It can be a challenge to get your soundbar and TV to work together properly. In this blog post, we will explain three different methods for connecting a Vizio soundbar to a Samsung TV. We will provide step-by-step instructions on how to complete each method, as well as tips on how to troubleshoot any problems you may encounter. Let’s get started!
How to Connect Vizio Soundbar To Samsung TV Using HDMI ARC?
HDMI ARC is short for High Definition Multimedia Interface Audio Return Channel. The purpose of HDMI ARC is to reduce the number of cables between your TV and external speakers, Home Theatre System, or Soundbar. With HDMI ARC, the audio signal can travel both ways to and from the speaker. This mechanism further improves the quality of sound and signal latency.
HDMI ARC is currently the best method to connect your Vizio Soundbar to your Samsung TV. With connection via HDMI ARC, you can control both the TV and the speakers using a single TV remote. The sound quality is comparable to that of an optical connection.
You can follow the steps given below for connecting your Vizio soundbar to your Samsung TV.
- First, make sure that your Samsung TV supports the use of HDMI ARC. HDMI ARC is a common feature among the newer models of Samsung TVs, but older Samsung TVs might have missed on them.
- After you confirm that your Samsung TV supports HDMI ARC, you need to get an HDMI cable that is long enough to connect your Samsung TV to your Vizio soundbar. Since HDMI ARC is the feature of the port, not the cord, all HDMI cables will work for HDMI ARC.
- Now, Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the correct HDMI port of your Samsung TV provided in the back.
- The other end of the HDMI cable goes into the HDMI Port of your Vizio soundbar. Make sure the cord is not stretched and there is still some slack in it. Else, it might get pulled and damaged.
- Now. power on your Vizio soundbar by pressing the power button.
- Turn on your Samsung TV using the remote or the manual button on the TV
- Once you turn on both devices, you need to change the audio setting so that the output mode is HDMI.
- First, from your Samsung TV’s audio settings menu, change the output to HDMI.
- On the back of your Vizio soundbar, select the input to be the “HDMI” option
- Now, play the sound on your TV. If you hear the sound output from your Vizio soundbar, you are done!
How to Troubleshoot The HDMI Connection?
Sometimes, even after following the steps above, the Vizio soundbar fails to produce any audio output for your Samsung TV. The sound is either be produced from the internal speakers of your TV or there is no sound at all. Here are the step for troubleshooting The HDMI Connection:
- Open Settings on your Samsung TV and go to Sound Settings option from there
- Once you are in the “Sound Settings” menu, choose the “Expert Settings” option
- Next, change the “Digital Audio Output” and “HDMI” to PCM
- After this, the audio will surely play from your Vizio soundbar
How to Connect Vizio Soundbar To Samsung TV With Optical Cable?
With Optical cable, you are in for a treat of lossless sound quality. It can be labeled as the second-best option for connecting your Samsung TV to your Vizio soundbar. This is only because you will need two different remotes to control the devices. The quality of sound will be as good as that from the HDMI ARC connection.
The steps for connecting Vizio Soundbar to Samsung TV with an optical cable is given below:
- Find an optical cable long enough to reach from the connecting port of your Samsung TV to your Vizio Soundbar. The optical port is common in Samsung TVs and is usually provided in the back.
- Take out the plastic covers attached to the prongs at both ends of the optical cables. Pull off the plastic cover gently without damaging the fragile and delicate prongs.
- Insert one of the ends of the optical cable into the compatible port on the back of your Samsung TV and the other end to the appropriate port on your Vizio soundbar.
- Now, it is time to power on both your Vizio soundbar and the Samsung TV
- Once both the devices are up and running, it is time to configure the input settings.
- Using the remote control of your Vizio soundbar, press the “input” button and select “optical”
- Next, go to Menu>> Audio>>TV Speakers on your Samsung TV and turn them off
- On the same menu of Audio Settings, look for the “Digital Audio Out” option and change it to Bitstream or Dolby Digital
- Now, play your content on your TV to see if the audio comes out of your Vizio soundbar or not.
- And it is done!
How to Troubleshoot The Optical Cable Connection?
The steps mentioned above work most of the time. But, there might be a rare situation where you might not get the audio output from your Vizio speaker even after following the suggested steps precisely. The sound will be either not playing at all or playing via the TV speakers when turned on from the Settings menu. This is similar to the trouble with HDMI ARC that one might encounter.
Here are the steps to troubleshooting The Optical Cable Connection and resolve this issue:
- On your Samsung TV, go to Settings and then Audio Settings
- From there select the “Expert Settings” option
- Change the “Digital Audio Output” and “HDMI” to PCM mode
- These changes will surely resolve the problem and you can hear the output from the Vizio soundbar.
How to Connect Vizio Soundbar To Samsung TV via Bluetooth?
Connecting your Vizio Soundbar to your Samsung TV via Bluetooth is the easiest option. The sound quality is not as good as HDMI ARC and optical cable though. But, the ease of this method makes it quite popular. Here are the steps for you to follow –
- Connect your Vizio soundbar to the power outlet and turn it on
- Now, on the control panel provided on the Vizio soundbar, press the Bluetooth button to enable Bluetooth. You can also use the remote control of the Vizio soundbar for the same purpose.
- Make sure your Samsung TV is working fine and is powered on. Go to the Settings on your Samsung TV and Find the Bluetooth menu.
- Turn on the Bluetooth and it will start searching for nearby Bluetooth devices.
- After a few seconds, your Samsung TV will detect your Vizio soundbar and it will be listed in the list of available devices with its model number
- You can select your Vizio device from the list and wait for a while for it to pair with your Samsung TV
- Once the pairing is completed, you can play music on your TV and you will get output on your Vizio Soundbar.
How to Connect Vizio Soundbar To Samsung TV using RCA Cable?
RCA cables bring back lots of memories of childhood when we had those classy DVD Players. RCA cable was quite a revolution back then as it worked flawlessly for connecting your TV with external multimedia players and speakers. It can still be used to fulfill the purpose but the quality of sound won’t be as great as with an Optical cable or HDMI ARC. It can be used for emergency purposes at best.
If your HDMI ARC cable is not working and you don’t have a spare one handy, you can use RCA Cables temporarily. Here is how you can use RCA cables for connecting your Vizio Soundbar to Samsung TV:
- First, make sure your Samsung TV has RCA ports (red and white-colored ports). Modern TVs are getting rid of them.
- You will need a red and white audio cable.
- Plug the white cable in the white ports on your Samsung TV and Vizio Soundbar. In the same way, plug the red cables in the red ports on both devices.
- Using the remote of your Vizio soundbar, press the input button and choose AUX as the input option
- On your Samsung TV, go to audio settings from the Settings menu and turn off the TV Speakers.
- Now, in the same menu, you can select the Analog Audio Output to Fixed or Variable option. With the Fixed option, you will be able to control the volume of the soundbar using the remote of the soundbar (that is separate).
- With the “Variable” option, you can adjust the volume of the soundbar along with the volume of your Samsung TV.
