and TiVo will give you a bunch of codes to try--it's the same process as when you programmed the remote for your make of television set. When you're done, the remote will operate the audio volume (and mute) on the soundbar. Hopefully, one of the codes will work for your soundbar--if not, you can do a "manual" search for the code, on the remote. (https://support.tivo.com/articles/Installation_Setup_Configuration/Remote-Control-Programming-Codes) If, by any chance, a code for the soundbar still can't be found, the options would be (1) to ask here if someone knows a code for the soundbar that will work, and (2) to get and use a learning remote--TiVo also sells its own TiVo peanut learning remote, the Slide Pro remote, available at WeaKnees.com and elsewhere, which is very nice.

One last thing: hopefully, your TV and soundbar have settings that turn on the soundbar when the TV is turned on, and then turn the soundbar off after the TV is turned off (that's how mine function, from settings in both the TV and the soundbar: when the soundbar senses an audio input from the TV, the soundbar turns on; when the soundbar doesn't receive an audio input for a few minutes, it turns off). If not, you also can program the regular TiVo peanut remote's on/off button to turn _both_ your TV and the soundbar on and off, at the same time (assuming that the TiVo remote has the necessary codes for both your TV and the soundbar)--see Allow tivo remote to power off a/v receiver

Once the remote and the TV and soundbar are set up, it's a piece of cake.  I hope this helps--


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## jlb (Dec 13, 2001)

So I have a Yamaha YAS-108 soundbar. Love it!!! great sound and it's one of the only ones I know of where they include subwoofer output so you can use your own powered subwoofer.

Anyways, I have my Bolt and my AppleTV connected to the input of my TV and then the TV's audio return channel thing connected to the input of the Yamaha soundbar. All remotes work to control volume without any separate setup. Just worked with the Yammy.

If you are interested, this is the soundbar I have:

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-YAS-1...9&s=gateway&sprefix=yamaha+yas,aps,163&sr=8-3


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## tapokata (Apr 26, 2017)

I have the Costco club version of the YAS-108, the ATS-1080. Same bar. In any case, I have that connected via ARC, using my Bolt. The Tivo Remote can be set for the same settings as the TV, or can be changed to Yamaha under the remote configuration- either will work. If your TV doesn't pass through Dolby Digital (or doesn't have an ARC port), the Bolt can be connected directly by optical cable to the bar.


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## wthomas69 (Nov 28, 2009)

jlb said:


> So I have a Yamaha YAS-108 soundbar. Love it!!! great sound and it's one of the only ones I know of where they include subwoofer output so you can use your own powered subwoofer.
> 
> Anyways, I have my Bolt and my AppleTV connected to the input of my TV and then the TV's audio return channel thing connected to the input of the Yamaha soundbar. All remotes work to control volume without any separate setup. Just worked with the Yammy.
> 
> ...


I Have the ATS-1010 with sub out, love it too


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