Playbar and Harmony One

  • 18 February 2014
  • 6 replies
  • 1258 views

Userlevel 2
Hello all-

Having an annoying issue. I have the Playbar connected to my media center, and use a Harmony One. I followed the instructions to get the Playbar loaded as an amplifier into the Harmony One, and I'm able to control the volume when watching something on my media center. Problem is when I switch away from the media center. When watching regular TV and I change the volume, the Playbar will adjust it's volume (even though it's not in use). So when we switch back to the media center, the volume is always too low or too high. Is there a Harmony setting I'm missing to have the Playbar NOT receive IR signals when not in use?

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6 replies

Userlevel 2
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Train your playbar to respond to a discrete set of IR signals by adding a separate device to your Harmony (I.e. Any other tv or amp not in your set-up). Then it's up to you to ensure that your Harmony is properly programmed to control the correct device at the correct time.

There is no way to turn off the playbar's ir.
Userlevel 2
Why wouldn't you use the Playbar for audio while watching regular tv?
Userlevel 2
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Probably because the Playbar is not connected to his TV but rather to his media centre.
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Is there a Harmony setting I'm missing to have the Playbar NOT receive IR signals when not in use?

Are you changing "Activities" on the Harmony when you go to regular TV? You should be able to program the volume buttons on your "regular tv" Activity to use the TV volume commands instead of the Sonos Amp commands.

If you have already done that, as I suspect you have, you might have already programmed your Playbar to respond to the TV IR controls. (Playbar can use the Sonos Amp codes and the trained IR controls separately.) Tell the Playbar to unlearn the previous controls and relearn some other non-functional IR signal, and then it should only respond to the Sonos Amp control in your Media Center Activity.

(Looking back on it, that might be what Quintus already managed to say in a lot fewer words.)
I’m having the same issue. Does anyone know if you have to use the IR on the play bar or can the harmony one commicate the same way it does to the Sonos One? I feel like that would fix the issue.
I think it depends on which Harmony remote you're talking about. I believe the ones that use the "puck" and are set up to control the Sonos PLAYBAR for volume, rather than the TV volume would use wifi to control it. But if the program for the Harmony is set up to control the TV, then it would use the IR transmitter.

Note: This is speculation, I've not tested this at my home.

Ah, I see you actually said the Harmony One, which does use the puck. I believe my statement above stands, however. Set up the programming on the Harmony to control the speakers, rather than the TV for volume, and I think you'll be good.