How to Connect a Samsung Soundbar to a TV

Enjoy high-quality TV audio with this quick connection

By
Ruben Circelli
Ruben Circelli
Ruben Circelli
Editor
  • University of Massachusetts, Boston
Ruben Circelli has been a freelance technology writer and editor since 2014. His work has appeared on dozens of sites, including Komando.com, Twinfinite, and TheGamer.
lifewire's editorial guidelines
Updated on March 4, 2022

What to Know

  • The best way to connect a Samsung soundbar to a TV is using the HDMI-ARC port.
  • If you don't have an HDMI-ARC port, regular HDMI or optical connections work.
  • Once your soundbar is connected, ensure it's configured on your TV.

This article explains how to connect a soundbar from Samsung to your TV.

These steps may not work with every soundbar Samsung has ever made or will make, but it covers the overwhelming majority of them. Regardless of who makes your soundbar, HDMI-ARC will almost always be the ideal connection, but certain soundbars will also support a wide variety of other ways to connect to a TV.

Connect Your TV to Your Samsung Soundbar

Luckily, Samsung designs their soundbars to be able to get working in just a few minutes, even if you've done this before. You'll need access to your TV, the included cables with your soundbar, and an open power outlet to get started.

Samsung soundbar promo

Samsung

  1. Identify the cables included with your soundbar. Most soundbars come with a power cable, an HDMI cable, and an optical cable. HDMI is the most popular connection, so you may just have an HDMI cable in the box alongside a power cable.

    For most people, all you'll need is an HDMI cable. However, depending on your setup, you may have different needs. Depending on how many of your TV's HDMI ports you actually use, connecting devices can become more or less complicated.

  2. Place your soundbar in its intended location, and connect the soundbar to power. Confirm it powers on.

  3. Check the ports on your TV. Most TVs come with a variety of HDMI ports alongside the occasional other port like an optical port, a DisplayPort port, or anything else. Ideally, you'll have an open HDMI-ARC port, which is an HDMI port with the word "ARC" written somewhere next to it.

  4. Your TV may not support HDMI-ARC or you may use that connection with another device. If this is the case, you can use a regular HDMI port. Confirm your TV has an open HDMI port if this is the case. However, features like controlling your soundbar's volume with your TV remote will not be supported.

  5. The majority of people will connect their soundbar to their TV via the HDMI connection. If you cannot use HDMI, you'll have to consult your particular soundbar's manual to see what other connections are supported. Traditionally, this is an optical connection you can simply use an optical cable to connect your soundbar to your TV with.

    If your personal setup can't support either an optical or HDMI connection, check to see if your soundbar has Bluetooth or AUX support. This varies soundbar to soundbar as does the specific setup.

  6. Connect your soundbar to your TV with an HDMI cable if using an HDMI connection and an optical cable if using an optical connection. Using included cables is convenient but not necessary.

How Do I Get My TV to Recognize My Samsung Soundbar?

In most cases, your TV will automatically recognize your connected soundbar and output audio to it without any tweaking needed from you. Sometimes, this may not automatically happen. If you connect your soundbar and your TV doesn't recognize it, getting it recognized only takes a few steps.

This process won't be the same for all TVs. Still, most TVs have similar interfaces, so while your specific interface may vary, steps similar to those described below will work for everyone. However, particular menus and settings may have slightly different names.

  1. Using either the buttons on your TV or your remote, open your TV's Settings menu.

  2. Within the Settings menu, look for a tab called Audio or Audio Devices. Sometimes, this can be called Sound or something similar.

  3. Once in the audio area of your TV's settings, make sure your TV is outputting audio to your soundbar by confirming the port you have your soundbar connected to is set as the active port. Sometimes, TVs will automatically detect devices and list them by name or type; if this is the case, make sure your soundbar is your default audio device.

  4. Play some content on your TV to test everything's working as intended.

FAQ
  • Why won't my Samsung soundbar connect to my TV?

    If your Samsung soundbar isn't working, it could be due to faulty connections, settings issues, or hardware malfunctions. Ensure that your TV is set up to use external speakers and that the soundbar is set to the correct source. If you're still having problems, try resetting your Samsung soundbar.

  • How do I control my soundbar with my TV remote?

    As long your soundbar is connected to your TV via HDMI-ARC, you should be able to control it with your TV's remote. If you can't, try connecting to an HDMI-ARC port and make sure the soundbar is selected in your TV's Sound Output settings.

  • How do I connect my Samsung soundbar to my TV wirelessly via Bluetooth?

    Look for a Bluetooth pairing button on the soundbar remote, or press the Source button on the soundbar and select BT. When you see BT READY, press and hold the Source button for five seconds until you see BT PAIRING. Then, go to your TV sound settings, select sound output, and choose your Bluetooth soundbar.

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