Playbar group all controlled with TV remote

  • 5 November 2014
  • 14 replies
  • 1292 views

I already spoke with Sonos support so I know it is not currently possible, but how would I go about requesting the following functionality be added?

Currently I have a Playbar + two speakers in the rear of the room controlled by a Connect:AMP. If I set up the rear speakers as surrounds, I can control the 3 speakers with the TV remote but they will only work as surrounds in TV mode and I would like them to work in stereo (playing the same content as the playbar).  I see that someone had requested the ability of these surrounds to play in stereo mode for music and that functionality has now been added to the software; playing the surrounds in "Full" mode instead of "Ambient", but that only applies to music and not TV.

The other option of course is to use the rear speakers as a separate zone and group them with the Playbar.  This gives me the effect I want (all stereo), but then the TV remote only controls the Playbar, and I have to use my phone to adjust the volume in the rear speakers.

Can anyone come up with a software patch with the hooks to port a TV volume control to also control the volume of all speakers in the same group?

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14 replies

I have the same issue. Please come up with something!
Agreed, very frustrating i have a playbar with a sub and two additional play 3 speakers which sit beside the TV. It sounds absolutely awesome however i want to control it all with 1 remote from the tv instead of using the app all the time.
Userlevel 1
Badge +1
It would be a very welcome upgrade.
Userlevel 7
Badge +22
Seems to be a request / need coming up a lot.
I have the same issue. Would like to get back to using remote for single volume control rather than also having to use app. controls.
Userlevel 2
I too would love to see this. I've just posted a similar ideas before coming across this one. https://ask.sonos.com/sonos/topics/playbar-group-all-controlled-with-tv-remote
+1, for sure
This. This right here a thousand times. I don't want to use my phone app to control the volume every time. I just want to use my remote to control all the speakers at the same time.
Userlevel 3
Badge +7
i agree 100%
Userlevel 3
Badge +7
This is the joke response i got back from Sonos


Thank you for contacting Sonos Customer Care
I can advise that at this present moment you cannot use a Sky or TV remote to control the volume of other Sonos speakers that are not part of the Home Cinema system, however we are always listening to our customers requests and ideas and updating our products with feature enhancements and new releases.

Therefore I would advise that you join our Community Forum and submit your own suggestion and then it may be considered by our development team in the future.


Thank you Sonos, bearing in mind this thread has been going for over a year and there is another thread on here with a similar subject over 2 years with many people requesting this option, I see you are really considering these suggestions - shocking!
Userlevel 1
Hi guys,

Any idea if there's been any progress on this? I had an email echan he with a sonos rep a couple months back and was given the impression "something interesting" was coming in subsequent updates. Just upgraded to 6.3.2 and still no playbar-grouped volume control over tv remote option.
Userlevel 1
*..email exchange.. (iPhone spellcheck went mental as usual).
Userlevel 2
Badge
updates sonos?
Userlevel 2
support replied! yay! see here https://en.community.sonos.com/wireless-speakers-228992/control-all-grouped-sonos-using-tv-remote-control-via-playbar-6703084?postid=16035212