TV sound output?

[caseymyers]

Originally Posted by bclemens

The speakers in the ceiling are not actually hooked up as I recall.

Those are legacy from when we had the Samsung Theater in a box. The roof guys, just kept doing what they always do when we switched over to the sound bar.

My 2019 I5DS has a sound bar, Casey doesn't yours- assuming we have same Model and build.

The sound bar works pretty good; but since we have speakers in the ceiling I'd like to hear how they sound and maybe overpower the AC noise?

I don't have the sound bar. I don't think Dynamax started adding that until a few units after mine was finished? I have speakers in my ceiling. I have the Samsung Bluray that drives the speakers. Today with my good trouble shooting buddy had some success. Turns out the problem is the HDMI splitter. I think the splitter was installed to send DVD signal to the bedroom TV? Anyway for some reason that splitter will not allow my smart TV send sound to the Bluray. But if you disconnect the splitter and connect it directly from the Bluray to the front TV and then on the TV select sound output then the surround sound will work. And with the splitter connected up you can get surround sound if you are playing a movie but no sound if using OTA or cable input to the TV. Now my question for all you experts is what if instead of the HDMI splitter I installed one of those HDMI remote switches I read about on this blog? Can anyone advise me on what an HDMI switch would do for me? Could it allow my front TV to drive the surround sound (via the Samsung Bluray) at all times the TV is on, for OTA, cable and Sat? All the while allowing the Bedroom TV and the Patio TV to function with inputs from the DVD player, the OTA antenna or Cable? Thanks. P.S. My buddy also said that there is no need for the RCA cables that have been run from the DVD player to the TV. With HDMI they are just not needed.

[bclemens]

I did a post a while back about getting sound on the Isata 5 though the speakers. Sounds like the same issue you are having and it was a setting in the menu. I'll have to track that down.

[bclemens]

Found it...just reposting the text of that.

"HOOOOOORAAAAAAYYYY! solved it. (well...with Greg's help...but I did half).

I thought I knew the issue. There are (3) HDMI cables.
HDMI 1 (not sure there that is, I think bottom port of the TV)
HDMI 2 (labled as ARC "Audio Return Channel") Side inputs
HDMI 3. (side inputs)

I checked one here at the plant...audio on everything BUT Blu Ray.

So I looked in that back and sure enough, the DVD was plugged into HDMI 3 which is not labeled as an Audi Return Channel.

So I swapped the cables....AND....still no volume.

Greg my tech was walking by and started messing around with the remote. We tried a few different things. Changed one setting and BOOM, sound.

For the Audio Return Channel to work (which allows both electronic devices to communicate) you must turn on CEC "Consumer Electronics Control").

The Jensen TV's always had this ON by default. It looks like the Sansui's has this OFF as default.

So #1. makes sure the Blu Ray HDMI is plugged into the HDMI port labeled "ARC", as I recall that was HDMI 2 on the side of the TV. (actually just skip to #2...they should still use that cable to communicate no matter what, st least in theory and its much quicker to test than climbing up on the bunk to change cables)

#2 Then on the TV menus, go to Setup and go down to CEC and turn that on.

Now, the one remote should control volume, playback, etc as the Samsung and the Sansui will communicate that data back and forth."

[caseymyers]

Thanks BC, I will try this all tomorrow, if anything changes or works I'll report back.

[caseymyers]

BC's instructions work. However you can't use the splitter that sends DVD player video back to the bedroom. You must take the HDMI from the DVD and plug it into your TV's ARC outlet.

My test today:
TV on Antenna for OTA source.
CEC is on.
HDMI ARC wired direct to DVD.

Now the TV remote will power up both TV and the DVD player and the player will send the OTA TV sound out over the surround sound speakers. The bad news is connecting the front TV direct to the DVD player via ARC eliminates the HDMI to the bedroom on the splitter.

Now I'm going to research HDMI switches to see if there is a device that will let me use the ARC plug for the DVD (this gives me surround sound) and switch over to Bedroom TV if I want to watch a movie in the bedroom. Ideas?

[JEB1]

Originally Posted by caseymyers

BC's instructions work. However you can't use the splitter that sends DVD player video back to the bedroom. You must take the HDMI from the DVD and plug it into your TV's ARC outlet.

My test today:
TV on Antenna for OTA source.
CEC is on.
HDMI ARC wired direct to DVD.

Now the TV remote will power up both TV and the DVD player and the player will send the OTA TV sound out over the surround sound speakers. The bad news is connecting the front TV direct to the DVD player via ARC eliminates the HDMI to the bedroom on the splitter.

Now I'm going to research HDMI switches to see if there is a device that will let me use the ARC plug for the DVD (this gives me surround sound) and switch over to Bedroom TV if I want to watch a movie in the bedroom. Ideas?

Probably not the optimal set up. ARC is used correctly only when the HDMI cable runs directly from the ARC port on the video display to the head unit/receiver. When wired this way, the video display operates as a source switcher and the head unit operates only as an amplifier. So, to make sure everything works correctly, run an HDMI cable from ARC to the HDMI input of the Jensen head unit. Run a second HDMI cable from HDMI 1 (or any other unused HDMI port) on the TV to the Blu-Ray/DVD player. Go into the menu settings of BOTH the TV AND the Blu-Ray player and make sure BOTH are properly set to use CEC. Make sure the TV has ARC enabled, if there's a setting for it. If the head unit also has a menu, make sure that that also is set to use CEC and that ARC is enabled. Once you've done this, here's how you get sound from the Blu-Ray:

1. Set TV to HDMI 1 (or wherever you plugged in the Blu-Ray)
2. Set head unit/receiver (NOT TV) to HDMI/ARC.
3. Enjoy. The a/v signal goes from the Blu-Ray to the TV. The TV splits the signal, displaying the video and passes the audio to the head unit via ARC, which is always active even if that input is not selected as the source on the TV.

This is where it gets easy. You never need to change the input on the head unit again if you're using something connected to the TV. Always leave it set to HDMI/ARC. Use the TV only to do the switching. Select TV and you will get sound out of the head unit via ARC, which remains enabled even if that input is not selected. Plug in an analog source to the TV and you can switch to that source ON THE TV and still get sound over ARC to the head unit.

The biggest mistakes I see when using ARC are (1) not making sure that the head unit is connected only to the ARC via HDMI and not another input and (2) failing to enable CEC and ARC on all devices with those settings.

Now, there are stability drawbacks to ARC (audio cuts out easily when watching weak OTA TV), which is why I usually prefer to run a parallel analog or optical cable between the TV and the head unit. But when your video source is stable, ARC works great.

Hope this helps.

[bclemens]

Correct....which is why we have now gone with an HDMI matrix and sound bars. We need to be able to get any video signal on any TV....but then feed the sound bar with optical from the TV out.

[JEB1]

Originally Posted by bclemens

Correct....which is why we have now gone with an HDMI matrix and sound bars. We need to be able to get any video signal on any TV....but then feed the sound bar with optical from the TV out.

You could, of course, pursue a hybrid approach. Keep the primary TV mainlined to the head unit. Then you can blast the audio throughout the coach during the times everyone is watching one TV (or all TVs are watching the same video source). Then you can wire sound bars to each satellite for those times when you want more moderation or people are watching different things.

There are soundbars with ARC, too.

[caseymyers]

What's a 'head unit'?

[JEB1]

Originally Posted by caseymyers

What's a 'head unit'?

The Jensen receiver stuck in the wall of your coach.

[caseymyers]

I don't have a Jensen. Just a TV and a Samsun DVD player.

[JEB1]

Originally Posted by caseymyers

I don't have a Jensen. Just a TV and a Samsun DVD player.

How do you control your outside speakers or the speakers in your walls or ceiling? If you don’t have a head unit (I think Dynamax only uses Jensen) then you have no way to control the speakers. You have no volume control, no radio tuner.

[caseymyers]

The ceiling speaker wires go in the back of the DVD player.
I think the outside speakers belong to the radio on the patio or maybe the patio TV? Don’t know anything about the patio electronics, never have used them.

[JEB1]

Originally Posted by caseymyers

The ceiling speaker wires go in the back of the DVD player.

I suppose that’s possible. But it would be unusual unless your DVD is also a receiver and I wasn’t aware Samsung made them. Are you sure your head unit isn’t in the vertical bank of controllers right behind the driver’s side cab seat? Other popular head units other than Jensen are Furrion, Sansui. I see you have an I5 which I am less familiar with.

[bclemens]

Actually "head unit" normally refers to the dash radio. The wall radio would be called a wall radio.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_head_unit

https://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-DDX41.../dp/B0073V9NCK

[JEB1]

Originally Posted by bclemens

Actually "head unit" normally refers to the dash radio. The wall radio would be called a wall radio.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_head_unit

https://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-DDX41.../dp/B0073V9NCK

Fair distinction. I'll use your terminology for clarity. But calling it a "wall radio" is also somewhat misleading because it isn't just a radio. Frequently, in addition to radio tuning, "wall radios" accept the audio from all sources inside the coach via a combination of HDMI/ARC, Coaxial, Optical and analog inputs. It also outputs audio from these multiple sources to satellite speakers, audio to other equipment via analog jacks and sometimes video via HDMI and/or composite jacks if the "wall radio" has a DVD slot. So it functions exactly like a head unit in the cab and like a receiver in a home stereo.

In any event, we are now talking about the same thing and this "wall radio" is what I think is the OP's problem. Because it's not just a radio, its input has to be set correctly to have any prayer of getting sound from the satellite speakers because in all likelihood the wall unit is the only piece of equipment to which the satellites are connected. Moreover, to function correctly for anything other than radio and bluetooth, there has to be an uninterrupted audio mainline from the primary TV to the "wall radio." Hopefully there is more than one, but there has to be at least one.

[bclemens]

The OP does not have the Jensen wall mount. He has one of the earlier Samsung Home Theater In a Box systems we are installing. So it is more of a table-top Blue Ray player with a built in home theater receiver.

Regardless...I am just trying to clarify what it would be called if he talked to anyone on of my people. We actually call the Jensen, the Jensen Wall Mount (I don't know that we actually say radio). Or we say Samsung Home Theater. And now we just have a Blue Ray player (though it is Samsung) and a sound bar instead of the HTIB. Clear as mud

[JEB1]

Originally Posted by bclemens

The OP does not have the Jensen wall mount. He has one of the earlier Samsung Home Theater In a Box systems we are installing. So it is more of a table-top Blue Ray player with a built in home theater receiver.

Regardless...I am just trying to clarify what it would be called if he talked to anyone on of my people. We actually call the Jensen, the Jensen Wall Mount (I don't know that we actually say radio). Or we say Samsung Home Theater. And now we just have a Blue Ray player (though it is Samsung) and a sound bar instead of the HTIB. Clear as mud

Ugh. Got it. I know what those are and it will be almost impossible to diagnose without actually seeing it. Thanks for the clarification. My suspicion is that the Home Theater In A Box (HTIB) probably has an ARC input and either the HDMI is not wired ARC to ARC on the TV or one (and possibly both) of the units does not have ARC enabled. No way to know for sure.

[bclemens]

and splitters just complicate things.

I always love when people say "I just want to be able to watch a show on ANY TV while someone watches any show on another TV...its just that simple" Which in reality is anything BUT simple. (and I say this jokingly because I hear it at home too).

Then factor in when they don't want to use the TV speakers.

JUST this past week...my millennial daughter (or whatever the generation just behind that is....that is supposed to be "tech savvy") turns on the living room TV.

"why is the TV on, but no sound???". (This has a Bose Soundbar). Well, when you hit the power button you likely weren't pointing it and while the TV turned on, the sound bar didn't" she looks at me blankly. "OK, just hit the power button again". And that is the SIMPLEST set up in the house.

In the basement, I have a Marantz receiver with 4k pass through that is fed via a PS4, XBOX 1, Satellite receiver, pushing 7.2 surround speakers displayed by a projector.

On the bright side....no one really understands how it all works but me, so they leave it alone.

And it Really is simple if you understand it.
Projector just needs to be on. It does not care what it displays.
The receiver handles the rest.
Press the cable button and it will show the sat.
press the "Game" button and it is feeding from the PS4.
press the "dvd?" button (I ran out of game buttons) and you have the XBOX.

[JEB1]

Originally Posted by bclemens

and splitters just complicate things.

I always love when people say "I just want to be able to watch a show on ANY TV while someone watches any show on another TV...its just that simple" Which in reality is anything BUT simple. (and I say this jokingly because I hear it at home too).

Then factor in when they don't want to use the TV speakers.

JUST this past week...my millennial daughter (or whatever the generation just behind that is....that is supposed to be "tech savvy") turns on the living room TV.

"why is the TV on, but no sound???". (This has a Bose Soundbar). Well, when you hit the power button you likely weren't pointing it and while the TV turned on, the sound bar didn't" she looks at me blankly. "OK, just hit the power button again". And that is the SIMPLEST set up in the house.

In the basement, I have a Marantz receiver with 4k pass through that is fed via a PS4, XBOX 1, Satellite receiver, pushing 7.2 surround speakers displayed by a projector.

On the bright side....no one really understands how it all works but me, so they leave it alone.

And it Really is simple if you understand it.
Projector just needs to be on. It does not care what it displays.
The receiver handles the rest.
Press the cable button and it will show the sat.
press the "Game" button and it is feeding from the PS4.
press the "dvd?" button (I ran out of game buttons) and you have the XBOX.

Only those of us who wire these things up really know how they work. It is pretty unfair because a lot of it is not intuitive for everyone else. Best we can hope for is something close to automagical via a device like a Harmony remote. But even then, it's going to get screwed up eventually.

And to add to your list, ever try to explain to someone how ARC works? That it's both an input and an output at the same time? I get that head to one side glazed over look that reminds me of a dog watching a TV set.

I think you and I need to do some drinking. . . .