Sony A80K OLED settings with Playbar to work for TV sound.

 This below is all I could find from Sony on this issue. Nothing about using the optical cable. 

Adjusting an audio system connected with an HDMI cable or digital optical cable

1. After connecting the TV to your audio system, press the (Quick Settings) button on the remote control, then select [Settings] — [Display & Sound] — [Audio output] — [Speakers] — [Audio system].
2. Turn on the connected audio system, then adjust the volume.
   If you connect a BRAVIA Sync-compatible device with an HDMI connection, you can operate it by simply using the TV’s remote control.

Note

• You need to configure the [Digital audio out] settings according to your audio system. Press the (Quick Settings) button on the remote control, then select [Settings] — [Display & Sound] — [Audio output] — [Digital audio out].
• If the audio system is not compatible with Dolby Digital or DTS, set [Settings] — [Display & Sound] — [Audio output] — [Digital audio out] to [PCM].
• The [Digital audio out] settings are disabled when using audio signals that are passed through from the HDMI input and using eARC.

I currently have a Sonos Gen 2 Playbar system along with my Apple TV. Today, I purchased a Sony OLED A80CK Bravia 4K TV. While going through setup, they said that my current Playbar is unable to connect to the new TV even though it has an optical cable input.

This was from Sony tech support, below in red, regarding a new Sony Bravia TV I purchased.  They said I would have to upgrade to the E-arc cable system. 

Please be informed that all new Sony TV's will have this Bravia sync feature and devices should be connected via HDMI

This is so frustrating. I just want a 4K TV that will work with my current setup of Sonos Gen 2 Playbar and Apple TV. 

Do you have a recommendation of which brand of TV would work with my current Sonos Gen 2 Playbar with the optical cable input? I don’t want to upgrade my Playbar at this time. 

Full disclosure: I don’t have a SONY TV

The A80CK has an optical output. Look for a TV configuration option to enable this output. Maybe this will help.

The other connection method would be to use the HDMI to optical dongle that was included with your PLAYBAR. Note that there is no PLAYBAR Gen 2.  Do you have an ARC? or BEAM?

I don’t have the ARC or BEAM, it was before that

I am also not a Sony owner….

But I don’t think the adapter would work with a PLAYBAR @buzz, it goes the opposite way, i.e. optical to ARC, and not ARC to optical.

I do agree with your first statement, it should be easy to connect an optical cable from the TV’s optical output to the optical input on the PLAYBAR.

And agreed that there is no gen 2 of the PLAYBAR. There is a gen 2 of the Beam, though, which is probably why buzz was asking for clarification. 

Optical is a one way format, so the PLAYBAR would not be sending a signal back to the Sony. However, there is likely a setting in the TV’s audio area that needs to have the optical output (sometimes called digital output) turned on. And, since it’s an optical connection, and has limited bandwidth, you also need to lock down the TV to a maximum of Dolby Digital. Anything higher than that wouldn’t be carried or interpreted. 

I do not remember the Playbar came with an HDMI optical dongle - my Beam came with an optical to HDMI dongle though.

Most smart-TV’s these days use HDMI-ARC/eARC for their soundbar connection, like you see on the new Sonos Arc or Sonos Beam(2) and they use the HDMI-CEC protocol (by default) for volume control. but the ‘old’ Playbar has an optical connection only (no Arc/eARC port) and so it uses infrared instead for volume control. Use almost any TV remote with infrared to adjust its volume. 

Many TV remotes nowadays use Wireless Bluetooth or RF instead of infrared, to control volume direct via the TV (using CEC) and can adjust the volume of the Arc/eARC connected soundbar - but optical out audio is set at ‘fixed’ volume - so to control the PlayBar you need to enable (switchover) the Wireless Bluetooth ‘remote’ to use infrared for volume adjustment direct on the connected soundbar - many TV manufacturers support this (but not all) so check with Sony if their remote has ‘universal IR’ capabilities and ask how you enable them. In some instances manufacturers sell a separate remote that has IR built in, but that involves a separate purchase. 

I haven’t been able to find an answer online for this particular TV ‘remote’, so I suggest contacting Sony Support and see if they can tell you if it’s possible to enable ‘universal IR control’ on their A80K ‘remote’ and hopefully that will then quickly resolve the matter. You then just need to go through the ‘remote’ setup as per the link in my earlier post.

@Ken_Griffiths .

Yes, You understand my issues. It looks like I am going to have to live with a  3 remote system on the cheap end or update to the ARC bar and get it all to sync. The other issue is the TV tuner on the Sony TV is horrible. I can’t get any local channels they are all pixeled with my TV antenna.  So for that reason. along I think the TV is going back. I need a TV that can get my local channels for TV.  Maybe I can find a 4K tv that uses the optical only and save some cash from the force upgrade from my 4 year old soundbar.  For 1000 bucks i was hoping it would not outdate that fast. 

I appreciate it’s no comfort, but the true position is ...you perhaps purchased the Playbar 4 years ago 2018/19 - it was actually first released February 2013, so it was a design that was over 5 years old at the time of purchase. It was superseded a couple of years later by the Arc in June 2020. I would check with Sony Support about all your issues as they may be able to (hopefully) resolve all the issues you mention.