How to get Roku sound through a soundbar?

How to get Roku sound through a soundbar?

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Scottie - NW

Original Poster:

1,334 posts

240 months

Wednesday 4th January 2023
quotequote all
Hi all,

Am wondering if anyone can help with an audio question. I have a Yamaha YAS 207 soundbar which links via an optic cable?? to a Virgin Media V6 box. This is great so far as I like the music channels and also gives good sound when watching TV via Virgin and using the Netflix and iPlayers apps on the Virgin box.

The issue i have is that i use a Roku USB stick in the TV, mostly as Sky Sports via NOW TV is less than £8 a month this way, plus a few other apps.

However when i watch via Roku I can't use the soundbar/sub and the TV sounds very poor in comparison. Is there any way to get the sound out of the TV into the sound bar so Roku sound works this way? The TV is due replacement if it needs specific output ports.

Many thanks,
Scott.


TEKNOPUG

19,337 posts

212 months

Wednesday 4th January 2023
quotequote all
Which TV model?

Scottie - NW

Original Poster:

1,334 posts

240 months

Wednesday 4th January 2023
quotequote all
Toshiba 32LV665D

Roku NOW TV stick is in HDMI3, sorry thought it was USB.

Am about to change the TV for either LG or Samsung = or > 50 inch as I sit 4.8m from it, hence needing the sound bar really.

Many thanks.


TEKNOPUG

19,337 posts

212 months

Wednesday 4th January 2023
quotequote all
Plug the Roku into the HDMI In on the soundbar. Connect the HDMI Out on the soundbar to an HDMI socket on the TV.

Motorman74

432 posts

28 months

Wednesday 4th January 2023
quotequote all
The soundbar looks like it supports ARC - Audio Return Channel, but your current TV doesn't.

For the current TV, rather than connecting to the Virgin Box via optical, connect it to the TV which also has an optical out port (according to the internet). I assume the Virgin Box is connected via HDMI, and so is the Roku. Set the TV output to optical and everything will play via the soundbar.

With the new TV you get it will support ARC (or e-ARC but for your soundbar there is no functional difference). With the new TV, connect the HDMI port on the soundbar via HDMI port on the TV that is marked as ARC (or e-ARC), connect the Virgin box and the roku stick to other HDMI ports. Set the TV output to ARC and everything should play sound through the soundbar.

That is all based on what I can find with a quick search about the soundbar.

Scottie - NW

Original Poster:

1,334 posts

240 months

Wednesday 4th January 2023
quotequote all
Teknopug, Motorman74,

Thanks both very much for the suggestions. The ROKU stick is just a few mm too long to go into the Soundbar HDMI input, however I could move the optical audio cable from the virgin box to the TV digital audio out and this has meant sound from Virgin and Roku now works on the soundbar!! smile

I will use the ARC port on the new TV.

Thanks for the help, much appreciated!!