Retired Sonos Staff

Answered

Samsung JS/JU Model TVs Audio Issue with PLAYBAR

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We've determined there to be an issue with Dolby Digital playback devices (including the Sonos PLAYBAR) and Samsung televisions in the JS and JU series. An example of a TV model number of this line would be the Samsung UN55JS8500. The optical output from these televisions doesn't pass a consistent signal to devices wired in through that connection. This could present when you're watching any Dolby Digital content through the TV's optical connection.

As a workaround if you're using one of these TVs, you can set the output of the TV to PCM (Stereo). There isn't any issue currently with that TV streaming stereo content to the PLAYBAR through the optical. Otherwise, you can look into using a different device. Some suggestions for setups and community recommended devices can be found here on our megathread.

We are working with Samsung on this issue, but there isn't currently a timeframe for a resolution. We'll update you as soon as there are any further details.

Because of the nature of this issue, we've added these televisions to our PLAYBAR Compatibility page which can be found here.

Samsung

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Ryan SAnswer

Retired Sonos Staff

Hi everyone,

We've been testing the firmware of these TVs with some of you and have verified that the Dolby handling issues of the past with these TVs have come back as of software version 1510. We're going to work with Samsung to see about sorting out the issue, but we've been able to replicate the cut out issues on both Sonos hardware and other soundbars too. The PLAYBAR has gotten better at handling poor audio signals in recent updates, so this issue is less noticeable than before, but it's happening.

You can verify the installed firmware version by pressing the MENU/123 button on the remote, then selecting Menu, Support, and then highlight Software Update.

For workarounds, while they sort out the firmware, you can either bypass the audio coming from those JS/JU model TVs by plugging your Sonos directly into the source, or an HDMI switcher, or go into the TV settings and set the audio format to PCM instead of Dolby Digital.

I'll let you know here when we've gotten confirmation that the software has been updated.

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inopinatus

Prominent Collaborator I

Right? Shouldn't there be some sort of error correction on the Sonos end that fudges it's way around a bad packet?

They might be trying to do that, but Support people are stuck between a rock and a hard place, they can't announce such a thing until it exists, and you can't accept a problem publicly without inadvertently implying a specific definition of the problem, which until an engineer has definitively fixed it might very well be a wrong definition and/or unfixable until the next hardware revision. In no case do you want to be the Support Person Who Overpromised In Public, it is a severely career-limiting move.

So I understand why the Sonos support team take the it's-not-our-fault line, and in the meantime we can only hope there's actually an engineer inside Sonos working on making the Playbar more robust, rather than an engineer griping about customers being idiots / third party devices being imperfect and marking the ticket "Won't fix".

(Yes I am a cynical tech sector product development veteran)

uncooked meat prior to state vector collapse

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tinpoo

Contributor I

I feel icy shivers running down my spine as I'm reading this thread. I've ordered Playbar several days ago and having a JS9000 myself I am realising that it was not the best idea. So is there any chance my setup will be free of these issues (Playbar+Sub+2 Play 1s, using Smart TV Plex app)? Can various switchers be of some assistance with them or do switchers solve another problem entirely?

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LeftMyWallet

Trending Lyricist I

Tinpoo.... I'm so sorry man.

If you can run dedicated optical from something other than your TV, you should be fine. It's just the passthrough through the Samsung that problems arise. They're not THAT bad, but they're bad enough it will piss you off. Sometimes I go days without a dropout, but then they'll come in a swarm.

Unfortunately the way my house came prewired there's no practical solution to run an optical cable to a switcher. I'd have to bust open drywall to add cables. So I'm kinda stuck. Maybe I can convince the wife to spend $4000 on an LG OLED and move the Samsung to the bedroom. AHAHAHA. No.

Edit: I will say this, though, the playbar sounds incredible. Especially with the new software update. Just for playing music around the house Sonos is amazing. The "fake" surround effect from the playbar can sometimes be surprisingly good.

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tinpoo

Contributor I

Tinpoo.... I'm so sorry man.

If you can run dedicated optical from something other than your TV, you should be fine. It's just the passthrough through the Samsung that problems arise

So if I connect PS4 to Playbar through optical should it eliminate these issues?

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mike_109

Contributor I

Like many others, FAR worse on the 1155 update from Samsung and 7.0 update on Playbar.

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tinpoo

Contributor I

Finally my Playbar is here connected to JS9000. So here checklist on different issues
- 5.1 from ATV content - check
- 5.1 from Smart TV app - check
- 5.1 from PS4 - check
- sound issues (skips etc) - none detected
Haven't used any switch, Sonos-recommended install (via optical)
All in all a wonderful experience much better than I'd feared it would be at first. Maybe it is due to my JS being made for Russian market, maybe it is just me being lucky or maybe it's because I do not use Playbar with any players/receivers but it works flawlessly for me.

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DarwinOSX

Sonos has been blaming this solely on Samsung (read through the thread), but c'mon man..... Do people with Vizio soundbars complain about dropouts? Oh, and what's that, Vizo can do DTS over optical? It's like the person they paid the least was the guy who had to design the input controller....

Yes indeed. Optical only is very outdated and Sonos just wants to keep milking the Playbar. This optical doesn't even do hi res.
The Playbar should have HDMI ARC in and multiple HDMI ports for devices.
How many returns have they gotten because of this since Samsung is a very popular tv brand?

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BoredofBalham

Prodigy II

Anyone notice an increase in dropouts with the release of Sonos 7.0 update? My JU6400 was working perfectly after I updated to the latest Samsung firmware, but after updating to Sonos 7.0 yesterday there was a huge increase on dropouts - they were happening every few minutes.

I have a ks9000 and mine has starting droping out since i updated it yesterday to the point everything will stop for up to 3 seconds then it will come back on then might not happen again for a while. Its starting to get me down as i have tried everything and nothing helps.

It'd be best to give us a call on our support line for this one. We're continuing to test the Samsung TVs to make sure there isn't an issue hitting all of them, but so far we haven't identified an issue that hasn't been unique to the home setup. There was a big issue that we found and helped Samsung fix, but there are many other things that can cause audio cutouts on Sonos regarding the handling of the audio, starting from a potential issue with the stream you're getting to the home, and then from that point to every component that touches it up until it plays at the PLAYBAR. A lot of factors get involved here, and any one of them could cause audio to cut out. We'll help you in every step of the way investigating the issue and helping to find where it's breaking down.

I disagree entirely. It is the playbar. I get cutouts on live tv and from my Sky box - - either via the TV or via optical. I get NO cutouts from PVR, two blurays or streaming from the blurays.

There are too many devices that experience cutouts. It is definitely a problem with the playbar. That you say you are unable to replicate these smacks of head in the sand and now, shifting the blame from the likes of Samsung to the home setup is disingenuous in the extreme. A home setup problem would experience cutouts in all scenarios, not only in some. Live TV is the problem. There is something in the live TV data stream that is causing this. Programme information and switching info is what I see as the difference between live and recorded.

inopinatus

Prominent Collaborator I

There are too many devices that experience cutouts. It is definitely a problem with the playbar. That you say you are unable to replicate these smacks of head in the sand and now, shifting the blame from the likes of Samsung to the home setup is disingenuous in the extreme. A home setup problem would experience cutouts in all scenarios, not only in some. Live TV is the problem. There is something in the live TV data stream that is causing this. Programme information and switching info is what I see as the difference between live and recorded.

Not just live TV. We get the dropouts in video playing from the Samsung Netflix and Plex apps on the KS9000. Curiously, though, not from PS4 or Apple TV (i.e. from HDMI inputs) although we use them far less frequently. Whether that is a useful data point or simply a statistical aberration, I cannot say.

Hope they fill those open DSP lead jobs soon.

uncooked meat prior to state vector collapse

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El Jefe

Lyricist III

Same here with a JU model. Dropouts are back in force across all devices.

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