Please recommend me a solution to this problem

It will be the first TV that I have ever come across, where it’s not possible to disable CEC control and the connected Soundbar via the TV settings in order to allow the TV to use the headphone output.

This is what I just did:

Remove the HDMI Cable from the Beam

This enabled the Bravia Sync Option.  So I turned it OFF.

Plugged back in the HDMI on the Beam.  Sync Option remains OFF.

Get sound from Beam and can control volume.  But Digital Output still deactivated.

Changed eARC from Auto to OFF.

Digial Output now active, but no sound from Beam.

So are you now able to switch between the Beam audio and headphone audio outputs, just by toggling a particular TV setting on/off?

If I repeat the steps previously mentioned, removing HDMI Cable etc. I cannot get sound from the Beam with the Bravia Sync Option OFF.

I need to be able to turn this Sync ON and OFF to enable the Digital Output but once it’s ON you cannot turn it OFF (greyed out) without removing the HDMI from the Beam.

I think your suggestion to contact Sony is not a bad one, so I will go down that path and see if it returns anything.

Thanks very much for your input and time, it is greatly appreciated.

This method seems feasible, why it did not work 🤔 . Let me just check it personally.

I personally would not be happy having to regularly remove the HDMI cable from the TV, just to use the headphone port - I still think there must be a simple answer to this. I don’t think Sony engineers would have missed this off their TV’s, particularly as both our Samsung and LG TV’s here, each support this by switching off CEC in the TV settings - it’s probably something Sony have perhaps built into their TV ‘remote’, perhaps🤔? 🤞🤞

it’s probably something Sony have perhaps built into their TV ‘remote’, perhaps🤔? 🤞🤞

Got onto Sony Support via Chat and here is an extract I received after quite sometime with them trying to get the point across.

Me (28/12/2022, 11:26:17): I just need a Yes or No answer to this question:

With and eARC Device connected to the eARC Port on the TV and Bravia Sync Enabled should the Digital Output be still active? 

Kimberly C (28/12/2022, 11:28:22): As per our Level 2 technical support, there should be a light on the digital output port even if there is HDMI connection made, meaning even while the BRAVIA Sync is enabled and the HDMI is connected to the eARC port, a light would still be on. However, as you have said that when those two are on, the light is not showing in your digital output port, we will have to review a video so that we can check this concern. 

So I have provided a video to them showing to issue, but all Level 2 techs are not available to review it until next week.

Another forum suggests what I’m seeing is normal for my TV so I don’t hold out much hope of a Sony solution.  Surely this should not be so hard nor an usual situation.

Noo replyy.?

Thanks for the reply indeed.. joining this forum was actually worthit. :D

There is no exact specification for CEC interaction between units. For example: a unit may announce that it has turned ON, but it is up to the other units to follow-up. Supposedly, when the HDMI cables are first connected, the units will announce to each other and work out a scheme to interact. When a cable box is powered ON, the chain of components should also turn ON and select the proper signal path. If the cable remote issues a Volume command, where should this command land? Normally, it would be at the TV, unless an A/V receiver or SONOS is in the chain. In our case the SONOS unit should announce that “I own Volume commands”, but if the other units are not listening when this is announced … 

If there is an issue, MFR ‘A’ blames ‘B’ and ‘B’ blames ‘A’. Sometime later, after ‘A’ has received a ton of specific complaints about the ‘A’/’B’ mess, a firmware update is issued -- maybe fixing the specific ‘A’/’B’ issue, but a MFR ‘C’ product is now messed up. Meanwhile if MFR ‘B’ decides to issue a fix, it might break the ‘A’ fix and the circle continues -- always “not our fault”.

@buzz - Thanks for your reply and great explanation.

However I am still left with a problem that I have been unable to solve.  I don’t believe Sony will be any help and I think I’m stuck with the Digital Output on the TV being deactivated while having eARC and Bravia Sync enabled.  Hence I need another solution.

I need something that will pass through HDMI, from my Media Player, while at the same time giving me a decoded Digital Output. 

I have already contacted J-Tech and they have told me none of their devices are able to simultaneously send audio over an HDMI output and have a Digital Output.   I’m waiting for a reply from Orei.

I don’t believe my request for such a device is unreasonable nor should it be hard to achieve.  I also don’t think I could be the only one that has come across this issue.

I welcome any input or comments on this and please tell me if I’m being unreasonable or if there is a better way of solving this issue.