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Hey all,

I am a newbie on this stuff, so please be kind.  I recently purchased a cheap LG tv, which of course, has terrible internal speakers.  With my old TV, I used an older soundbar that connected via Dig 3.5 mm cable, which worked well. This new LG, of course, has no such port. I tried connecting via optical cable, 3 diff ones, in fact, with no sound. This led to my next option, a Sonos Beam. Got it today, plugged it into the tv, did setup via app, and…...you guessed it, no sound.  App says nothing found after plugging HDMI ARC cable into appropriate port on TV.  Unplugged & turned off TV, started over, same result. Tried calling Sonos, nobody home.  So, called LG, they gave me a few suggestions, again, no sound.  They said they would call Sonos and get back to me Monday. Not to be a pessimist here, but I’ve heard that one before.  Is there any other than the steps that are given elsewhere in the forums here, left to try?  I am thinking that the LG firmware is the culprit here, but per their support technician, mine is up to date.  Are there any suggestions for a TV purchase that WILL actually work with most soundbars?  For anyone considering LG  tv’s, just be aware you will probably NOT be using the most common soundbar makes, possibly their TV’s only work with LG soundbars?

Thanks for listening….

Cybersco

Hey @cybersco! Mind letting us know the TV model number? It may have a specific setting or not have an ARC port. Do you see the Sonos background style when when you change the TV source to the HDMI port the Beam is in?

So, there’s a lot to discuss here. Have patience with me. ;)

First, are you certain that the Beam is plugged in to a port that is labeled HDMI-ARC? And is HDMI-CEC turned on in the TV? It might be called Anynet +. 

Which LG TV is it? It’s entirely possible that you may want to at least test the Beam by connecting it via optical cable to the adapter that came with the Beam.

You’ve done a lot of things, but often the order is important. If you’re rebooting (unplugging) the TV, it is best done after connecting the Beam via HDMI-ARC, since the reboot process forces a new handshake, and if the Beam isn’t connected, the new handshake won’t happen.

Sonos phone support isn’t open on weekends, as reflected in the times listed on the Contact Us link at the bottom of the page. They do have 24/7 support via Twitter, though.

You haven’t indicated what the source of the video is that you’re testing with. If it is external to the TV, you need to be sure that it is sending a Dolby Digital signal to the TV, and not a Dolby Digital Plus, or DTS, or Dolby Atmos signal.

Just to say with LG TV’s you usually need to enable ‘simplink’, 'auto power sync’ and set the sound-out to HDMI-ARC… which is usually HDMI-2 on most of their sets. The audio-out codec can be set to 'Auto' or 'Dolby Digital' (just don’t choose Dolby Digital Plus).

So look for these things in the TV settings.

Thanks, Ken. I can never keep all the random names for HDMI-CEC straight in my mind. On my TV, it’s called HDMI-CEC. Crazy, I know. 

Thanks, Ken. I can never keep all the random names for HDMI-CEC straight in my mind. On my TV, it’s called HDMI-CEC. Crazy, I know. 

Yes, its sometimes difficult to recall the names that the TV manufacturers use for HDMI-CEC control .. so much for it being an actual agreed standard, eh? 😀

i particularly know the LG settings as I use their TV’s here at home … love their C9 OLED TV by the way. Works great with Sonos HT products.👍

Alex et all, 

First, it is one of the el cheapo models, namely the SM9000pua.  Also, yes, I have it plugged into the HDMI 2, clearly labeled ARC.  I also have set the appropriate LG sound setting of HDMI ARC and set the Sound to Standard.  Obviously, when the Beam is plugged in, I select external ARC selection.   Sonos NEVER shows as background, nor does the Sonos app ever see the LG when plugged into the ARC port.  Honestly, if it takes a sound engineer to get this bloody thing working, then something is amiss with either or both of these companies, IMO.  Thanks for the various suggestions, but I am not getting any warm fuzzies from this endeavor.  

Sonos NEVER shows as background, nor does the Sonos app ever see the LG when plugged into the ARC port.  

The fact you aren’t even seeing the wallpaper is a concern, need to see that before the ARC can even start.

Try using a different HDMI cable to begin and ensuring it is, I don’t mean to make you sound stupid, but fully clicked in on both ends too. 

Also try a different HDMI port on the TV to see if the wallpaper shows, make sure that HDMI port isn’t borked

I guess I am stupid, because the port works just fine with any other device.  I am not sure what is meant by ‘wallpaper’.  Someone at Sonos keeps asking me to run diagnostics, but refuses to tell me how to do this task. Whatever happened to ease of use principles?  
Thanks for trying to help…...

Wallpaper is the Sonos screensaver, which you should see when you switch TV input to HDMI-2 ARC connection.

System Diagnostic … see this LINK

 

cybersco,

Another useful link perhaps …

https://www.lg.com/uk/support/product-help/CT00008334-1435054110267

Also checkout YouTube video for your particular LG TV model and how to connect it to an external receiver/speaker, as there maybe a step by step tutorial for you to easily follow. 

 

Ken, Thanks, and it is definitely NOT showing any screensaver, but that’s probably because the Sonos setup app is saying that there is no recognition after plugging it into the ARC port, methinks.  I will check out the links you provide.  

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