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adam9c1

macrumors 68000
Original poster
May 2, 2012
1,898
315
Chicagoland
Samsung TV - HDMI - Apple TV
|
Optical Audio
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Bose sound bar


Every time I want to use the soundbar I need to do this:
1. Settings app on Apple TV
2. Select BT and remotes, and select Soundbar

sometimes I need to select it as temp outdo output

Anyway to automate this?
 
Based on your layout, you are missing a dotted line (Bluetooth) from Apple TV to Bose sound bar. I would have thought you would need to use your Samsung TV remote to control the Bose sound bar if it is directly connected to TV.. or the Bose remote itself. Sounds like you are bypassing the direct connection and connecting the Apple TV to the Bose soundbar via Bluetooth.
 
I’m having the same issue with mine. It worked on my previous Samsung TV, but not the new one. On our old tv, the Samsung tv remote controlled the soundbar.
 
If Bose bar has HDMI input:
  • AppleTV HDMI out to Samsung TV HDMI in.
  • Samsung TV eARC HDMI out to Bose HDMI in.
  • Turn on CEC if it is not default on in the 3 devices and "automation" should work just fine.
Option 2: If Bose has HDMI input and output:
  • AppleTV HDMI out to Bose HDMI in.
  • Bose HDMI out to Samsung HDMI in.
If neither work/can work (lack of ports, old ports, etc)...

Option 3: Buy yourself a little box (example) that will split HDMI video from HDMI audio (often called HDMI extractor) or mix in a A/V Receiver to cover this "split":
  • AppleTV HDMI out to HDMI Extractor in.
  • Extractor HDMI audio out to Bose HDMI in.
  • Extractor HDMI video out to Samsung HDMI in.
Option 4: If Bose has no HDMI in- only optical:
  • AppleTV HDMI out to HDMI Extractor or Receiver.
  • Extractor optical audio out to Bose optical in.
  • Extractor HDMI video out to Samsung HDMI in.
One of these options should work for you and cover the "automate" wish.

Over time, as you replace TV and/or Soundbar, you can move up to the top of this group (option 1) and utilize as little as just 2 good HDMI cables: AppleTV to TV to Soundbar.

As to remote issues: get yourself a universal remote and program sound control (volume button) to control the Bose volume, most of the rest of the buttons to control AppleTV... unless you have OTHER sources beyond only AppleTV. If so, get a remote with "mode" buttons so you can assign AppleTV to something like AUX or STRM button, cable/satt to a cable/satt button, disc player to a disc button, etc.

full


But again, once you get a newer TV and/or soundbar, option 1 will work with any remote (AppleTVs or the TVs remote).

And it's possible- maybe even probable- your existing TV's remote has some mode buttons so you can dodge buying a universal and let it be the universal remote. Just look for some mode buttons something like the picture shown above.
 
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I'll dig up if the TV has HDMI eARC OUT, and try that connection instead.

The TV has two inputs that are in use:
1. Apple TV
2. over the air antenna

I'll update the thread with what I find.
 
If Bose bar has HDMI input:
  • AppleTV HDMI out to Samsung TV HDMI in.
  • Samsung TV eARC HDMI out to Bose HDMI in.
  • Turn on CEC if it is not default on in the 3 devices and "automation" should work just fine.
Option 2: If Bose has HDMI input and output:
  • AppleTV HDMI out to Bose HDMI in.
  • Bose HDMI out to Samsung HDMI in.
If neither work/can work (lack of ports, old ports, etc)...

Option 3: Buy yourself a little box (example) that will split HDMI video from HDMI audio (often called HDMI extractor) or mix in a A/V Receiver to cover this "split":
  • AppleTV HDMI out to HDMI Extractor in.
  • Extractor HDMI audio out to Bose HDMI in.
  • Extractor HDMI video out to Samsung HDMI in.
Option 4: If Bose has no HDMI in- only optical:
  • AppleTV HDMI out to HDMI Extractor or Receiver.
  • Extractor optical audio out to Bose optical in.
  • Extractor HDMI video out to Samsung HDMI in.
One of these options should work for you and cover the "automate" wish.

Over time, as you replace TV and/or Soundbar, you can move up to the top of this group (option 1) and utilize as little as just 2 good HDMI cables: AppleTV to TV to Soundbar.

As to remote issues: get yourself a universal remote and program sound control (volume button) to control the Bose volume, most of the rest of the buttons to control AppleTV... unless you have OTHER sources beyond only AppleTV. If so, get a remote with "mode" buttons so you can assign AppleTV to something like AUX or STRM button, cable/satt to a cable/satt button, disc player to a disc button, etc.

full


But again, once you get a newer TV and/or soundbar, option 1 will work with any remote (AppleTVs or the TVs remote).

And it's possible- maybe even probable- your existing TV's remote has some mode buttons so you can dodge buying a universal and let it be the universal remote. Just look for some mode buttons something like the picture shown above.
I have been using this for the extra HDMI ports, but my Bose soundbar turns on and connects to my TV, but the sounds isn’t working when I switch the sound output to the Bose speaker.
 

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I'd need more information.

I don't know what options are available on the Bose but I would guess that the Bose needs to be set to whatever connection you use from TV to Bose, be that HDMI or optical. For example, if TV HDMI is entering Bose HDMI 2, you would choose HDMI 2 on Bose. Or if there is (probably just 1) optical connection from TV to Bose, you would choose Optical on Bose.

If you think you have that right, you need to go into the TV's menu, Audio menu and find a setting that will let you choose the output, such as optical or HDMI or however you connect TV to Bose. That might be something you choose- telling the TV to send audio over that connection- or it might be something you have to turn on such as finding an option for optical audio and switching that from off to on.

If you think you have that right too, you need to do some testing to verify that the connection cable is OK, that the Bose input is OK, etc. An easy option is to come up with something else with an optical out option (like many old CD or DVD players) and connect the very same cable to it and play audio from it to Bose. If it plays fine, cable & Bose is OK so then it's TV... and that's very likely TV settings.

Now, the above assumes an optical audio connection but the same is true in other ways that audio can connect TV to Bose. And the same kind of testing can be done if you think you have all that right in TV and Bose.

But my first guess is be sure the Bose is in the right mode (which is probably however you have it connected to the TV): HDMI 1, 2, 3, or optical or coaxial, etc.

Next guess is that in TV audio settings, you may not have the same kind of audio selected for audio output, telling the TV to send audio out over a specific option (the one connected to the Bose).
 
I'd need more information.

I don't know what options are available on the Bose but I would guess that the Bose needs to be set to whatever connection you use from TV to Bose, be that HDMI or optical. For example, if TV HDMI is entering Bose HDMI 2, you would choose HDMI 2 on Bose. Or if there is (probably just 1) optical connection from TV to Bose, you would choose Optical on Bose.

If you think you have that right, you need to go into the TV's menu, Audio menu and find a setting that will let you choose the output, such as optical or HDMI or however you connect TV to Bose. That might be something you choose- telling the TV to send audio over that connection- or it might be something you have to turn on such as finding an option for optical audio and switching that from off to on.

If you think you have that right too, you need to do some testing to verify that the connection cable is OK, that the Bose input is OK, etc. An easy option is to come up with something else with an optical out option (like many old CD or DVD players) and connect the very same cable to it and play audio from it to Bose. If it plays fine, cable & Bose is OK so then it's TV... and that's very likely TV settings.

Now, the above assumes an optical audio connection but the same is true in other ways that audio can connect TV to Bose. And the same kind of testing can be done if you think you have all that right in TV and Bose.

But my first guess is be sure the Bose is in the right mode (which is probably however you have it connected to the TV): HDMI 1, 2, 3, or optical or coaxial, etc.

Next guess is that in TV audio settings, you may not have the same kind of audio selected for audio output, telling the TV to send audio out over a specific option (the one connected to the Bose).
I checked my sound settings for my tv and I still have the sound switch to the sound bar. I wonder if this adapter I have is the wrong one?
 

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Probably wrong. That’s a switch, not an extractor or splitter. In the latter, a signal goes out of 2 ports: one (video) to TV and one (audio) to Bose… at the same time.

A switch would be useful for connecting 3 devices like AppleTV and 2 more things into ONE HDMI port on TV so you can switch between them. Think as if you had only one HDMI port on the TV but 3 “AppleTV”- type things to connect. What it DOESN'T do is what you probably need, which is split video & audio into 2 simultaneous streams, flowing video to TV and audio to Bose.
 
I’ll purchase the link you posted earlier. I figured something was wrong with this one. The Apple TV and PlayStation 5 work perfectly, just not the sound bar.
 
The extractor/splitter should do the trick:
  • HDMI into extractor from AppleTV or PS5
  • HDMI (video) out of it to TV
  • HDMI (audio) out of it to Bose
OR using that switch too...
  • HDMI out of AppleTV into one Switch Port
  • HDMI out of PS5 into another Switch Port
  • HDMI out of Switch into Extractor
  • HDMI (video) out of Extractor to TV
  • HDMI (audio) out of Extractor to Bose
Switch then selects which device (AppleTV or PS5) should have it's video & audio sent to Extractor/splitter and the latter than pipes audio & video to Bose & Samsung TV respectively. It should work just fine.
 
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Removed the optical audio and connected the speaker through EARC.

The good:
Apple TV sound output is marked as the default TV Speakres

The bad:
When selecting the volume up and down there is no indicator on the screen as to what the volume is set to

The ugly:
The speaker went to sleep overnight. Needed to wake up with the speaker remote
Attempte to configure the speaker settings via the Bose app, the app never connected to the speaker


More testing needed, reading through the manual it is possible to set the speaker to not sleep possibly, however the Bose app had me press a series of keys on the speaker remote and thouse should have enterd pairing mode and that did not work


I'm using a mini universal remote called Sidekick, and there I was able to configure volume up and down buttons from the speaker remote.
 
If Bose can't be programmed to not sleep, maybe you can allocate a Sidekick button to be Bose On/Off or "wake" and then just click that button when it does that?

The on-screen thing you seek would likely only work if the Bose can get ahold of the video stream. In other words, it would need HDMI in to then lay UI elements on top of video before HDMI out to TV screen. I'm not aware of a way for a downstream HDMI device to send UI elements back to an upstream screen (but that might be a thing in 2025).

If your Bose has HDMI in and OUT and you want on-screen Bose UI, you probably need to go:
  • AppleTV HDMI OUT to Bose HDMI IN
  • Bose HDMI OUT to TV HDMI IN.
Else, you would need the source of the video (AppleTV) to "take over" the volume indicator overlay or you'll have to lean on some kind of volume bar LED that might exist on the soundbar itself. Of course, perhaps the best option without jumping through any special hoops is just letting your own ears decide how loud you want it.

Some of the rest of your post makes it seem like the Bose may be dying/defective. If it's OLD, you might want to start preparing to replace it. And if so, most modern soundbars readily support eARC... but you probably won't get an on-screen volume control unless the TV "owns" volume or AppleTV overlays volume onto video being watched.

My own primary home theater setup involves an A/V Receiver (middleman component):
  • Apple TV HDMI OUT to Receiver HDMI IN
  • Receiver HDMI OUT to send video to TV
  • Receiver speaker terminals to send audio to speakers. If I have a soundbar, it would be Receiver HDMI or optical or coaxial, etc OUT to soundbar- whatever the soundbar could take.
This DOES overlay volume on top of video being watched because the Receiver is doing that: taking the video from AppleTV and when I push volume, it layers volume up & down on top of the video for a little while. When I get volume to where I want it, that information persists for a few seconds on screen and then the Receiver stops showing the overlay.
 
This is a brand new Sound Bar, purchased in December.
It only has one HDMI port eARC.

Current setup is this:
Apple TV <- HDMI -> TV input 1

Tv eARC <-HDMI-> Bose Speaker

On the TV, I selected audio source as HDMI Receiver.


The speaker, looks like this: https://www.bose.com/p/home-theater/bose-tv-speaker/TVSPKR-SOUNDBAR.html
And in the Bose App, I could not find this exact model I belive.

My next steps are:
1. verify sound continues to function via the speaker
2. attempt to set the speaker not to go to sleep (using remote buttons)
3. If step 2 fails, attempt to mark a button on the sidekick as the speaker on/off button
 
OK, since it is new, I don't think you'll get the volume overlay onto the screen unless it happens at either AppleTV or the TV itself. Once you are downstream (Bose is last link in that chain), I don't think it can overlay video upstream (but there's at least plausible room for me to be wrong about that).

Your wiring as described in that last thread is right... and best available kind of connections to make for that Bose.

You seem pretty close to mostly success with your setup. Hopefully those "nest steps" cover one more base.
 
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