Using a Receiver and a Soundbar

[rickap2]

I have a client I normally do IT work for as me to do some wiring and setup for a home theater setup they had moved from one home to another. The setup was disassembled by a well meaning family member, and nothing was documented as to how it was originally setup. In addition to this, they bought some new components to be added or replaced existing components.

The issue I am having is with the sound bar that was purchased. It is being added to a setup that had a Sony Receiver that is being used to pipe audio from the television to several sets of speakers around he house.

I can get the television audio to play over the house speakers, but not over the sound bar that is hooked to the television. The sound bar was purchased to augment the television sound for an elderly family member (Audio quality is not priority, just that it exists and is loud enough for those hard of hearing.).

I can take out the receiver and plug the cable box directly to the television and everything works, but when i put the receiver in the mix, the sound signal doesn't seem to get to the television, like its being headed off by the receiver.

I have not had a chance to get the system configured in detail (this was sprung on me last minute of another service call) and I think maybe enabling the pass through on the Receiver may help with this scenario. I would like to have a few possible fixes in mind, as I want to save face in front of my client on the next call and resolve this in one shot.

Long of the short:

Samsung TV, Vizio Sound bar, Sony Receiver. I cannot get sound from what the television is playing to play over the sound bar when the receiver acts as the intermediary between the TV and the Cable Box.

I can supply Makes and Models at a later time if that information is the make or break.

Thanks!

 

[americanaudiophile]

If the cable box is connected to the Sony receiver it will produce audio not the sound bar. Some receivers have an HDMI pass through for one input that works when the receiver is turned off. If this one does then you just need to use this input and connect the sound bar to the TV directly.
If they want the sound bar and receiver to produce sound at the same time then you can connect the cable box to the TV with HDMI and split the optical out of the TV to both the sound bar and Sony with one of these:
http/www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812270485&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-Audio%2fVideo+Splitters-_-N82E16812270485&gclid=CMj9r-_bhMICFW4V7AodWQgAow
some splitters are 2 in 1out (really a way of expanding one input to accept two sources one of which will be off) rather than 1 in 2 out so make sure you get the right one.