Roku setup

[anjwd]

I have two HDMI ports on my TV and my soundbar. How to I hook up the streaming stick and make the soundbar and streaming stick usable at the same time.

[renojim]

What's the model number of the TV?  If it's a recent model it may have an ARC (or eARC) label next to one of its HDMI inputs.  You'd connect the soundbar to that input and the stick to the other.

[anjwd]

No ARC or eARC TV model un40j6200af soundbar model number HW-E450

[renojim · Accepted solution]

With that combination of TV and soundbar it looks like you have a couple of options.  You can connect the Stick to the HDMI input of the soundbar and then connect the HDMI output of the soundbar to one of the TV's HDMI inputs.  You'd then set the soundbar's input mode to HDMI when you want to use the Stick and the TV's source to HDMI 1 or 2 depending on which TV HDMI input you used for the soundbar.

If it sounds complicated now, it gets more complicated.  The above would get you sound through the soundbar from the Stick, but not from another device connected to the TV or from antenna/cable channels.   For that you'd need another cable from the TV to the soundbar.  The TV has an optical output and the soundbar has an optical input.  That would be the best quality.  You'd then have to change the soundbar's input mode to "Optical Digital input" (D.IN) when you're not using the Stick.

Perhaps a better way to connect things is to connect the optical cable from the TV to the soundbar and plug the Stick directly into the TV.  You'd then keep the soundbar's input mode set to D.IN and you'd get sound from the soundbar for anything connected to the TV.

If it's not clear, post back with any questions.  Assuming you've been using the soundbar for a while with no issues, the easiest way to connect things is to just plug the Stick into the TV.

[RanAndTonya]

Using the optical cable approach, can the Roku remote control the volume of the Samsung sound bar?

[renojim]

@RanAndTonya, sorry, no.

[Nikilet]

In addition to my cable TV connection, I have 3 other HDMI ports. One of them is marked eARC. I know the soundbar has to use that port, but right now I have my Roku plugged into that port and according to my husband when he removes it from there and tries to use the other two ports I get no Roku on my TV. 

Can someone tell me what's going on? This doesn't seem right to me. My old TV didn't even have an eARC port and Roku worked with the HDMI ports there. 

I know there has to be a fix for this but I don't know what it is.

Thanks in advance if you can help me with this.

[renojim]

@Nikilet, I hate to ask a stupid question, but when he tries to use one of the other two ports is he changing the TV's input to the new HDMI input?  Maybe another dumb question, but since you added onto a thread that already implied a sound bar was involved, do you have a sound bar?

Also, do you have a Samsung TV?  I hate mine - it seems to get confused about inputs all the time.  Smart my sweet patootie.  You might want to try unplugging the power from the TV for several seconds to reset it.

If you swap the cable box and the Roku can you get a display from both?

[Nikilet]

The TV's input, which I am assuming you mean our cable TV, stays in it's own port in towards the center, and then along the side I have the 3 additional HDMI ports with the one marked eARC. 

Yes, it is a Samsung TV. But so was the last one.

I will try what you suggest and get back to you. I am unable to do it right at the moment. 

Thank you for answering.

[RanAndTonya]

I have a Roku stick, Sony tv, Samsung soundbar. Here’s how they’re connected.

My Roku stick is connected to the ARC HDMI port on the tv. The tv is connected to the soundbar with an optical cable. 

The Roku remote can’t control the soundbar volume. Thats a minor inconvenience but we just keep the remotes together.