Jensen TV /radio audio

[Sunflower0527]

So my 2nd question is about the inside speakers. How on earth do we listen to the TV audio through the Jensen speakers. Our TV audio seems so weak. I've never had this problem before.

Also, the outside TV, is there is a way to listen through the outside speakers? We aren't in the quietest of places but still, the outside TV had to have the volume just about at max.

My husband is capable of doing what needs to be done... If it can be done.

Thanks!

[emm-dee]

For TV audio you need an HDMI cable from the ARC labeled HDMI on the TV to the HDMI input on the side of the Jensen radio. IDK if your rig is set up for this...most newer units are.

The outside speakers are Zone B on the Jensen. Zone C is normally not used.

[Sunflower0527]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

For TV audio you need an HDMI cable from the ARC labeled HDMI on the TV to the HDMI input on the side of the Jensen radio. IDK if your rig is set up for this...most newer units are.

The outside speakers are Zone B on the Jensen. Zone C is normally not used.

Thank you! Sorry for the ignorance, what is the ARC? And I assume we will have to drive the radio to get to the HDMI?

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by Sunflower0527

Thank you! Sorry for the ignorance, what is the ARC? And I assume we will have to drive the radio to get to the HDMI?

Asking a question is never ignorance. ARC is “audio return channel”. It sends the audio of whatever is playing on the TV to an external audio receiver. In the case of the Jensen with a DVD player the audio/video is paired with the TV HDMI input labeled ARC.

As I said earlier I’m not familiar with your unit but a 2021 model should be pre-wired for ARC. My MH has the TV and the Jensen on opposite sides of the unit. Behind the TV and below the antenna coax connection there are two HDMI cables exiting from the wall. They are installed by the factory, plugged into HDMI 1 and HDMI 2 on the TV and terminate at permanent HDMI outlets in the “electronics” cabinet over the Jensen.

The HDMI outlet for #2 (the one connected to the ARC position) terminates next to the Jensen. You’ll have to remove the Jensen (easy task) and use a short HDMI cable (12-14 inches) to connect the Jensen to the system. If done correctly and with the TV turned on the TV will automatically switch to HDMI 2 when you start a DVD on the Jensen.

The other cable from HDMI on the TV can be used for any device with an HDMI output. In my case I use it for the Dish Wally or the Apple TV.

[John 2019 SS 3010DSF]

While my TV has an HDMI-ARC port and there was a cable plugged into it, the Jensen Radio wouldn't recognize it. When I pulled the radio, I figured out why. The Radio didn't have an HDMI input.

Why Forest River put in a sound system that didn't connect to the TV is beyond me. That being said, I have come up with a work-around.

The radio did have a standard audio input jack. In addition to the HDMI-ARC output, the TV also had a digital optical output.

From Monoprice.com, I picked up an adapter box that converts the digital optical output to standard audio RCA cables. I then used an RCA to audio jack adapter to connect to the radio. It all works great now.

PS: I never did figure out where the cable plugged into the HDMI-ARC port on the TV goes.

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by John 2019 SS 3010DSF

While my TV has an HDMI-ARC port and there was a cable plugged into it, the Jensen Radio wouldn't recognize it. When I pulled the radio, I figured out why. The Radio didn't have an HDMI input.

Why Forest River put in a sound system that didn't connect to the TV is beyond me. That being said, I have come up with a work-around.

The radio did have a standard audio input jack. In addition to the HDMI-ARC output, the TV also had a digital optical output.

From Monoprice.com, I picked up an adapter box that converts the digital optical output to standard audio RCA cables. I then used an RCA to audio jack adapter to connect to the radio. It all works great now.

PS: I never did figure out where the cable plugged into the HDMI-ARC port on the TV goes.

Do you have Jensen audio? Probably a JWM70 or JWM70A. If so then the HDMI is on the left side of the system...not in the back.

[Sunflower0527]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

Asking a question is never ignorance. ARC is “audio return channel”. It sends the audio of whatever is playing on the TV to an external audio receiver. In the case of the Jensen with a DVD player the audio/video is paired with the TV HDMI input labeled ARC.

As I said earlier I’m not familiar with your unit but a 2021 model should be pre-wired for ARC. My MH has the TV and the Jensen on opposite sides of the unit. Behind the TV and below the antenna coax connection there are two HDMI cables exiting from the wall. They are installed by the factory, plugged into HDMI 1 and HDMI 2 on the TV and terminate at permanent HDMI outlets in the “electronics” cabinet over the Jensen.

The HDMI outlet for #2 (the one connected to the ARC position) terminates next to the Jensen. You’ll have to remove the Jensen (easy task) and use a short HDMI cable (12-14 inches) to connect the Jensen to the system. If done correctly and with the TV turned on the TV will automatically switch to HDMI 2 when you start a DVD on the Jensen.

The other cable from HDMI on the TV can be used for any device with an HDMI output. In my case I use it for the Dish Wally or the Apple TV.

I checked the Jenson radio, which is a JWM41, there is no HDMI in the front anywhere. I will have to pull it out this week to see what I have in the back.

[TGO Bill]

If you have bedroom speakers then they would be On B channel and the outside would be on the C channel

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by Sunflower0527

I checked the Jenson radio, which is a JWM41, there is no HDMI in the front anywhere. I will have to pull it out this week to see what I have in the back.

What year and model is your RV?

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

What year and model is your RV?

Their other posts say a 2021 Heritage Glen Elite 36FL. Hopefully they'll put that information in their profile or signature.

[Sunflower0527]

2021 Wildwood Heritage Glen 36FL

[Bob2019]

Just want to say not to expect Jensen to be quality and work consistently good. My 2019 Forester has the combo DVD player JWM70A and the ARC system that is consistently a pain to work properly when going from USB to the TV. Sometimes the the TV works properly with the ceiling speakers, and other times it involves turning off the TV or Jensen and back on more than once to get working properly. This messing around is uncalled for. The remote control is pure junk. Can't switch to a DVD different disc episode properly. Jensen's remote doesn't increase sound volume - you have to get up to turn the Jensen volume knob. Some items like starting a chapter requires the start on the TV control.

When I first got my rig, I had DVD picture flipping back to a blue screen on the TV a lot and the USB pulsated music. Jensen replaced the unit. With the replacement at least I don't loose the DVD picture, but the USB operates iffy starting out. If it get worst, I may have to look at a something Best Buy or Walmart sells as for a replacement. You should not have to buy your RV twice!

[emm-dee]

Originally Posted by Bob2019

Just want to say not to expect Jensen to be quality and work consistently good. My 2019 Forester has the combo DVD player JWM70A and the ARC system that is consistently a pain to work properly when going from USB to the TV. Sometimes the the TV works properly with the ceiling speakers, and other times it involves turning off the TV or Jensen and back on more than once to get working properly. This messing around is uncalled for. The remote control is pure junk. Can't switch to a DVD different disc episode properly. Jensen's remote doesn't increase sound volume - you have to get up to turn the Jensen volume knob. Some items like starting a chapter requires the start on the TV control.

When I first got my rig, I had DVD picture flipping back to a blue screen on the TV a lot and the USB pulsated music. Jensen replaced the unit. With the replacement at least I don't loose the DVD picture, but the USB operates iffy starting out. If it get worst, I may have to look at a something Best Buy or Walmart sells as for a replacement. You should not have to buy your RV twice!

I’ve had a completely opposite experience with the Jensen. We use it a lot while driving because its sound is much better than the dash radio and speakers. I rarely use the Bluetooth except to pair with the Jensen app. The Jensen remote has always worked great as long as one stays within 20 or so feet from the unit. Since changing to the Alexa device for all music there is no need for the USB input since the Alexa is wired direct to the rear aux input.

It really sounds like you have a defective unit.

[Bob2019]

Originally Posted by emm-dee

I’ve had a completely opposite experience with the Jensen. We use it a lot while driving because its sound is much better than the dash radio and speakers. I rarely use the Bluetooth except to pair with the Jensen app. The Jensen remote has always worked great as long as one stays within 20 or so feet from the unit. Since changing to the Alexa device for all music there is no need for the USB input since the Alexa is wired direct to the rear aux input.

It really sounds like you have a defective unit.

I agree, it might be another defective unit, but I have lots and lots of electronics and never had two defectives in a row. I have never paired anything to Jensen. Only have paired my phone to the dash Pioneer dvd camera screen radio and that works as it should. USB use in the Jensen coach radio, AV, DVD system is a thumb drive inserted for music in the front USB slot. I have tried three different thumb drives and they all work the same even interchanging with the Pioneer dash unit. (I have 2,500 hand picked music selections on the thumb drives that will take 5½ days, 24 hours a day to go through all that music. Radio chatter and commercials drive me nuts) My couch is across from the Jensen unit which is about the width of the coach so remote should at least work, if nothing else. If I go from USB music to TV, I have a heck of a time getting the ceiling (Surround System) to come on requiring turning everything off, on, off, etc. Have never had electronics act like that. I'm sure if the Jensen unit is defective, I'm sure they will replace it again at no cost to me. I like quality products and I don't see a third Jensen replacement.

[bobkeown]

I hate to bash on Forest River, but this install was just lazy on their part. The stereo they put in my 2021 Heritage Glen 24RLHL is the Jensen JWM41 and the TV is the Jensen JE4020. On my particular floor plan, using this stereo for anything other than a stereo is problematic. On the back of the TV, all that is coming from the wall to the TV is a set of standard RCA Yellow (Video) Red (Right Audio) and White (Left Audio) cables. What is this, 1986??? You can't even watch a movie in HD with these cables. The cables are run from the TV, into the wall and overhead across the ceiling to the couch location where the stereo is mounted in the wall above the couch. Pulling the radio out from the wall, all that is available to be plugged into the radio is an RCA Left and Right Audio In (AUX 2 input) and an RCA Video, Left and Right Audio Output jacks to play DVDs from the stereo's DVD player. I have not tried to play a DVD yet as we didn't have one available on our maiden voyage last week. Glad I didn't try as the video cable wasn't even plugged in to the video out, so that would have led to my frustration. When attempting to switch the left and Right Audio Outputs to the Left and Right Audio inputs on the back of the radio and doing the same on the TV, I could not get any audio when selecting AUX 2. I have ordered a headphone jack to Female Left and Right RCA female adapter to see if I can use this setup to play the TV sound through the headphone jack's stereo output in this manner. But if I leave this setup the way it is, then any time I want to watch a DVD and listen to the DVD audio through the stereo, I will have to pull the stereo from out of the wall and switch the cables from Audio In to Audio Out. Possibly, I can leave the DVD Video Output plugged into the stereo and TV and audio may still work. This could have been remedied with another set of cables which cost about 5 dollars and installed at the factory. Trying to install it now would require removal of the ceiling. Additionally, if this setup that I am about to try does not work, then the JWM41 stereo is just a horrible matchup for the configuration of the 24RLHL because of the location of the stereo. There is no HDMI input on this stereo to allow the TVs Audio Return Channel (ARC) to be used so that the stereo can be used as a sound bar. For those of you who have this setup, your best bet may be to buy a sound bar and place it below your TV, or buy a sound bar mount to attach to your existing TVs VESA screws on the back. We are heading out next week and plan to try a couple of options and will let you all know what I found out.