Older TV’s may not even have RCA connections. You could also accomplish this with a series of splitters and adapters but this will likely be more of a headache setting it up than it’s worth. Using a coaxial cable to connect your soundbar to a TV may be a bit complicated, but you can still make it work. In fact, if you’re going to use it when connecting your soundbar to TV, you’ll have to deal with the following: HDMI and digital optical may be the new standard for audio connection, but these aren’t the only options that you have. Qualcomm® aptX™ provides the best connection possible, but even that has a limit with its range. Connecting Soundbar to TV without HDMI The best alternative to HDMI connection is the Optical connection. You only have two connectors for audio—red and white. These will preserve the surround sound, high definition experience you can expect from HDMI or optical. You can connect wirelessly with Bluetooth, or use a 3.5 mm AUX cable, RCA cables, or even an auxiliary device that converts coaxial cable to another kind of connection. The sound bar is supposed to work and get a better sound than TV speakers. You can rest assured that this article covers any difficulty or uncertainty you might come across as you connect your soundbar to a TV.. To use an Optical Cable to connect a soundbar to your TV you need to connect your soundbar … This is the same kind of connection that is used in headphones. It’s almost always the case for old TVs, but you can use aux cable or auxiliary input to transmit audio signals. This is because older TV’s were meant to play cable TV, and that’s it. Most TVs will have a port labelled Digital Audio Output. 2. How to Connect your Soundbar to a TV using an Optical Cable To connect your soundbar to a TV with an optical cable, plug one end of the cable into the optical OUT port on your TV. Your television and the soundbar must have an HDMI port and the cable is also included in the package. You’re in luck if your TV uses RCA cables because most soundbars today can handle two-channel audio configuration. If your TV supports ARC connections, it means you can connect all your kit (set-top boxes, games consoles, etc.) For example, you can find an adapter that converts coaxial to HDMI, but it requires an external power source. Plus, if you’re going to spend money on an adapter and an external power source, you’re better off upgrading an old TV to a modern one with HDMI capability. Connecting your TV to your soundbar wirelessly is the best way to do it without the hassle that comes with cables. What is this hdmi arc port on my tv hdmi arc audio return channel simple ways to connect soundbar a tv hdmi arc and earc everything you samsung hw q70r soundbar review this Here are some of the pros that you’ll get from using wireless speaker conversion kits: Although there are many advantages that you can get from using wireless kits, it’s still far from being the perfect solution. If you want to connect your soundbar using HDMI, your TV will need to support 'HDMI-ARC' – it stands for 'Audio Return Channel' and means the audio can travel in both directions along the cable. There are several methods you can adopt in connecting a soundbar to a TV. my tv, Samsung un65h6203 only has 2 hdmi connections and 1 optical out. So, you don’t need to have the technical know-how when it comes to connecting to a TV using an aux cable. For instance, if you’re going from HDMI to coaxial, you can get an HDMI splitter, feed one end into the HDMI-to-coaxial converter to send a coaxial signal to your TV and the other directly into your soundbar. It’ll even come in handy if you’re trying to keep the connection cables out of sight! Also, read How to Connect a Soundbar to TV Without Audio Output Using an HDMI cable is the easiest way to connect your TV to a soundbar. Even if you’re using digital optical or HDMI for audio connection, you’ll still have to deal with long, messy cables. So those are three solutions you can try to connect your soundbar to a TV without an optical cable. HDMI. If you can find a VCR or DVD player with a 5-channel connection, you can also use an AV RCA to HDMI adapter, but, then again, you can’t expect it to transmit true high definition audio signals. If your goal is only to connect your soundbar to TV, 3.5mm aux is an excellent alternative. Home Theater Academy is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Step 1: Connect the cable TV Boxes, and other media components to your TV using an optical cable. With this device, you’ll be able to take advantage of 3 or more channels without going over your budget just to upgrade your TV. The RCA connections are mostly found in old TV’s. How To Connect Soundbar To TV With Optical Cable. However, if you’re trying to set up a media room with heart-pounding audio, then you might want to consider investing in a newer TV or go wireless. To connect with a coaxial cable, plug the coaxial cable into the VCR or DVD player’s output and the TV’s input. Since for soundbars we just have to get sound we use red and white ports only because the yellow port is … Yes it would product 5.1 is you set the TV to output 5.1 so would It be best to use the optical connection between sound bar and tv then ? For more information, check out my about me page! First of all turn ON “Active source” mode on your TV. With this configuration, you will need to use the VCR or DVD player’s remote to switch between input sources rather than the remote for the TV. TheHomeTheaterDIY.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. However, the type of connection that you can use will depend on your TV. Then plug the other end into the optical IN port on your soundbar. Nonetheless, it’s a nice trick that you can use to instantly upgrade your sound system without relying on modern digital connections. These are devices that we use to play videotapes and video discs. 4. Just connect the transmitter to your TV, then the receiver to your soundbar, and you’re good to go! If you’re going to use conversion kits, you can forget about setting up connection cables and trying to keep them out of sight. Connecting a newer soundbar to an old TV without HDMI by Coolio241 Mar 19, 2016 10:59AM PDT I would like to connect my Sony WCT150 Soundbar to my older (2004) LG TV … Use RCA cable to connect. Or maybe you don’t. That’s because TVs in the past were only capable of playing cable programs. Advantages. This feature is supported by many of the old and new TVs and Soundbars. Unfortunately, most soundbars that are three speaker channels or higher only connect with HDMI, optical, and wireless. Monoprice Premium 2 RCA Plug (Amazon link) is our recommended cable for connecting a soundbar to a TV using an RCA connection because it removes the guesswork. Use your soundbar as a hub and pass a number of devices through it, meaning you'll only need to run one cable to your TV. So, you can easily connect the soundbar with the digital audio cable, plug in the cable’s one side … Here we understood how you can connect the soundbar to TV by the use of HDMI cable. Most TV’s that have either 3.5 mm or wireless capability have HDMI or optical ports. Basic RCA Audio Cables. When using an RCA cable for connection, make sure that your TV and cable has RCA output ports. You likely have a good reason for ditching HDMI or optical connections. Connecting a smart TV to a receiver without HDMI might seem a little bit daunting, but it is very easy. If you already have the television which doesn’t support the HDMI ARC then you can still connect it with some other options. You can read our complete legal information for more details. An quality HDMI cable carries large amounts of digital audio and works with the highest surround sound systems. To connect with a coaxial cable, plug the coaxial cable into the VCR or DVD player’s output and the TV’s input. 2- HDMI Cable ‍ A HDMI cable which is the standard for the interconnecting of all new TV’s and AV equipment is perhaps the second-best way to connect your TV to your soundbar. Use of Analog RCA connections. Home Theater Academy also participates in affiliate programs with Clickbank, ShareASale, and other sites. You can take advantage of more channels. Here we show you how to properly connect two different devices to your Soundbar. There are other options that you can use for coaxial cables, but most of them aren’t worth the clutter and price. Sometimes it may take a little creativity, but there is almost always a way to connect your TV to your soundbar without HDMI or optical. Since for soundbars we just have to get sound we use red and white ports only because the yellow port is for video purposes. You can use HDMI connections to connect a soundbar to the TV without optical cable. How to Connect a Soundbar to TV Without Audio Output, 4 Ways to Connect Your Soundbar to Your TV, Connecting a Sound base to TV without HDMI (ARC) and optical, Acoustically Transparent Screens 101 (Including DIY). A basic RCA audio cable includes two … Your email address will not be published. Here are the 4 best ways to connect your soundbar to a TV without using HDMI or Optical cable. It will only work for your left and right speakers, so you won’t be able to take advantage of soundbars with 3.0, 3.1, or more channels. A basic RCA audio cable includes two connectors: a red cable and a white cable. Let us break down each of … You can find cheaper options, but if you want to get the most out of your TV and soundbar, without interference, you may have to opt for more expensive devices. Most of the TVs you’re apt to see these days have 3.5mm connection, HDMI or optical ports. If your TV happens to support this connection, we recommend using Syncwire nylon braided aux cable (Amazon link). You can do it from the audio menu of TV, or just select the “external speaker” option instead. How to Connect a Soundbar to a TV without HDMI or Optical. HDMI, optical, 3.5mm jack, and RCA cable; you can use all of these connections to go wireless. Wireless conversion kits are true plug-and-play systems for your TV and soundbar. Excluding the HDMI ARC connection which I will come to later. 3.5mm aux cables are reliable and capable of transmitting sounds with an unnoticeable drop in audio quality. You will then connect the VCR or DVD audio output to the soundbar using RCA cables. You need to spend a bit more on wireless speaker conversion kits. Use Bluetooth to Connect Soundbar to TV If you don’t want to connect the soundbar to your TV just for the sake of cable management, then you can use Bluetooth instead. Optical digital audio out cable setup First, you need to deactivate the speakers on your TV. Now, connect the remaining end of the HDMI cable to the ARC or HDMI IN jack. The remote apps and the soundbar remotes give access to the Settings that you may not get from the TV remote. There several ways to connect your soundbar to your TV to your soundbar without optical or HDMI cables. Most smart TVs from Sony, LG, Samsung, Hisense, and Vizio offer Bluetooth connectivity. Just connect one HDMI cable from your TV to the soundbar, and you’re good to go. Here we take a look at a basic soundbar hookup using an HDMI cable connection. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of setting connection cables, then using wireless speaker conversion kits will do the trick for you! This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Just like with 3.5 mm cables, RCA cables largely only have left and right outputs. 1. Set Up HDMI Connections To set up HDMI connections, you’ll need ARC (Audio Return Channel). We’ll discuss all the options in great detail, so stick around to find out how you can do the same for your setup. So, if your television doesn’t have the HDMI ARC Port then you are out of luck. The HDMI OUT or TV-ARC jack is on the bottom side of the soundbar. Hi, I’m Jason. Now, we’re moving to the best alternative to HDMI or optical audio connection. Both connections can effectively transmit audio signals, and you can find these cables in many electronic stores. The RCA connections are mostly found in old TV’s. First of all turn ON “Active source” mode on your TV. You can use just one HDMI cable from the soundbar to the TV to connect it and be done. You can take advantage of lossless audio transmission. The drawback to this method is that you will only get left and right sound. If your TV doesn’t have ARC you can still connect it to the soundbar’s HDMI connection if the soundbar has video pass-through or onscreen menus from the soundbar you may need to access. Thus you’ll need to get creative with the center channel of a 3.0 or 3.1 soundbar. Or, in case you’re interested, you can find the Amazon best sellers by clicking here. However, if you’re working with an older TV, you’re only left with two audio options; RCA or coaxial cables. No matter what your configuration, you can always find some way to connect your TV to your soundbar. Hi! The process may be a bit complicated, but it’s your best—or probably the only—option that you have for establishing an audio connection using coaxial cable. Older TVs, however, are only capable of receiving audio and video. The jack looks like a raised cylinder with a hole in it, and the cable plug looks like a nut with a piece of wire sticking out the middle. Use the optical audio output of the TV to connect to the soundbar. Let us understand the other alternative methods to connect the sound bar to TV without HDMI. I began working for an Audio/Video installation company years ago and realized my passion for Home Theaters! With a little creativity, you can get that sweet simulated surround sound from your soundbar with any TV. 5 Methods To Connect Soundbar to TV Without HDMI. Simply plug one end into the TV and the other into the soundbar. You can often get around this problem with an adapter that converts RCA to HDMI, but you won’t be getting a true high definition signal since the signal is ultimately designed for standard definition RCA and not HDMI. Also, read How to Connect a Soundbar to TV Without Audio Output. Set your soundbar up as a speaker and connect all of your other devices to the TV, then connect the TV to the soundbar. Over the years, I have learned a lot about AV equipment and room acoustics. But what if, for some reason, your devices don’t support these two? If you want to connect to just the TV, then the HDMI connection is … If your TV doesn’t have HDMI port then you can connect your Soundbar with your TV applying two methods 1.RCA Cable, 2.Male to Male Aux Cable. Home Theater Academy is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 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