[SOLVED] Samsung HW-Q800A soundbar loses HDMI ARC connection when a player is added

[Gnomeo]

Update: It was my Panasonic BD player's VIERA Link setting that was breaking the ARC connection! I turned it off and now all is fine.

Hey everyone!

I have an annoying issue with my HW-Q800A soundbar, which I use together with a Q70R TV and a Blu-ray player.

Here is my setup: BD player to soundbar (HDMI to HDMI), soundbar to TV (HDMI ARC to HDMI ARC). When I hook everything up, it works as expected. I can switch back and forth between watching a BD disc and watching TV content, with the soundbar using either the sound from the HDMI or the HDMI ARC ports.

It works like that until I turn everything off. Next time I turn it all on, the HDMI ARC connection simply disappears, and sound from TV content no longer reaches the soundbar. It’s like there is no HDMI cable at all between the soundbar and the TV, it's even gone from the sound settings. The only way I can fix it is to (1) unhook the HDMI cable that comes from the BD player, and (2) unhook the HDMI ARC cable from both the soundbar and the TV and hook it in again. As long as no cable is plugged in the regular HDMI port of the soundbar, the ARC connection works fine.

To summarise: HDMI ARC connection only works fine; HDMI ARC + regular HDMI work until devices are restarted, after which the soundbar no longer sees the ARC connection.

I've already installed the latest firmware on all devices, I've reset them several times, and I've tried this setup with a different third device (a laptop). Nothing makes a difference.

Has anyone faced a similar issue? Thanks!

 

[smipx]

I have a very very similar issue with my HW-Q600A.

I have a KODI box connected directly to the Q600A soundbar (to take advantage of ATMOS) and also a satellite box connected to my TV's HDMI2. I have the Q600A connected to the TV via the HDMI-ARC ports on the TV/Soundbar. All works well until I turn off the Satellite box (which also puts the TV into standby and the Soundbar into Standby via HDMI-CEC. If I turn it back on then it turns on the TV (as it should) but not the Soundbar. On further digging I can see (in the sound settings of the TV) that the HDMI connection to the Soundbar has dissapeared even though the HDMI connections still show the Soundbar. This is not fixable until I unplug the HDMI lead from the KODI box and then turn off and back on the TV and the Satellite box. This is only happening if the KODI box is fully powered off (at the wall) but left attached to the Soundbar's HDMI-In (as one would expect to do if not using the KODI box for a long time). If it is left "on" or in "Standby" (which is essentilly on with no picture) then the HDMI ARC behaves okay with the TV/Sat box when selecting the TV's HDMI2 as the input. It's really annoying me. It means that not only do I need to unplug the KODI box from the power after using it but I also have to remember to unplug its HDMI lead (despite not being on). I only have to unplug it from the KOD box though (so at least I don't have to flip over the Soundbar and detach that end.

 

[smipx]

Also - why is this thread marked as [Solved]? Did @Gnomeo mark it as such and did not show the solution or did it get mistakenly marked as solved?

 

[outoftheknow]

This is only happening if the KODI box is fully powered off (at the wall) but left attached to the Soundbar's HDMI-In (as one would expect to do if not using the KODI box for a long time). If it is left "on" or in "Standby" (which is essentilly on with no picture) then the HDMI ARC behaves okay

Turning these devices off at the wall isn't expected behaviour for HDMI-CEC. Depending on the device, some have more specific settings for turn what on or off but even that can get into conflicts very quickly with what you exactly want to happen.

From memeory a lot of ARC devices need CEC enabled for ARC to work. Just leads to more frustration in my experience.

Also - why is this thread marked as [Solved]? Did @Gnomeo mark it as such and did not show the solution or did it get mistakenly marked as solved?

The solution is in bold text at the top of the post.

HDMI-CEC is perfect in theory but there is no standard way to implement it. As devices have bemoe more dependant on each other, and multiple are plugged in to say a TV as an HDMI ARC or e-ARC hub, the simplistic controls in CEC can't do what the user wants - it isn't an intelligent or learning system unfortunately.

 

[smipx]

Thanks @outoftheknow . I don't know how I missed that bit in Bold at the top. My apologies

With my KODI box - I tried to completely disable its HDMI-CEC settings (to stop it having an effect or registering itself with the TV). Annoyingly, still, when it is powerd off (power cut from it) and its HDMI cable is still plugged in, somehow, my Q700A seems to get its knickers in a twist and disable the HDMI-ARC to the TV. I don't see how it can (as it has no power at all so it should really be just like an HDMI cable not connected to anything but, it does). The KODI box is somehow still seen as "being there" but in a zombie state which makes the Soundbar lose all sense of reality. As soon as the KODI HDMI is unplugged from the KODI box side (cable still attached to the Soundbar) it starts to behave again. I have even fully reset the TV and also reset the Soundbar.

The soundbar really should know that the KODI box is powered off and to ignore it entirely and I feel it is a bug in the Soundbar's firmware. I know Samsung won't fix it and there is no point in opening a ticket with them. At the end of the day I know what it is doing now and can work around it. I have to go to the KODI box to unplug it when I am finished with it so its only one more lottle pull of a cable to unplug its HDMI too.

It's just bloomin annoying - that's Samsung for you.

Anyway - I hope this thread helps some other poor soul from having an early corinary.

thanks
Paul

 

[smipx]

I did just spend an hour on a chat support call with Samsung - I wish I hadn't - It was an hour of my life I can never get back. I did pursuade them to pass it on to the technical team but I am not holding my breath