Solved! Problem running TV through Samsung sound bar with LG TV

[bosgig]

I have a new LG C9 OLED TV and a new Samsung HW-Q90R sound bar. I'm trying to run the cable box (Xfinity) and a Blu-Ray player through the sound bar and then up to the TV via HDMI ARC. The Blu-Ray player works fine, but for some reason when I switch to the input for the cable box it shows up as "No Input" on the TV. I've swapped out cables, changed HDMI ports, etc., and have spent hours chatting with Samsung, Comcast, and LG to no avail. Is there a fundamental incompatibility between Samsung and LG, do I have a bad sound bar, or am I just missing a setting?

 

[helpstar]

Update all firmwares/softwares of the devices

How exactly did you connect the devices with each other?

optical, RCA, HDMI...
Which ports, HDMI 1, 2,...

Which cable box xfinity model is it?

 

[bosgig]

Thanks for the reply. All firmware is up to date. I'm running the cable box via HDMI into HDMI 1 on the soundbar, the blu-ray player via HDMI into HDMI 2 on the soundbar, and then HDMI from the soundbar out (ARC) to HDMI 2 on the TV (ARC). I have also tried switching the cable box and blue-ray inputs but it does the same thing with the cable box, regardless of whether it goes into 1 or 2. Both TV and soundbar have HDMI-CEC/Anynet+ enabled. The cable box model is AR AX013ANM. The really weird thing is that every once in a while the TV signal comes through, but then I'll cycle through the soundbar inputs and when I land back on HDMI 1 it will revert to "No Signal".

 

[helpstar]

try with different HDMI cables

 

[americanaudiophile]

If you can't get it working with different cables try doing a cold reboot of the cable box.
If neither helps a work around is to connect the cable box to the TV and use the HDMI-ARC from the TV to get audio to the soundbar. It won't degrade the sound on the cable box. It would degrade it on the BD player though.

 

[bosgig]

Thanks. Yeah, I've tried different cables and a reboot as well. I agree with your workaround, except I'm still in my 14-day return window and don't really want to hang on to a defective soundbar if that indeed is the issue. Still hoping I'm just missing something!

 

[URsurrounded]

OK logically the thing works. if the blue ray loops through the soundbar and plays through the ARC connection then your cable box, or any other source with an HDMI out should work as well. Can you connect the cable box via HDMI directly to an HDMI input (not the ARC one) on your TV? If that works, try swapping out the cable box and the DVD on the soundbar. If the cable box works in the other input then you have a bad input on the soundbar. If the cable box doesn't work via HDMI directly to the TV it's the cable box. If, however, the cable box works on the TV with a direct HDMI connection but doesn't work on any input looped through the soundbar then I still blame the cable box. Have the cable swap you out something more current or better yet, come out to you and make sure it works.

Oh, and I know this is obvious, but you got lots of buttons and remotes. Are you switching inputs using the soundbar or TV remote? You are using the soundbar as your switcher so the TV input should never change.

 

[bosgig]

Thanks for the suggestions. The cable box works fine through a normal HDMI input on the TV (except there's a lip sync issue, solvable by switching to PCM, but that's another topic). I've tried the cable box through both inputs on the soundbar, and it fails on both. The blu-ray player works on both. It may very well be the cable box--having the cable co come out probably makes sense since the call center help couldn't help at all. I did think of the issue of the remotes changing multiple unintended things, so I checked to make sure the TV was still on the ARC input after switching the soundbar inputs, so that isn't it. It's a good thought though. Sounds like you think it's unlikely to be a faulty soundbar and more likely a cable box issue, but is there any evidence out there that LG and Samsung don't play well together, even though all of this should be standards-based? Thanks

 

[helpstar]

no evidence out there

 

[laurayuan]

Have you tried another Digital Optical Cable ?

 

[bosgig]

I haven't tried optical at all.

 

[URsurrounded]

Thanks for the suggestions. The cable box works fine through a normal HDMI input on the TV (except there's a lip sync issue, solvable by switching to PCM, but that's another topic). I've tried the cable box through both inputs on the soundbar, and it fails on both. The blu-ray player works on both. It may very well be the cable box--having the cable co come out probably makes sense since the call center help couldn't help at all. I did think of the issue of the remotes changing multiple unintended things, so I checked to make sure the TV was still on the ARC input after switching the soundbar inputs, so that isn't it. It's a good thought though. Sounds like you think it's unlikely to be a faulty soundbar and more likely a cable box issue, but is there any evidence out there that LG and Samsung don't play well together, even though all of this should be standards-based? Thanks

I can't see how it would be incompatible. If the soundbar works with the dvd in both inputs, the cable box works directly on the tv and not in either hdmi in on the soundbar then there is a compatibility issue between the soundbar and cable box. A new box will likely fix it. Definitely either get a tech out to your house (preferably) or bring the sound bar with you if you go to their location with your cable box.

 

[bosgig]

Thanks to those of you who helped on this. An upgrade to Xfinity's 4K box (which I needed to do at some point anyway) solved the issue. I don't know whether the prior box was incompatible or whether I just had an issue with mine, but either way the problem is solved.