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While televisions have come a long way, today's televisions are lacking in the audio department.
I recently bought a TV for my bedroom and while I was very happy with all the features, the audio quality was disappointing.
That's when I decided to invest in an external speaker. They give your TV the premium audio support it needs.
When it comes to sound bars, Vizio sound bars are among the best thanks to their multi-channel audio output and superior bass quality.
Of course, I decided to buy myself a Vizio soundbar and since the soundbar is an external device, I had to manually connect it to my TV before I could use it.
I spent a lot of time searching online articles and forum threads to find out the different ways I can connect my Vizio sound bar to my TV.
To connect your Vizio sound bar to your TV, you can use an HDMI cable, RCA/analog cable, optical/SPDIF cable, or connect via Bluetooth. When you connect your sound bar, you can use Vizio's "Learn Remote" feature or enable HDMI-CEC control to control your sound bar.
In this article, we cover the different ways to connect your Vizio soundbar to your TV, step by step, as well as the different ways to control your soundbar with a remote.
Connecting a Vizio sound bar to a TV with an HDMI (HDMI-ARC) cable
Connecting your Vizio sound bar to a TV using an HDMI cable is the most common way to connect devices.
This method is recommended because not only can you connect the sound bar to your TV, but you can also use the ARC connector to control the sound bar with your TV remote.
To connect your Vizio sound bar to your TV using an HDMI cable:
- Unpack your Vizio sound bar from the original packaging. Also, make sure that you have removed all necessary accessories such as screws, brackets, cables, etc.
- Find the HDMI ARC cable that came with the Vizio sound bar package. Connect one end of the HDMI ARC cable to the HDMI Out ARC port on your sound bar and the other end of the cable to the HDMI port on the back of your TV.
- Use the power cord in the soundbar box to connect the soundbar to a power outlet. Once connected, turn on the soundbar.
- Once the sound bar is turned on, use the "Input" button on the sound bar to change the setting to "HDMI".
- Open your TV's audio settings and switch to "HDMI" as well. After following these steps, your sound bar should be connected and you should be able to use the sound bar with your TV for audio.
Connect a Vizio sound bar to a TV using an RCA to analog cable
Follow these steps to connect your Vizio sound bar to your TV using an RCA/analog cable:
- Unpack your Vizio sound bar from the original packaging. Also, make sure that you have removed all necessary accessories such as screws, brackets, cables, etc.
- RCA cables are usually red and white in color, but these days they come in other colors. Connect one end of the RCA cable to the port labeled Audio Out on the back of the sound bar. Similarly, connect the other cable to the round RCA connector on the back of the TV.
- Use the power cord in the soundbar box to connect the soundbar to a power outlet. Once connected, turn on the soundbar.
- Once the sound bar is turned on, use the "Input" button on the sound bar to change the setting to "AUX".
- To set up the sound bar, open the menu bar on the Vizio sound bar remote and click the Audio option from all the options displayed on the TV. First, locate your TV speakers and turn them off to eliminate interference from your TV's native speakers. Once you've done that, change the Digital Audio Output setting to Bitstream or Dolby Digital for the most effective audio output.
Connect a Vizio sound bar to a TV using an optical/SPDIF cable
To connect your Vizio sound bar to your TV using an optical/SPDIF cable:
- Unpack your Vizio sound bar from the original packaging. Also, make sure that you have removed all necessary accessories such as screws, brackets, cables, etc.
- Remove the SPDIF cable from the packaging. Remove the protective caps from each end of the cable.
- Connect one end of the optical cable to the port on your soundbar labeled "Optical." Plug the other end of the optical cable into the round optical connector on the back of the TV.
- Use the power cord in the soundbar box to connect the soundbar to a power outlet. Once connected, turn on the soundbar.
- Once the sound bar is turned on, use the "Input" button on the sound bar to change the setting to "SPDIF".
- To set up the sound bar, open the menu bar on the Vizio sound bar remote and click the Audio option from all the options displayed on the TV. First, locate your TV speakers and turn them off to eliminate interference from your TV's native speakers. Once you've done that, change the Digital Audio Output setting to Bitstream or Dolby Digital for the most effective audio output.
Connect a Vizio sound bar to a TV via Bluetooth
You can also connect your Vizio sound bar to your TV wirelessly via Bluetooth.
To do this:
- Unpack your Vizio sound bar from the original packaging. Also, make sure that you have removed all necessary accessories such as screws, brackets, cables, etc.
- Use the power cord in the soundbar box to connect the soundbar to a power outlet. Once connected, turn on the soundbar.
- Once the sound bar is on, press and hold the Bluetooth button on the sound bar. This puts the soundbar into pairing mode and begins searching for devices to pair with.
- Open your TV's Bluetooth settings. Once you turn on Bluetooth and make your TV discoverable, you'll receive a notification when your soundbar finds your TV. All you have to do is confirm the connection to pair your soundbar with your TV.
- If all the steps have been followed correctly, your Vizio Sound Bar should now be connected to your TV and you can use it to output sound.
Use a backup remote and the Learn Remote feature
Certain Vizio soundbar models may learn to respond to a different external remote.
While the method for teaching the soundbar to respond to the new remote varies by model, they follow a similar pattern.
To program your soundbar to accept remote IR (infrared) commands:
- Use your original soundbar remote and press the menu button.
- Use the Up/Down buttons to navigate to the Prg Remote option.
- Use the Next/Previous buttons to toggle between Learn Vol +, Learn Vol – and Learn Mute.
- To program each button, select the option. Then press the play button to put the soundbar into learning mode. Once the sound bar is in learning mode, press the corresponding button on the new IR remote. After all of the soundbar's LEDs have blinked twice, your soundbar has successfully learned to respond to your new remote.
Use a compatible universal remote
If you do not have the Vizio sound bar remote and your sound bar does not have an HDMI ARC port, you will need to purchase a universal remote that is compatible with the Vizio sound bar.
most ofBest Universal Remotes for Vizio TVsWorking with Vizio sound bars.
You can find many of these universal remotes online, along with detailed instructions on how to get the remote to work.
Enable HDMI-CEC control through the ARC port
If your sound bar has an HDMI-ARC port, you can connect it to the HDMI-ARC port on your TV using an HDMI cable.
After following the steps above, you may need to adjust your TV's CEC settings to be able to control the sound bar with your TV remote.
Some newer TV models have HDMI ARC auto-device detection, which allows you to automatically control your sound bar with your TV remote.
Troubleshooting the HDMI connection
In some cases, you may encounter problems connecting your Vizio soundbar to your TV using an HDMI cable.
First check the HDMI cable and make sure the cable is not twisted or damaged in any way.
Also make sure that the HDMI cable heads are intact and that the internal pins are not damaged.
Another reason for connection problems can be incorrect device settings.
Make sure the input option on the sound bar is set to HDMI and the audio output option on your TV is also set to HDMI.
Make sure the HDMI cable you are using is connected to the HDMI output on your soundbar and not the HDMI input.
contact support
If you're still having trouble connecting your Vizio sound bar to your TV, it means there may be an internal problem with the sound bar.
In this case, contacting us is enough.Vizio Customer Care Team.
Be sure to mention your soundbar model, as well as any other troubleshooting options you have implemented to resolve your issue.
If you have an active warranty on your soundbar, you can get a free repair or even a replacement.
Diploma
So there you have it, connecting your Vizio soundbar to your TV is pretty easy and shouldn't take long.
Another common problem that consumers complain about is a faulty Vizio remote control.
Some simple solutions to this problem are to make sure there is a direct line of sight between the remote and the soundbar, use new batteries for the remote, manually reset the remote, or change the soundbar.
You may also be interested in reading
- Vizio Sound Bar Not Working: How To Fix It In Seconds
- The best HomeKit soundbars with Airplay 2
- Who makes Vizio TVs? are you OK
- The best external speaker for TVs: everything you need to know
frequent questions
Why won't my Vizio Surround Sound connect to my TV?
The reason Vizio Surround Sound is not connecting to your TV is that you may have accidentally plugged the HDMI cable into the wrong port.
You may also need to enable the "CEC" and "ARC" features on your TV and unplug any other connected audio devices for your sound bar to work.
How do I wirelessly connect my Vizio sound bar to my TV?
You can connect your Vizio sound bar to your TV by pairing it with your TV via Bluetooth.
How do I connect my Vizio sound bar to WiFi mode?
Press the "Menu" button on the Vizio sound bar remote.
Use the arrow keys on your remote to scroll through the menu until you reach the "Wireless Settings" option.
Press the play button on the remote to select this option and put your Vizio soundbar into Wi-Fi or pairing mode.
What is the input button on the Vizio sound bar?
The input button on the Vizio sound bar is used to select the type of input connection (HDMI, RCA, or optical) that is used to connect the sound bar to the TV.