Feature Request: Sonos TV Hub

Interesting idea.  I like it, but I really doubt Sonos would do this though.  Part of the reason is the same reason TVs always include built in streaming services. They’ve already got the relationship established to provide steaming services, so I don’t think they would just throw that out entirely.   I have no idea, but I doubt the video streaming aspect of Pinewood is a big factor in to why the project was scrapped for now.

Out of curiosity, what’s your motivation for wanting wireless audio connection?

• Using a projector and it’s difficult to have a wired connection between the projector and sounbar?
• The  TV is not reliable in sending the audio signal between sources and Sonos soundbars?
• Want to avoid the HDMI cable between TV and soundbar?
• Some other reason?

People were looking forward to using 5 era speakers for separate real channels, proper centre, front left and right, bigger soundstage, no soundbar..but delay in processing probably means it needs to delay the video to the tv, and sonos has never controlled the video signal.

​@melvimbe 

My personal circumstances, I don't own a Sonos Soundbar and have no plans to purchase a Soundbar. Where I recognise both the Beam and Arc can sound great, they don't deliver the audio I want for listening to music. I much prefer the stereo separation and wide sound stage of 2 speakers.

I listen to more music than I do watch movies, but would like a setup that I can use for both and be happy with the audio delivery for both.

But of course, I cant use my Sonos Speakers for TV Audio. 

If Sonos could enable wireless connectivity, I could use Sonos Speakers for both Music and TV Audio and utilise and potentially look at a 5.1 setup. 

Was that part of the ‘promise’, or merely speculation? I’d agree, we were certainly looking forward to it as a possibility, but I thought concrete evidence wasn’t there yet. 

​@paulrw

That is a point I hadn't recently considered, Sonos maybe do need to be able to control and send the video signal to ensure video and audio sync wirelessly. 

That brings me back to what has always been my thinking as to why Sonos hasn't yet offered wireless connectivity. They don't own the hardware to offer the functionality. 

eg

Samsung have offered wireless connectivty because they own the hardware (TV) to send the audio wirelessly to their speakers. 

Apple offer it because they own the hardware (Apple TV).

Amazon offer it because they own the hardware (Fire Stick/Cube).

So maybe Sonos does need to proceed with the video streaming platform to provide wireless connectivity to speakers/soundbars. 

However they need to do it, I just hope they do it. 

sonos mentioned it would work with upto 5 x era300 at launch in a reported interview i read about pinewood, with other speakers maybe being added later, this was kept very quiet, like an after thought or maybe it wasn’t fully working yet and thats why it’s been pulled…...

I don’t believe Sonos made any official announcements about Pinewood at all.  All the new was just leaks and rumors.  I might have missed this interview you mentioned. The annoucement that Pinewood had been scraped, for now, was not an official announcement, but a leaked internal document.

There were rumors that Pinewood would send audio wirelessly to Sonos soundbars,and/or that they were looking into allowing users to use speakers other than a soudbar, but I never saw any specifics on what those speakers would be.  The decision on what speakers they wanted to support and provide trueplay tuning for had not been made yet, from what I had read.

I suppose it doesn’t really matter, since it’s not happening now.  If the project does get revitalized in the future, a decision like that is surely something that will be reconsidered.

mentions it a bit here

https://www.theverge.com/sonos/606025/sonos-pinewood-video-player-features

That article doesn’t quote Sonos, it is all second hand information obtained through leaks (The Verge has long sought out Alpha/Beta testers willing to break an NDA),  Sonos themselves are notoriously secretive about works-in-progress and almost never speak about them. 

The verge puts up a paywall on all their older articles now it seems.  The author, Welch, does seem to get most of the Sonos leaks though, and other news sites will then reference Welch as the source.  I looked at a few of them and didn’t see anything specifically about 5 Era 300s setup.  As already stated though, Welch was giving leaked info, not an official announcement.

Peter Pee also talked about it

I am disappointed by this news, I was waiting for this product from Sonos, and if they would only make a wireless streaming box, with Hdmi ARC or Earc inputs like 3 or 4 so I could listen to the audio from my TV connected via Hdmi ARC with my Sonos Era 100 wirelessly, without the need to use a sound bar, I am willing to pay 300 or 400 dollars if Sonos would make a wireless box like that, that is all I ask Sonos.

Sonos, I need a Sonos Tv Hub, not another product like the Apple tv, just a Hub to be able to connect the audio from my TV to my Sonos Era 100 or Era 300 speakers wirelessly without having to use a sound bar, only left and right channels using the Sonos Era 100 or 300, consider this Sonos would greatly appreciate it, thank you.

I wonder if this could be achieved by making a HDMI eARC to USB-C adapter. Then you could plug your tv into one of the Era 300’s using this adapter for example and that connects wirelessly to a 4 or 5 speaker setup

Your stereo Era 300 would need the appropriate electronics / chipset to both receive said type of signal, interpret it, and then have the capability to send out that many separate signals. I don’t think it has those electronics. 

Nor do I think, without looking, that a USB-C connector has the bandwidth necessary to carry Dolby Atmos. Now I need to look that part up, but I’m certain (relatively) about the electronics in the Era 300. It would be odd for Sonos to spend the extra money on that kind of unused electronics. 

I had to buy the Sonos amp and connect my TV to the HDMI ARC output and that way I was able to connect my Era 100 via my Wi-Fi, but I want a smaller box, more or less like the Sonos Port or a little smaller with only HDMI ARC inputs.