topic Sound Bar Not Working With Sony KD55XD9305 Apps in Android TV

Sound Bar Not Working With Sony KD55XD9305 Apps

preeder1963 — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 13:19:58 GMT

Hi

I have a Sony KD55XD9305BU Smart Android TV which is linked to a Cambridge TVB2 sound bar - both a few days old. Linked via the HDMI 4 port which is ARC.

My Virgin Media box, a TV Media Box, and a Bluray player are also connected to the TV via HDMI.

The sound bar works faultlessly with the three boxes listed above.

However, when I use the TV's on board Apps, such as Amazon and BBC I player, the sound fails to make it to the sound bar and I either get silence or a loud clicking. The picture will also stall when trying to watch apps with the sound bar selected and switched on. If I switch to TV speakers then the apps work fine.

I can't really take the sound bar back as I would have to admit it works fine. Is my TV maybe malfunctioning or is there some setting buried deep in the menus that I haven't found yet? Spent most of Xmas on this so any help much appreciated.

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rooobb — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 14:12:35 GMT

It could be some incompatibility on one of the devices you connect to the system. Try disconnecting both Virgin and TV media box and see if the TV/soundbar connection is working...

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preeder1963 — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 12:04:20 GMT

Thanks for the reply Roob. It turned out to be in the Sound Menu - Digital Output Mode. Deselected Auto and forced to PCM. Should have been in the instructions really.

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rooobb — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 12:18:05 GMT

it's not a real solution since you are cutting down any Dolby or dts encoding (unless your soundbar is not able to manage that). but if you are happy with it it's ok

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preeder1963 — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 12:38:21 GMT

I don't really understand that Roobb so now I think I am missing out on something that I would be unhappy about if I understood what it was.

I tried your suggestion of disconnecting all other devices so that I had only the TV connected to the internet via LAN. The problem still occurred. I found that by switching off the sound bar power and disconnecting the HDMI lead I could then get the apps working using TV speakers. If I then connected the soundbar via HDMI to the TV and then turned the sound bar power back on then the sound bar worked with the App (Amazon Iplayer etc).

If I leave the sound bar on and plugged in and switch between episodes within the app, or to another app then the problem comes back.

It also comes back if I leave the sound bar plugged in but powered off. I expect it's only on stand-by anyway and the sound bar is sending something back up the HDMI cable to the TV.

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rooobb — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 13:17:05 GMT

there should be two auto mode:did you tried both before switching to pcm? if yes probably your solution is the best possible

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preeder1963 — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 13:25:25 GMT

Yes there are two auto modes and I have only tried one. Basically, last night I had tried disconnecting all other devices and started going into my John Cleese self destruct mood when I finally got through to Richer Sounds and tried their suggested PCM option.

When I get back tonight I will try the other auto and see what it does. Thanks for your help so far. It is appreciated.

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preeder1963 — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 15:39:50 GMT

Ok I have now tried both Auto modes and neither work properly.

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Anonymous — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 20:14:02 GMT

Hi there

Im coming in the middle of this thread, but im trying to understand the problem. Problem: Your having issues with 'no audio' when using apps such as Netflix, YouTube etc but audio works fine when outputting via HDMI-ARC from devices connected to the TV.

You changed one of the settings to PCM and it therefore works.

So I am now unsure what the issue is?

Cheers

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preeder1963 — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 21:13:14 GMT

Hi Quinnicus - I think Roobb was pointing out that with the TV's digital sound output set to PCM I am going to be losing some of the sound properties DTS etc as I understand that PCM is a compressed format.

Cheers Paul

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Anonymous — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 22:04:36 GMT

Hi there

PCM is uncompressed audio. Have a read of the following 3 links:

https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-pcm-1846928

http://www.whathifi.com/forum/home-cinema/dolby-digital-or-pcm-audio

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=33699811

Cheers

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royabrown — Mon, 09 Jan 2017 22:50:32 GMT

@preeder1963 wrote:
Hi Quinnicus - I think Roobb was pointing out that with the TV's digital sound output set to PCM I am going to be losing some of the sound properties DTS etc as I understand that PCM is a compressed format.

Cheers Paul

Hi Paul

I think a read of this Cambridge Audio 'How To' may be illuminating.

It suggests a couple of reasons why you might be having issues with Netflix.

The first, that the TV might not output sound on Netflix at all, is not the case with these Sonys, I believe.

But the second, that the soundbar can only handle stereo and not any Dolby 5.1, DTS or Dolby Digital, which Netflix can output, is almost certainly the issue.

So PCM is your best bet here with this Cambridge 'bar, and you are not missing out on anything the soundbar can do.

You are missing on any 5.1 or 7.1 sound that Netflix and other apps on the TV can supply, of course; but to get that, you would need a full 5.1/7.1 surround system, or at least a soundbar capable of handling these, like the Yamaha YSP2500 or 2700.

But these solutions are a long way north of £300; enjoy your soundbar for what it is, as a vast improvement on the TV's stereo speakers, with the TV outputting PCM to it.

i think this 'How To' is excellent by the way, setting out all your options very clearly indeed. You bemoaned that the issue you are having doesn't seem to be in the TVB2 help; is there no paper copy of this How To in the box with the 'bar, or at least referred to somewhere? It certainly deserves to be.

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preeder1963 — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 19:21:19 GMT

First Off - thanks very much indeed for the helpful responses, Quinicus, Royabrown and Roobb. Much appreciated.

I have copied the instructions I received from Cambridge with the sound bar to show I am not completely barking. There is a lot of overlap with the "How To" doc you linked to Royabrown but it does not include everything, and there is not a reference to the "How To" doc in the guide either. The "How To" does confirm that the soundbar only handles stereo. Having read the linked docs from Quinicus and your stuff Royabrown I am now happy that I am getting what I deserve from my £300 sound bar. At least this query can stay here to hopefully help others if they try to use the same TV with a Cambridge sound bar running with the default TV settings straight from the box. The "How To" doc wouldn't be much more paper than the "Quick Start" guide so Cammbridge could improve a bit, as could Sony with an explanation of what the sound output options mean. I am still not completely convinced the TV is spot on as the auto setting on digital sound should detect that the sound bar doesn't want the DTS etc and flip to PCM. Unless Auto means the user has to go into the settings menu and switch it over themselves

I am actually running a Sony STR-DG820 AV Amp with a HW45ES projector and Mission speakers in my back room so I don't need much more for the telly, but I would have been a bit annoyed if I'd been left hanging with that lot.

Anyway, cheers all for the heads up, and I will def not be buying anymore AV equipment for a while. Not unless I have the Samaritans on standby on a secure landline.

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royabrown — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 21:41:23 GMT

@preeder1963 wrote:
First Off - thanks very much indeed for the helpful responses, Quinicus, Royabrown and Roobb. Much appreciated.

I have copied the instructions I received from Cambridge with the sound bar to show I am not completely barking. There is a lot of overlap with the "How To" doc you linked to Royabrown but it does not include everything, and there is not a reference to the "How To" doc in the guide either. The "How To" does confirm that the soundbar only handles stereo. Having read the linked docs from Quinicus and your stuff Royabrown I am now happy that I am getting what I deserve from my £300 sound bar. At least this query can stay here to hopefully help others if they try to use the same TV with a Cambridge sound bar running with the default TV settings straight from the box. The "How To" doc wouldn't be much more paper than the "Quick Start" guide so Cammbridge could improve a bit, as could Sony with an explanation of what the sound output options mean. I am still not completely convinced the TV is spot on as the auto setting on digital sound should detect that the sound bar doesn't want the DTS etc and flip to PCM. Unless Auto means the user has to go into the settings menu and switch it over themselves

I am actually running a Sony STR-DG820 AV Amp with a HW45ES projector and Mission speakers in my back room so I don't need much more for the telly, but I would have been a bit annoyed if I'd been left hanging with that lot.

Anyway, cheers all for the heads up, and I will def not be buying anymore AV equipment for a while. Not unless I have the Samaritans on standby on a secure landline.

Hi @preeder1963

We know you aren't doing dog impressions 😞

Here's the document you have, on the Cambridge website, As you say, it's like, but perhaps not quite as good as, the 'How To', which is why I referenced that,

Re 'Auto', this is the TV sending out the 'best' signal it can, and it will rate 5.1 over stereo. Expecting 'Auto' to imply a negotiation with the soundbar over what it can and can't handle is a big ask (even though this is what HDMI does with the 'up' video/audio) at present, for the something of an afterthought that ARC is.

(The people who designed HDMI clearly never looked at what SCART can do, or it would have been bidirectional, video and audio, from the start. In practice, bidirectional audio just about serves, though even here ARC is regarded as a bonus on certain HDMI ports, instead of the absence of it on every port being regarded as a negative).

So if your sound device can't handle the 'best' sound output, you have to take the sending device off Auto, as you have found,

Re buying any more AV, don't fret. As long as it is Sony, or hooked up to Sony, we are your good samaritans (small 's') on standby here, on a line as secure as your internet can manage 🙂

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Anonymous — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 21:50:01 GMT

@royabrown wrote:

Re buying any more AV, don't fret. As long as it is Sony, or hooked up to Sony, we are your good samaritans (small 's') on standby here, on a line as secure as your internet can manage 🙂

Be a good Samaritan and get me one of those new OLED TVs. I wont be too fussy, the 55" model will be fine.

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royabrown — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:17:55 GMT

@Quinnicus wrote:
@royabrown wrote:
Re buying any more AV, don't fret. As long as it is Sony, or hooked up to Sony, we are your good samaritans (small 's') on standby here, on a line as secure as your internet can manage 🙂

Be a good Samaritan and get me one of those new OLED TVs. I wont be too fussy, the 55" model will be fine.

I was kind of hoping you could get me one 🙂

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rooobb — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 11:51:12 GMT

if there should be one for me i'll get it too!!!

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preeder1963 — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:29:39 GMT

Quick update.

Could not get 3D glasses to register so followed the instructions and powered down the TV at the wall socket for a minute or two.

Glasses registered fine but sound bar now completely dead. Only works on optical. HDMI 4 the ARC conn is not outputting any sound not even the loud hissing I used to get.

I am on PCM and have done everything else I can remember but zilch.

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Anonymous — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:32:07 GMT

Hi there

Try powering down the TV from the wall again ? Could be just a simple HDMI Handshake issue.

Cheers

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preeder1963 — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 00:45:14 GMT

Yep tried it again Quinnicus and absolutely nothing. Just the flashing bar on the sound bar that shows it is receiving no input.