Catch 22 - HDMI CEC

[i4got]

I have a Samsung TV (2020 model TU7020) attached to Humax Freesat box via HDMI1 and a soundbar on HDMI2.

Currently when I switch off the TV, it switches Humax box off as well. (well standby).

Switching the TV on does not switch the Humax back on so I have to manually switch on the Humax box every time I switch the TV on.

I can get the TV to not switch off the Humax box by switching off Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC) on the TV External Device Manager. Switching off the TV then leaves the Humax box on.

This kind of fixes the Humax box issue but it stops the sound bar working.

Any thoughts? Anyway to switch CEC off only on one of the two HDMI ports? Or another solution?

Many thanks.

[normalbloke]

When you switch the Humax box on, does it switch the TV on?…

[dundarach]

Can you not buy a cec block?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LINDY-HDMI-Less-Adapter-F...

No experience, but does this do what you need?

[i4got]

normalbloke said:

When you switch the Humax box on, does it switch the TV on?…

No. Its one way only.

[i4got]

dundarach said:

Can you not buy a cec block?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LINDY-HDMI-Less-Adapter-F...

No experience, but does this do what you need?

Well you live and learn.

I never knew that existed.

Just ordered and will see if that does the trick.

Thanks for that.

[normalbloke]

i4got said:

normalbloke said:

When you switch the Humax box on, does it switch the TV on?…

No. Its one way only.

Ok, that’s interesting. If you switch my TV on, it won’t bring on any other sources( for obvious reasons) apart from the AV amp. However, if you switch on another source first ( BluRay/Sky etc) it will then bring on the TV and AV amp correctly.

[i4got]

normalbloke said:

i4got said:

normalbloke said:

When you switch the Humax box on, does it switch the TV on?…

No. Its one way only.

Ok, that’s interesting. If you switch my TV on, it won’t bring on any other sources( for obvious reasons) apart from the AV amp. However, if you switch on another source first ( BluRay/Sky etc) it will then bring on the TV and AV amp correctly.

Curious mine does not do that. It seems odd that the TV will switch off the attached device but not switch it back on. However I have high hopes for the CES suppressor on the other post.

Additionally I've now found a lots of internet posts on issues on Samsung TV with ARC and CES. So if the new CES plug does not work then I may attach the soundbar via optical cable instead of HDMI and switch CES off on the TV.

[Lucid_AV]

The Humax implementation of CEC has always sucked. It's inconsistent too. What's worse, a lot of their boxes don't have the option to switch off CEC.

The blocker is the answer.

[dickymint]

If your sounbar and TV has ARC or eARC then connect your soundbar direct to the TV and anything else to the other HDMI ports on your TV.
You may have to play around with some TV sound settings. This should enable your single remote (mine being the BT Pro Youview box) to control volume as well as on/off on your devices. Well it works for me

[i4got]

dickymint said:

If your sounbar and TV has ARC or eARC then connect your soundbar direct to the TV and anything else to the other HDMI ports on your TV.
You may have to play around with some TV sound settings. This should enable your single remote (mine being the BT Pro Youview box) to control volume as well as on/off on your devices. Well it works for me

A bit confused by this. eARC an HDMI connection?

So current set up is soundbar to TV via HDMI/eARC. Freesat box to TV via the other HDMI port.

If I switch CES off on the TV then this affects both the HDMI ports.?

So it solves my Freesat issue (the freesat box stays on when I switch off the TV) but it introduces problems in that the TV no longer controls the soundbar on/off and I need to separately switch the soundbar on and off.

The CES suppressor connector arrives later today so I should be able to provide an update later.

[dickymint]

i4got said:

dickymint said:

If your sounbar and TV has ARC or eARC then connect your soundbar direct to the TV and anything else to the other HDMI ports on your TV.
You may have to play around with some TV sound settings. This should enable your single remote (mine being the BT Pro Youview box) to control volume as well as on/off on your devices. Well it works for me

A bit confused by this. eARC an HDMI connection?

So current set up is soundbar to TV via HDMI/eARC. Freesat box to TV via the other HDMI port.

If I switch CES off on the TV then this affects both the HDMI ports.?

So it solves my Freesat issue (the freesat box stays on when I switch off the TV) but it introduces problems in that the TV no longer controls the soundbar on/off and I need to separately switch the soundbar on and off.

The CES suppressor connector arrives later today so I should be able to provide an update later.

What soundbar do you have? If it has arc or earc connection it should work as my post.

You stated your current set-up is 'soundbar to HDMI2

[i4got]

dickymint said:

What soundbar do you have? If it has arc or earc connection it should work as my post.

You stated your current set-up is 'soundbar to HDMI2

The TV has two HDMI ports, one of which has ARC. Samsung soundbar is on the HDMI/ARC port. Freesat box is on the other one.

The original issue was that I didn't want the Freesat box to switch off when switching off the TV.

One way of doing that was switching CES off on the TV HDMI settings but this stopped the soundbar working properly.

I've now bought the CES-less adaptor suggested by dunderach and that seems to have solved the problem.

So CES (Samsung AnyNet+) is enabled on the TV. This allows the soundbar to work (it switches on & off with the TV). But the CES-less adaptor fitted in-line on the HDMI cable to the Freesat box stops the TV trying to control the Freesat box so it remains on permanently. Now switching on the TV means I get instant picture from Freesat rather than a 30 second wait while it powers up.

Thanks to all (particularly dunderach) for all the advice.