# How to Connect: Samsung Sound Bar/TV/Tivo



## jcasurella (Jun 5, 2012)

Here are my specs:

Older Samsung TV (2 HDMI Inputs, Optical Input)
Samsung Sound Bar HW-F450
Tivo Premiere
Apple TV


Can anyone point the way to properly connect my Samsung Soundbar with a Tivo Premiere in the mix? 
Also, can I program the Tivo Glo remote so that the Soundbar will work with this remote?

Thanks!


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## Johnd206 (Jun 27, 2007)

When I setup my soundbar with my TV and Roku I connected both HDMIs to the TV and used the optical out from the TV to the soundbar. I'm interested in seeing the other responces


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Johnd206 said:


> When I setup my soundbar with my TV and Roku I connected both HDMIs to the TV and used the optical out from the TV to the soundbar. I'm interested in seeing the other responces


I did the same. This is the method that I was going to suggest as well.



jcasurella said:


> Here are my specs:
> 
> Older Samsung TV (2 HDMI Inputs, Optical Input)
> Samsung Sound Bar HW-F450
> ...


Are you sure that it is an optical _input_?


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## javabird (Oct 13, 2006)

I set up my Panasonic TV via HDMI to a Panny Sound bar and Tivo. I connected the Apple TV to the other HDMI port in the Sound bar. This way the Sound bar turns on automatically when the TV turns on and the volume is controlled via the Tivo remote.


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## TrooperOrange (Apr 23, 2012)

I have that exact same soundbar.

I have my tv mounted on a wall all wires run in the wall etc... and all components in an AV cabinet elsewhere. So for me I have it setup like this:

AV components > HDMI switch > single hdmi cable to soundbar > single hidmi cable to TV.

That way inputs are never switched on the TV, or soundbar, just the HDMI switch.

A few notes, that soundbar has no codes that I can find on the normal roamio remote. I got the slide remote and used the learning funcion. 

So slide remote switched on TV and soundbar, and controls volume of soundbar. Input button controls HDMI switch via IR repeater to AV cabinet. Romaio works via RF.

Hope that helps.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

Ugh what is it with these awful soundbars? They are basically snake oil, you're never going to get surround sound unless you actually HAVE surround sound. With a full 5.1 or 7.1 setup.


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## supasta (May 6, 2006)

Bigg said:


> Ugh what is it with these awful soundbars? They are basically snake oil, you're never going to get surround sound unless you actually HAVE surround sound. With a full 5.1 or 7.1 setup.


True, but for me it was a great upgrade to the tinny sound that my TV supplied. As much as I would love to have a large 7.1 system (and I have had a 5.1 system in the past), I didn't have the room after my last move to set it up correctly. Also, a sound bar was a smaller financial impact at the time. It worked well for me, and continues to fit my needs. I'm happy with my sound bar purchase.


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## ffitzgerald39 (Apr 17, 2011)

I agree with the need for a sound bar with the newer large screen TV's which have poor sound directed down or out the back.

In the case of Sony TV and sound bar, if you hook them up with "HDMI control" then everything goes through the sound bar amplifier via HDMI. The Tivo remote then contols the sound bar through the TV. The Tivo remote turns on and off the TV and the sound bar. When turned on the TV then switches the sound to the sound bar with the volume controlled by the Tivo remote. 

In my case I also have a Sony Bluray connected thru the sound bar. When I switch the input from TV/Tivo to Bluray using the Tivo remote it not only switches the TV input but also turns on the Bluray player.

With Sony, setting up the "HDMI Contol" is complicated but if you follow the instructions works very well. I did this with the Tivo remote just using the online codes without any learning function.


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## javabird (Oct 13, 2006)

Bigg said:


> Ugh what is it with these awful soundbars? They are basically snake oil, you're never going to get surround sound unless you actually HAVE surround sound. With a full 5.1 or 7.1 setup.





supasta said:


> True, but for me it was a great upgrade to the tinny sound that my TV supplied. As much as I would love to have a large 7.1 system (and I have had a 5.1 system in the past), I didn't have the room after my last move to set it up correctly. Also, a sound bar was a smaller financial impact at the time. It worked well for me, and continues to fit my needs. I'm happy with my sound bar purchase.


I am a bit hard of hearing and the TV audio was not sufficient for me. Voices were muffled and hard to understand. I don't have the room for a surround sound system in my small apartment (nor do I really need one), but the sound bar was an affordable alternative and definitely improved the audio quality.


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## Bigg (Oct 31, 2003)

supasta said:


> True, but for me it was a great upgrade to the tinny sound that my TV supplied. As much as I would love to have a large 7.1 system (and I have had a 5.1 system in the past), I didn't have the room after my last move to set it up correctly. Also, a sound bar was a smaller financial impact at the time. It worked well for me, and continues to fit my needs. I'm happy with my sound bar purchase.


A 7.1 channel system that's not properly set up due to space considerations is leaps and bounds better than some crappy soundbar.



javabird said:


> I am a bit hard of hearing and the TV audio was not sufficient for me. Voices were muffled and hard to understand. I don't have the room for a surround sound system in my small apartment (nor do I really need one), but the sound bar was an affordable alternative and definitely improved the audio quality.


I had an Onkyo S9400THX HTIB in a small one-bedroom apartment. The surrounds and rear surrounds were basically on top of each other, but it still sounded decent, and was well worth it, even with the lack of true 7.1 channel separation.


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

I have TiVo roamio ota connected digital audio cable from TiVo to Sanyo sound bar. Nothing, is the TiVo digital an out? Anyone know what I need to do. The obvious power is connected to the sound bar.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

Bucket73521 said:


> I have TiVo roamio ota connected digital audio cable from TiVo to Sanyo sound bar. Nothing, is the TiVo digital an out? Anyone know what I need to do. The obvious power is connected to the sound bar.


I have a Sanyo soundbar connected to a Roamio OTA via RCA cables and it works fine. I was not able to find a Sanyo code for the TiVo remote that will work (TiVo only provides 1 code number--a no-go), but I was able to teach the code without issue to the TiVo Slide Pro learning remote.

Is connection to the soundbar via digital cable worth it? Also, by any chance did you find a Sanyo code that works on the remote/where-how?


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## JACKASTOR (May 26, 2011)

supasta said:


> True, but for me it was a great upgrade to the tinny sound that my TV supplied. As much as I would love to have a large 7.1 system (and I have had a 5.1 system in the past), I didn't have the room after my last move to set it up correctly. Also, a sound bar was a smaller financial impact at the time. It worked well for me, and continues to fit my needs. I'm happy with my sound bar purchase.


Lmfao, I got my father a Sony sound bar, and his sound is pretty decent. In fact so much so that the sound reverberates throughout the house. Small living room but large sound. Hooked up via the optical out on the tv like yours, and controlled via the TiVo remote.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

JACKASTOR said:


> Lmfao, I got my father a Sony sound bar, and his sound is pretty decent. In fact so much so that the sound reverberates throughout the house. Small living room but large sound. Hooked up via the optical out on the tv like yours, and controlled via the TiVo remote.


Is there a discernible quality difference between an optical connection and RCA cables?


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## JACKASTOR (May 26, 2011)

Mikeguy said:


> Is there a discernible quality difference between an optical connection and RCA cables?


My understanding is the optical is better, but I have no reference to compare at this time.


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## Mikeguy (Jul 28, 2005)

JACKASTOR said:


> My understanding is the optical is better, but I have no reference to compare at this time.


Thanks. I've assumed that to be the case (i.e. that optical is an improvement), but have been too impeded by lack of momentum to go out and purchase an optical cable to test it out--my sound has been just fine with RCA cables (but you never know what you may be missing . . .).


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## Bucket73521 (Apr 29, 2017)

The sound bar doesn't have an on/off. Just connect power cord then the digital audio cable that came with it. May have to get my son to help. He had it connected to a DirecTV dvr. My roamio doesn't have any audio out. Nothing for RCA cable to plug into.


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