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Arc TV sound cuts in and out.



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Hi,

I’ve just read a post on FB:

« Great news for all of us unlucky enough to own a Samsung 2020 frame tv, Sonos have finally released a patch (build ending 070) that is a temporary fix for E-arc issues caused by Samsung when connected to a Sonos Arc. Just a shame I have multiple other issues with the TV still . But Thank you to Sonos for listening to your customers , which is more than be be said for Samsung #SamsungTV #sonosarc #athmos »

« It’s not a firmware update it’s a patch (they update your build version ) ask to speak to someone in the tier 2 department (guy called Paul has been helping me for weeks, extremely helpful) he deals with U.K. customer market he is still monitoring the case to see how the patch responds for the customers he has uploaded onto  their arc’s. »

 

Sonos Support in France have not heard about that, if some UK user wants to try...

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OMG, finally!

 

I am showing 12.2.2 build 61183220 on my arc.  Will this update push to customers, or is it some kind of manual thing?

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That would be too simple!

It seems to be manually pushed by the support if you find the right technician…

 

Doug74, thank you so so much :)
just talked to the support (germany) and will get the hotfix as well asap. After i told them, that i have an arc and a frame they already knew, why i am calling

Userlevel 4
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Doug74, thank you so so much :)
just talked to the support (germany) and will get the hotfix as well asap. After i told them, that i have an arc and a frame they already knew, why i am calling


At least you’re getting somewhere - US support doesn’t have a clue even though the community mgr here just posted about the hotfix over in the SAMSUNG eARC thread…..comical….

First post here on the forum -

I just took delivery of an LG CX77 (Still in the box) and Sonos Arc, Gen 3 Sub and a pair of One SL’s for surrounds. Installation will be Saturday. Best Buy Geek Squad will do the installation and set up.

After reading this thread, I am worried the SONOS sound system will not be reliable. I  currently have a Samsung Q80R Soundbar now that works flawlessly. Its decent, but not great. It works reliably with my 7 year old Samsung 1080 65” TV. My intention is to upgrade to the 77” OLED, enjoy 4K and actually use Dolby Atmos.

I was looking forward to ]even better sound with the Song ARC system connected to my new  LG CX OLED TV. But this thread has me worried it will be unreliable. Maybe I should just return the Sonos ARC and get the compatible LG 9.1 Soundbar since I it might have more reliable system synergy and work properly?

I am bummed because I thought Sono ARC/Gen3 sub and One SL’s would be a superior system. I was even excited about maybe adding a second Gen3 Sub.

Should I even try the Sonos ARC system or save myself the anguish? 

Userlevel 7

@gairman Some CX owners have reported the recent firmware updates to the TV have fixed the problems they were experiencing. So be sure Geek Squad updates the firmware on the LG before setting up the Arc.

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Well crap, I thought 3.21.16 on the LG CX had fixed the audio randomly dropping altogether, I think the latest CX firmware has improved the issue but not quite there yet.

Two issues below that occurred yesterday-

Last night I installed the bbc iplayer app on the CX opened it and watched something fine, exited the    app back to live tv and no sound.

On series X I was using multichannel 5.1, I thought I would try bitstream atmos instead, switched to that, started a game, no sound.

Perhaps this is more of a negotiating thing, as on both occasions its when I changed something myself or installed a new app, I will see how it goes over the next week or so and update with my results.

 

In any case its certainly weird behaviour, never had these odd issues on previous soundbars, and I hope Sonos are still working with LG to improve things.

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From another topic page:

 

M

Just had a call from Sonos who contacted me via email (presumably off the back of this thread). Paul, in Customer Care, was absolutely fantastic and very helpful. We ran a series of diagnostics to confirm the problem (he could see the errors) and then he applied the patch to my Arc. Diagnostics during testing on Netflix then showed no errors. Problem hopefully solved (at least until we get a proper Samsung patch). As many others have commented, this is clearly a Samsung problem and not really Sonos’s fault. My one criticism of them would have been they could have tested their device with this Samsung range, given they are the most popular TVs in the world - they could have safely assumed that this pairing would be very common across their customer base. Anyway, great service from Sonos eventually and I was particularly impressed that they took the initiative to email and then call me, rather than expecting me to sit in a queue and call them. Hopefully I can properly enjoy the TV/Arc from this point on...

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That would be too simple!

It seems to be manually pushed by the support if you find the right technician…

 

Isn’t that just the next firmware for the ARC, and you are getting it slightly early from Sonos.

I mean we are officially on 12.2.2, so it would make sense we will all get this eventually?

I would guess this patch uses some code spaghetti behind the scenes to compensate via a hard fix for issues with the Samsung interpretation of eArc - so this probably isn't the next software version that everyone will eventually get - as by then Samsung should have fixed the issue at source and this patch would become redundant.

 

there is also a small chance this patch would interfere with a samsung fix - so I appreciate Sonos taking this approach!

I will have to give them a call and try the Samsung patch because mine is still doing it and the only way to fix mine as of now is to unplug it and that usually fixes it for a week or so. Very frustrating after spending all that money on the 5.1 system. 

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HDMI Arc is just a ‘soft’ industry standard. Making it work depends on good implementation on both sides. If Sonos can “patch” around something Samsung does, then that’s something they should do. Also, if Samsung is doing something that leads the interface to fail, well they should work on it, too.

Samsung and Sonos are both selling a capability. It’s the consumers view of what’s a working product that should matter -- not the companies’ view, especially when an industry standard feature they are selling that should work is not working at a reasonable standard of performance.

Having to unplug and replug a device frequently is just plain nuts. And, by the way, it’s not my TV that’s having to be power-cycled each time, it’s my Sonos Arc. Funny that I just “reset” the Arc and things work.

Presumably Sonos knows about all of its users that have put in reports through its tech support and this forum about the problem. They could try proactively communicating with us.

Meanwhile, there has been some chatter out there about a Samsung software update. Like one exists. My last couple of conversations with Samsung have resulting in them saying that the pushed software already on my TV is as current as what’s downloadable. I’m still waiting to see if Samsung pushes an update on its side. If Sonos is so convinced Samsung is not upholding the standard, maybe they want to sue them or something, to show they are serious and that Samsung’s misrepresentation is damaging them.

Also, if Sonos can prove Samsung is the problem, whey not empower the consumers with the evidence they need to take the steps available to them to be more persuasive with Samsung?

In looking at this message thread I sometimes feel like I’m reading a Dilbert cartoon.

I know most of us are hanging in, because we are otherwise impressed by our Sonos products. 

Userlevel 5
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HDMI Arc is just a ‘soft’ industry standard. Making it work depends on good implementation on both sides. If Sonos can “patch” around something Samsung does, then that’s something they should do. Also, if Samsung is doing something that leads the interface to fail, well they should work on it, too.

Samsung and Sonos are both selling a capability. It’s the consumers view of what’s a working product that should matter -- not the companies’ view, especially when an industry standard feature they are selling that should work is not working at a reasonable standard of performance.

Having to unplug and replug a device frequently is just plain nuts. And, by the way, it’s not my TV that’s having to be power-cycled each time, it’s my Sonos Arc. Funny that I just “reset” the Arc and things work.

Presumably Sonos knows about all of its users that have put in reports through its tech support and this forum about the problem. They could try proactively communicating with us.

Meanwhile, there has been some chatter out there about a Samsung software update. Like one exists. My last couple of conversations with Samsung have resulting in them saying that the pushed software already on my TV is as current as what’s downloadable. I’m still waiting to see if Samsung pushes an update on its side. If Sonos is so convinced Samsung is not upholding the standard, maybe they want to sue them or something, to show they are serious and that Samsung’s misrepresentation is damaging them.

Also, if Sonos can prove Samsung is the problem, whey not empower the consumers with the evidence they need to take the steps available to them to be more persuasive with Samsung?

In looking at this message thread I sometimes feel like I’m reading a Dilbert cartoon.

I know most of us are hanging in, because we are otherwise impressed by our Sonos products. 

Sony can’t out with an update that resolved this issue with the Arc. It resolved my issue. Samsung should do the same. I used to think it was a Sonos issue, but I don’t believe that now. 

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This might help those with a Samsung tv, taken from another Samsung topic.. 

 

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I think my point is that Sonos is the more powerful advocate with Samsung to get this fixed, or if they are in a position to empower Sonos users with what they need to know to be more persuasive with Samsung, they control that information, too.

There is no reason we should just accept supposition. Just because one TV vendor had a problem they fixed, doesn’t mean all TV vendors are at fault, and Sonos is just a victim. I guess Sonos would know that, though, or at least have a point of view somewhere in their engineering or e-suite.

I will add the point that the problem doesn’t just occur “spontaneously” when the Samsung TV and Arc are already communicating successfully. It happens most often when the TV has been in a sleep or “art” or screensaver mode or after the TV has been turned off, and then is ‘turned back on’. And it only happens sometimes.

I spent more than enough time with both Sonos and Samsung tech support for them to know where to start looking to fix the problem. I bet others have, too.

We don’t even know if the problem can just be “fixed” in software. What if it’s hardware? 

However, maybe the tech support (seems to be more the case with Samsung) spends too much time recommending ideas that  have the effect of “blaming the user” (even if that’s not the intent) rather than really exploring the facts and getting things over into software and hardware engineering. For sure, prolonged support conversations leading nowhere do not help the users.

None of the hardware/software companies seem to get to the point of problems nearly fast enough these days, even the ones that try hard. More investment needs to be spent on better diagnostic tools that make tech support go faster.

Can’t just blame the hard working people who interface with us all. I found the Sonos people quite nice and concerned. Just helpless.

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The PCM configuration suggestion is well-intended speculation, in my case. Neither Sonos or Samsung tech support saw that as a solution. I know I’m set up as directed by both manufacturers.

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This might help those with a Samsung tv, taken from another Samsung topic.. 

 

This post is saying that pass-through fixed the audio lag (a separate, but frustrating, issue).  It doesn’t fix the audio cutting in and out.

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Not in my case. Been there, done that. And that is not Samsung’s advised setting, in any event, based on my interaction with their tech support.

I wish I would have know this earlier. Just got my Arc System plus Samsung 85“ Q95T and I have the same drop out issues as everyone else here...and there is still no final solution/answer from Sonos. Unbelievable! After more than 4 months! 

 

 

 

 

 

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There are new soundbars from other manufacturers just hitting the market that use this same interface. While I’d like to see Sonos get serious about this, it is still a possibility they don’t totally own this problem from a technical standpoint. It will be interesting to see how the other manufacturers of soundbars work out in terms of connectivity with Samsung. I haven’t had time to cruise the boards to see what other companies might be having trouble with Samsung TVs. It’s so sad. I love the TV. I love the Sonos Arc driven system. But it kind of spoils the leisure and entertainment mood to keep facing this irritant over and over again.

For the moment, I advise putting your AC where you don’t have to climb over stuff to unplug and replug your Arc. I even thought about adding one of those home automation switches at the outlet, but I think I have to navigate enough remotes to get my TV on and off and navigate to programming. ;-)

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Speak of the devil. Samsung has pushed out a The Frame 65” software update. If the connection gremlins abate, will report in on my experience.

Sams issue with samsung qled 65q95t firmware TizenOs 1460 !

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ALLELUIA

Sonos support have just pushed the patch to my system.

It’s a manual update, they called me this morning and we have done some manipulations together.

I will keep you informed if it fixes definitely the problem or not.

Excellent ! Tell us if the fix is good ! Here , same  issue With my Samsung qled 95t. The sonos arc sound cut off, its seems random… strange.. please dev sonos fix it :-) 

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