Samsung QLED Q60T One remote only working when close to Playbar

Eek sorry for the bad spelling! I must of been drinking 🤣 I can not edit it now for some reason. Sorry but I’d love your help please. 

Hello @timoffee108,

Welcome to the Sonos Community and thank you for reaching out with your issue. 

Have you gone through the troubleshooting steps outlined here: Sonos not Recognizing Home Theater Remote?

If you are still having difficulty with your system, please submit a diagnostic report and include the confirmation number in your response so that we can look into this with you.  

Hey Jean C. Thank I you 

the confirmation number is 1918019529

I also run a Sonos connect to my amp to bigger old school speaker. Why would I hear a high piched noise coming through the old school speakers when playing with Sonos? 
Thank you for your help

Timoffee108 

Hello @timoffee108,

Thank you for your response. Are you using your Samsung remote to control the volume on your Playbar or are you using a cable-box remote(or other) Are you still having difficulty using this remote? I don’t see any set-up attempts or commands in the data for your home theater system.

As for the audio disturbance from your conventional speakers, does this only happen when you are playing audio from the Sonos Connect?

Have you tried changing the audio cables and checking the connections?

We may need to conduct a loop-back test on this unit to zero in on the source of this issue.

Hey Jean C. 
yes I’m trying to use the Samsung remote. I went though all the set up in the TV to use the playbar and the remote only worked for volume when I only 30cm away from it. Yeah something looks like it’s changed again. Before when I tried to change the volume with the remote the optical logo would pop up on the left side of the tv and a + or - would be above or below but now just the optical logo is showing when trying. How do I set the remote up in the app? Couonly do it in the TV set up with the optical.

Yes the conventional speaker are only doing it through the Sonos connect. Any help with this set up would be awesome as well. Think it’s more when I’m watching tv. It’s not happening now as I play Spotify through the tv at the moment. 

thank you 

Hello @timoffee108,

Thank you for the additional information . If you need to go back through set up the remote with Sonos, you can find instructions here. 

If you are running home theater audio out to the Connect, that is likely going to be the source of the audio issue.

If you play Spotify directly to the Sonos Connect/TV  Room through the Sonos app and avoid the input source all together, does this stop?

If you run a different audio source line-in to the Connect (turn-table, CD player) does this same issue occur?  

Same problem as you.  I’m still only able to use the Samsung remote when I’m close to the Playbar.  So many others are having this issue as well.  Has Sonos acknowledged this an ongoing problem, particularity since the last firmware upgrade a few weeks ago?

@LarryAC (and @timoffee108 )

If you’ve made sure that the batteries are fresh in your remote and have the Samsung One remote set to output IR, please check the following:

That there are no lights or natural lighting from a window that could be washing out the IR signal and then try reprogramming the remote in the app.

That there is noting sitting in front of the Playbar that could be blocking the IR signal.

I’m starting to wonder if there was a Samsung firmware update at the same time as our S2 update that may have disturbed everyone’s finely tuned set-ups.

Relevant supporting articles here:

1. Samsung One Remote
2. Adding a Remote Control to Sonos HT
3. General Remote Control Troubleshooting.

If you submit a diagnostic report after attempting to add the remote again through the Sonos App, I’ll be able to look at that connection process in the data.

Please be sure to include your confirmation number in your reply.

I have firmware updates set to manual on my TV.  If memory serves me correctly, a new version of Sonos S2 App arrived a few days before I updated the Samsung firmware on my TV.

 If you still want me so submit a diagnostic report I can; however, I sent 2 and while I was on the phone with product support, the lady asked if I would give her my permission do run a report, and I did.  So, 3 were submitted, and after waiting for them to check the report, they tell me they can’t find anything.

So, now I wonder.  Is it the new S2 app, or the Samsung firmware update?

FYI, the lasted firmware for my Samsung is: 1361

Hi @LarryAC,

I was merely speculating as I’m seeing the audio formats as output by Samsung TVs all seem to be reset to something unusual.

I can certainly take your additional information in hand to see if there is any merit to my theory. 

Meanwhile, please take the steps to reprogram the remote in the Sonos app and send along a diagnostic so that I can see if your Playbar is reading the IR signal at all during this process.

The more data we have here the better we will be able to assist.    

There was an update yesterday to the S2 app.  Kept my fingers crossed as the update ran.  It completed successfully.  Tried the volume control.  No change.   I then turned everything off and unplugged the  Playbar, Sub and TV overnight.

This morning, plugged in the TV, Playbar and Sub.  Turned on and waited.  Still the volume control doesn’t work.   Did the Remote Control Setup.  Needed  to be about 3 feet away in order for the app to recognize me tapping the volume button.  After the setup, no change.

Ran the diagnostics again.  The number sent to Sonos is: 151787512.

I checked the batteries with my volt meter, and they are fine.  Even so, I put in another checked set.  No change to anything.

Hope this helps!

Hello @LarryAC,

That’s odd. Can you try programming an alternative remote like one from a cable-box or dvd player? Any IR remote will do this is a test. 

It’s important that you stand greater than 3 feet away from the Playbar during this test process so that we can get a data capture from the “failed” programming attempt.

If you are successfully able to to add this second remote, go through the steps again to re-associate the Samsung One remote. Stay greater than 3 feet away or sit where you would normally be sitting to watch TV.

After these two programming tests, send a follow up diagnostic report.

As a side note, you may want to switch your TV’s audio output format for optical to PCM since you don’t have rear surround speakers set up with your Playbar.   

I have only the Samsung remote.   Remember, this remote worked perfectly for over a year until either the Samsung firmware update and/or the Sonos update.  I have Hulu live, so I don’t have or need a cable box remote.

On my TV, I went to the Expert Settings and changed the Digital Output Audio Format from Dolby Digital to PCM as you requested.  I then ran the Remote setup again from my chair (about 10 feet).  It acknowledged me pressing the volume button, however the green light on the Playbar did not flash, and then it asked me to press the volume up button 3 times, and the green light on the Playbar did flash only once of the 3 times, and then I got the “!” indicating no button has been detected.  I then ran the diagnostics and got a report number 1738824400.

Hope this helps!

Hi @LarryAC,

It certainly does. It’s telling me that your Playbar is able to read an IR signal from your remote which is a great sign.

You may need to try repeating the programming process and be more exacting with the button presses that it requests. 

If possible, turn off the TV itself during this process and turn off any extra lights that might be on in this room. 

Please keep us posted on your progress.  

I waited until nighttime in order to run the remote control setup.  All lights were off except TV and iPhone.  Tried running from my chair.  Didn’t detect a button being pressed.  Got the “!” screen.  I needed to be close in order for the IR senor to acknowledge pressing a button on the remote.  I then tried to run the setup with the TV off from my chair.  I needed to do it quickly before the Playbar went into sleep mode.  Same failed results.  I then turned on the TV and from the TV’s expert setting turned the brightness and everything down to the minimum settings.  Ran the remote control setup again from my chair with no lights on.  Same results.  Didn’t detect a button being pressed and got the “!” again.  I then reran the remote control setup at a 3 foot distance.  Only acknowledged a button being pressed at this close distance.  These are the setting I’m using now and I need to get up and point the remote at the Playbar from a 3 foot distance in order to use the volume control.   It doesn’t matter if the light are on or off.  

It’s obvious the IR sensor works, but only at a close distance and still does not allow me to control the volume from my chair as it did in the past.  No new furniture, curtains, equipment etc.  

Any other thoughts/suggestions?

Hello @LarryAC,

Even if the batteries are still good, try it again with fresh batteries.

If it is still failing then reach out directly to our support team to investigate the IR receptor in this Playbar. 

I’m having the same issue as LarryAC. Has this been solved?

I am having the same problem...  I just bought a new Samsung Q80T 65” TV and set it up yesterday.  I am using the Samsung TV Smart remote that came with the TV (“Remote #1”).  I went through the universal remote setup process on screen and added the sonos device per the instructions.  Remote #1 would then turn volume up when located within 3 feet of the playbar; but, then as you step back a bit further, the IR light on the playbar stops responding to volume button inputs and it stops controlling the volume.  However, the “sonos optical” and the “+” signs do still pop up on the screen when you push the volume but, it just does not control the playbar.

Interestingly, I went back to the BestBuy store thinking that Remote #1 may be a faulty remote.  They gave me another samsung smart remote from a display unit (“Remote #2”) to take home and try.  They cautioned me that I may have to pair Remote #2 with the TV first.  However, when I got home, Remote 2, which I had not paired to my TV, worked immediately to control the volume (from anywhere in the room).  After playing with Remote #2 for a while (still unpaired), however, I noticed that the voice assist button and certain other features would not work.  Since the BestBuy rep told me I may have to pair it, I went through the pairing process (i.e., holding down the return and play button at the same time) until it connected).   When I did that, it told me that I would lose pairing with Remote #1.  Interestingly, after pairing Remote #2, Remote #2 would no longer control the volume on the playbar unless I was within a few feet of the playbar. At this point, I decided to try Remote #1, which was now unpaired; and, guess what?  Remote #1 then was able to control the volume on the playbar from anywhere in the room, but its voice assist button no longer worked.  Hence, ultimately, I was left with one remote that would control sound and another that would handle voice assist.

Unfortunately, now I cannot get either remote to control volume.  Would love it if someone could give me some direction to solve this problem.

You need to make sure to add the sonos device to the Samsung Home Screen. The remote should work then, providing you get paired. Samsung’s remote uses some kind of radio to control the tv. Unless you switch it to IR. The indicators (Sonos optical) indicates the tv is receiving the remote signal. Just make sure the Sonos device is added. I’ll take a closer look at my tv in the morning and may update this. I have a Q70R. It’s been a year since I set mine up. 

I have added Sonos under the universal remote under sources, but how to you add Sonos to the Home Screen and switch the Samsung remote to IR like you mentioned?

Things to check....I’m no expert. Hdmi is connected between your tv hdmi/arc jack (maybe hdmi3 or hdmi4) to your Sonos  device… is it an Arc? Then...go to Home, Source, Connection Guide. Input Device...should help get the remote re-paired… also in Sources … your Sonos should be visible. If not, use the Connection Guide to add it. 

I have the same problem. After update I may only use the Samung one remote from a short ditstance. I have tried everything in this thread. I have had the Playbar and the Samsung tv for many years and it has all been wokring fine until now. Are there anything new regarding a solution to this?

Same issue since yesterday. It worked perfect for weeks before this..Got a Samsung Q95T.

Restarting the playbar fixes the issue for about 30 seconds (volume control is possible during that period). After that the TV shows that I'm changing optical volume but the SONOS Playbar doesn't change volume (it also does this when the volume control is functional). 

Tried the following;

• reboot TV
• reboot remote (change batt)
• rebuild the room config in SONOS (remove all components and recreate the room with components), same results as restarting the playbar!
• unpair + pair the remote, same results as restarting the playbar!
• restart the playbar (remove power), results in 30seconds of working remote than it stops functioning.

All other functions of the remote work fine, its not an IR issue (wouldn't show the Optical image otherwise as well). It functioned perfectly for weeks..

How to fix this? 

Anyone?