Self Start

With respect to the SONOS spontaneous play: does anyone use SPOTIFY while in your house?

If the TV is starting spontaneously, the SONOS soundbar can follow if you are connecting with HDMI. You can prevent this with a CEC blocker.

So far, there has been no documented case in which the problem originated with Sonos. I feel for your position, indeed I would be looking elsewhere. If the source was the TV, you could potentially turn off the ‘autoplay’ function in the Sonos controller, which would mean selecting the TV input in the Sonos controller each time, but removing Sonos, including your Arc (S19)  from any smart home apps is difficult. You might also turn off the microphone on the Arc, but that only stops voice command from entering in that portal, it doesn’t stop other devices from being able to control the Arc.

In the past, there have been a few cases caused by a cable box, which energizes the HDMI ARC during updates, which then of course is sent by the TV to Sonos, you may want to look at that potential. In fact, if memory serves, there has also been a case where the TV update energized the output, which Sonos would play. 

Appreciate the replies.  As for Spotify, we don’t have it.  The only music app we use is YouTube (not YouTube TV either, just plain old YouTube to make playlists), although the Sony TV interface uses what looks like a Google interface with a bunch of extraneous 3rd party stuff that only makes it take longer for it to start.

As for HDMI the idea of having to get special adapters or cables seems to be self defeating, why not then just switch back to optical or even RCA cables.  The HDMI cable between the Sonos and the TV HDMI 3 (eARC / ARC) was a 12’ (3.6m) Rocketfish High Speed w/Ethernet RF-G1169. The HDMI cable between the DirecTV STB and the TV HDMI4 is 12’ (3.6m) Rocketfish 4K High Speed w/Ethernet RF-HG12501.  The idea that these cables should need a CEC blocker adapter is too detesting to even ask why.

As for ‘selecting the TV input in the Sonos controller each time’ - am not sure how that would work as the TV was set to default to the external Sonos, or would the Application (controller?) act like a Sonos power reset or reboot switch, except then a device with the app installed would need to be used and kept by the rest of the remotes. Don’t need another remote controller.  I think Alexa figured out how to use Sonos but it still shouldn’t start up by itself with out someone telling Alexa to do so.

The cable box is an intriguing thought as lately DirecTV seems to bypass satelite entirely if it detects any internet connectivity, and we don’t have the best speed either.  It would be an easy thing to troubleshoot by elimination, except all our TV shows go through it and am not anxious to explain why it doesn’t work anymore if it happens to not come back normally. Another possibilty maybe the Google smart speaker downstairs - I should just unplug it entirely as its been so long since I used it that I forgot all about it, but it may have latched on for no good reason, but again it should not start up w/o someone telling it to.

I think I may have just talked myself into putting it back on the wall but with a power strip that can manually left off so that it’s only turned on when needed to watch something special.  Although a side benefit of being without Sonos is that there are no more random audio delays when pausing, fast forwarding, and rewinding.  HAL in 2001 and the Terminator are becoming more and more uncomfortable to watch.  Let me know if Sonos ever makes one that just has a On and Off button.  Thanks for the replies and ideas.

With respect to Alexa there will sometimes be a reaction to conversation in the room or program audio content.

If Alexa responed to a conversation in the room with the doors locked and nobody in it then maybe it’s some extrasenseory entangled ghost particles, or maybe it’s the changing magnetic field of the earth, pherhaps the color of the connected cables. Nothing that a power switch on an IsoBar power strip can’t shut off.

I think it more likely that the cable box is being stubborn, during an box update, power surge, whatever. That is my next dilemma, it seems DirecTV has now, for NO good reason, all of a sudden, decided that a particularly detested channel is to be the default power up channel.  What board meeting was it that this sounded like a good idea - probably marketing.  The work around for that so far, in the name of progress, is to block the channel.

A little glitch that I’ve observed is the cable box updating in the middle of the night. As a convenience the cable box will turn ON after the update is complete. The system will then assume that tue user wants to watch TV. It’s obvious that CEC facilitates this, but I’ve also had it happen with an optical connection if the soundbar is set for autoplay.

If it helps with documenting your troubleshooting my set top box is Genie DVR Model HR54-700

Before the new 85” Sony we had a 65” Samsung with the same Sonos S19 and a different problemh - ref my post in the thread ‘Arc keeps disconnecting from Samsung TV’ - but since replacing with the newer TV that problem has gone away.

The most recent self stat problem was in the middle of the afternoon if that makes any difference  Thank you for the troubleshooting ideas.