Sony Receiver : TV Input not recognized, TV sound wont play via HDMI ARC.

[mave07]

Hi, I wrote this to the Sony forum/ but found no solution, so asking here in case anyone could help please!

I am totally new to this home theatre ecosystem and recently set up my 5.1 surround with a Sony STR-DH550 receiver. I currently have my satellite box, PS3 and laptop connected to the HDMI IN ports of the receiver. The TV (Sony Bravia) is connected via the HDMI 2 (ARC) port of the TV to the HDMI (ARC) OUT port of the receiver.

Everything works fine and I can pick and choose/switch among all inputs mentioned above apart from the one listed as "TV" in the receiver remote. I currenty have a OTA antenna connected to the TV to watch some basic programs so I assumed whenever I pick "TV" from my receiver remote, it would switch to the TV and start playing that automatically, isnt that so? Please correct my understanding if I am wrong! Pressing the TV option in the receiver remote does not do anything, the screen just stays at where it is. The only way to achieve this right now is pick up the TV remote instead and switch the input from HDMI2 (receiver is connected here) to TV.

Also, TV apps like NETFLIX/YOUTUBE do not play sound via my home theatre speakers unless I connect an optical cable, I thought the HDMI ARC port was supposed to take care of this, so what am I missing?

And yes - the 'control for hdmi' is set to ON in the receiver in case it matters.

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks a lot!

 

[mave07]

Thanks, but then since there is neither a tuner built in the receiver nor "co-ax antennae" input at the back of the receiver, so guess the OTA antennae can only go behind the TV, which makes sense.

Yep I thought along similar lines too, but then what is that receiver remote button labelled 'TV' supposed to do? (sorry this is my first home theatre set up!) The only thing it does right now if say I were watching TV via this antenna, it will switch sound to my 5.1 surround speakers on pressing it. (via optical cable only, but that is another issue). Is this the only and expected functionality? I was thinking something was wrong with my HDMI cable/ARC/Receiver/TV !

 

[americanaudiophile]

The way you have your receiver set up only one input on the receiver is used (ARC). You may be able to assign that to the TV input button in the input set up menu.
On most receivers there are different kinds of AV and audio only inputs. They don't know which connection you want to use for what input so you can assign them to make remembering them easier.
You don't usually need both ARC and optical connections from the TV to the receiver. ARC was designed to eliminate the need for that additional cable by utilizing unused wires in HDMI cables.
An alternate way to connect things is to run all your external sources into the receiver and the receiver output to the ARC HDMI Input on the TV. The advantage is that optical doesn't support lossloss audio as found on blueray discs. If you used BD discs it would give you better sound if the HDMI went to the receiver first. Some BD players have two HDMI outs so you can route audio to the receiver and video to the TV separately.

 

[mave07]

The way you have your receiver set up only one input on the receiver is used (ARC). You may be able to assign that to the TV input button in the input set up menu.
On most receivers there are different kinds of AV and audio only inputs. They don't know which connection you want to use for what input so you can assign them to make remembering them easier.
You don't usually need both ARC and optical connections from the TV to the receiver. ARC was designed to eliminate the need for that additional cable by utilizing unused wires in HDMI cables.
An alternate way to connect things is to run all your external sources into the receiver and the receiver output to the ARC HDMI Input on the TV. The advantage is that optical doesn't support lossloss audio as found on blueray discs. If you used BD discs it would give you better sound if the HDMI went to the receiver first. Some BD players have two HDMI outs so you can route audio to the receiver and video to the TV separately.

americanaudiophile - thanks, but actually I have set it up the way you mentioned at the very end: all my 3 external sources, i.e streaming box, ps3 and a laptop connect to the receiver's various hdmi inputs. The only connection I have between the TV and the receiver is via the HDMI (ARC) out of the receiver and the HDMI2 (ARC) port of my Sony Bravia TV. With this, I thought if I press the 'TV' button on the receiver remote, it will switch to show TV program (OTA antennae goes to the TV), but it doesn't. But like someone mentioned here (I deleted that post accidentally, sorry), guess this is not expected for the "TV is not technically an input" so when I press that TV button on the receiver remote it must be like 'show what'? Guess this TV button on the receiver remote is only meant then for hearing TV sound through the 5.1 system when you play content on your TV other than from the connected sources in the receiver (e.g youtube/netflix app on your smart tv)?

Also, coming to TV sound - like you mentioned, I thought that the ARC HDMI connection would take care of the audio return to the receiver when I play TV program/apps, but apparently it doesn't.
The only way now to hear the TV sound through the 5.1 system now is, run that optical cable, open the app(say youtube) on tv, take the receiver remote and press 'TV'. I tried changing HDMI cable but didn't help either!

Not sure what I am missing here!