Help Setting Up Sound Bar with TV and Box

npro1464

Hello all,

I bit the bullet and got a Samsung HW-E450 sound bar and subwoofer and am very pleased with how it sounds. I followed the directions and linked my cable box and tv through my sound bar with HDMI cables. Everything works, goes on at the same time, so long as I set the sound bar on "HDMI." However, when I want to switch to watching VUDU on my internet-ready tv, I have to switch the sound bar to "Audio Arc," through the remote which is annoying- otherwise the audio will still be coming from the box even though I have changed the tv. What I want is to just be able to switch from VUDU to cable to my ps3 without having to scramble around to find the remote and switch the audio settings on the sound bar.

I figured if I linked the cable box directly back to the TV, this would solve this problem and I could use Audio Arc the entire time without switching. However, since Optimum is the worst service in the world, they have stuck me with a ghetto Scientific Atlantic POS, and it only has one HDMI port (which I'm using to go to the sound bar, and no I can't get an upgraded box bc theyre "unavailable").

So, my question is, would I be better off linking the box to the sound bar with an optical cable? Would that solve this problem? Is there anything I can do or try, like messing with the settings on the box, the sound bar, or the tv? Thanks!!

DoctorCAD

You MIGHT be able to link the sound bar to the TV with an optical cable and then have all sound come out of the bar.

Plug the cable box directly into the TV with the HDMI.

I think it will now play everything that the TV speakers would have been playing. Not sure about volume and ON/OFF functions, though.

__________________
This post is not to be construed as a slam on plasma TV's nor an endorsement of any other TV technology.