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Silver Contributor IV
jumpin68ny
Posts: 1,553
Registered: ‎05-14-2009
0 Kudos

Sound bar for TV

I have a Samsung LED TV with a super picture.  The tv is 2 years old.  The only complaint I have with it is the sound.  It seems like its muffled, mainly because the sound comes out of the back of TV and reflects off the wall.  I was thinking maybe a sound bar would help this.

 

Anyone have a sound bar?  Would it project the sound better?  How does it connect?  Does it require power and does it get turned on and off when I power the TV on and off?

 

Thanks, Jim

 

Administrator
Ricky_VZ
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎02-02-2012
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Re: Sound bar for TV

Jim - I just recently added a sound bar to my LED TV and I love it.  Pretty simple, I purchased a Energy Power Sound Bar that comes with sub woofer.  The sub woofer is wireless, so just plug into outlet for power.  The sound bar I placed right under my LED and it has two outputs: (1) for power, (2) optical cable to LED for the audio.  It powers off automatically when you turn off the TV.  I leave my sound off on my LED and only use my sound bar for audio.

 

As for the remote, I don't have a universal remote.  I kept my #FiOS remote and programmed it to the AUX button to control the volume up, down and mute for the sound bar.  This varies slightly by remote, but Verizon's Support page is very helpful waking you through it.  Find the user guide for your remote (here is mine - http://onlinehelp.verizon.net/consumer/bin/pdf/Philips%20RC1445302%20User%20Guide.pdf)To ) and follow the steps under "The Volume Keys".  This step allows you to program your sound bar volume up, down and mute functions to align with the volume up, down, mute keys to the AUX button on your #FiOS remote.  After this step, just follow the programming steps included in your user guide that comes with the Sound Bar. 

 

It was pretty simple and I'm totally psyched with the end result.  Let me know if this was helpful and if you need any more input.

 

Thanks - Rick

Silver Contributor IV
jumpin68ny
Posts: 1,553
Registered: ‎05-14-2009
0 Kudos

Re: Sound bar for TV

Ricky, thanks for the info. That is very helpful.  I do have a question though.. My samsung TV has an option in the menu for external sound.  I wonder if I select will the volume up/down change on the TV change the volume on the sound bar instead?

 

Thanks, again

Jim

 

Administrator
Ricky_VZ
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎02-02-2012

Re: Sound bar for TV

np, glad it helped.  Not sure on this one ... haven't tried it.  I think you'll still have to program your remote to control the sound.

Gold Contributor VII
Smith6612
Posts: 4,666
Registered: ‎12-15-2010
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Re: Sound bar for TV

Man, I haven't gotten a sound bar setup at home since they stopped making TVs that had the sound go on them after a few years, and that's in the days of CRT TVs!

 

Anyways, as far as Sound bars go, I often suggest just using a decent quality Home Theater system if you have one over the Sound Bars. The Home Theater system gives better sound quality especially if you have HDTV Service at home and use Optical Audio Out from a Set Top Box or a TV to your Receiver. As long as the speakers you have for the Home Theater aren't tiny things with no base or mids with a single sub to do all the work, I prefer that method. At home since the HDTV has tiny speakers at the bottom of the panel since the display is so thin, the speakers don't exactly kick up a lot of base or mids. The TV has a small sub in the center of it which produces some Mids, but it doesn't do a lot. I have a Home Theater system I built using 5 Bookshelf speakers from Infinity (the same company, Harmon Kardan who makes JBLs) which are mounted on the wall, each having their own mid/sub/tweater, and a subwoofer for the all encompasing sound. I use a Denon receiver capable of powering the speakers and the sub, and it has Optical Audio coming from anything that supports it, such as my DVD Player (Don't use Blu-Ray yet due to DRM hatred), a Home Theater PC, and Satellite Receiver. We don't have HD service so no 5.1 audio for us, but the sound quality for a slightly more expensive setup is just awesome. Sounds more natural and realistic, not to mention soothing based on the medium.

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Bronze Contributor II
retiredme
Posts: 288
Registered: ‎10-26-2008
Device: 7232, 6200
Location: Warwick, RI
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Re: Sound bar for TV

Pardon my two cents, but I agree with Smith that a full fledged home theater audio system is best for movies and those special events. But also, many people simply want to substitute a better sound for the TV speakers and do it simply.  A good soundbar can be a great substitute, and the best way to determine which way to go is to read reviews from guys that use the technology. I recommend Home Theater Magazine or Sound & Vision magazine - you can find reviews of their observed products online as well. Here is a start:

 http://www.hometheater.com/category/soundbar-reviews 

 

Hope that helps. The reviews may answer some of your technical questions.

 

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