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Samsung HW-E450 Soundbar - Page 6

post #151 of 661
11/26/12 at 5:51am
hello,

i have a hitachi 51f59a just got my HW-E450C/ZA-RB today. wanted to know if the following combinations would work and how is the power/audio to soundbar controlled in each case

1) PC->soundbar (hdmi) and soundbar->tv (hdmi) - basically 2 hdmi cables. that way i get audio on soundbar and video goes out to tv, correct?
2) PC->TV (hdmi), PC->soundbar(optical).
3) xbox->soundbar (hdmi), soundbar->tv (hdmi)

thanks!
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post #152 of 661
11/26/12 at 5:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doctego View Post

I am looking into doing pretty much the same thing with a few other goodies on top. As it stands, I have an HD DVR, Samsung Blu-Ray player, and XBox 360 Kinect connected to my TV via HDMI. My TV does NOT support ARC. Based on what I am reading here, I want to do the following:
Connect HD DVR to TV via HDMI
Connect XBox 360 Kinect to TV via HDMI
Connect BluRay to SoundBar (in) via HDMI
Connect SoundBar (out) to TV via HDMI
Connect TV to SoundBar via optical
If correct, I was going to omit the bolded above and just run everything to the TV via HDMI and then run the optical from the TV to the SoundBar but, based on what I'm reading here, connecting the BluRay player directly to the SoundBar via HDMI will provide better sound quality when watching BluRay movies. Is this correct?
Sorry for the babble.

Possumgirl.......While waiting for my wife to see the benefits of getting this soundbar, I have been thinking about the best way to hook it up when I finally convince her.smile.gif My TV doesn't have ARC so would it be better to connect it as stated above or would I be better off getting 1 of these, connecting everything to the switch via HDMI, connecting the switch to the soundbar via HDMI, and then connecting the soundbar to my TV via HDMI?

http://www.amazon.com/control-Equalizer-Blue-Jeans-Cable/dp/B0038SQQ0Y/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=35O8JSQV9T6OP&coliid=I3K2LJURLU0IV5

My main concern is the fact that I don't know if I will get optimum sound because of the lack of ARC but I don't think that is really applicable since I will be directly connecting everything into the bar. I also want to make sure that I won't have any issues bypassing the bar and listening through my TV's speakers late at night.

I hope that I explained this clearly. If not, please let me know what else I can tell you.
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post #153 of 661
11/26/12 at 6:00pm
Possumgirl.......I had attempted to post in this thread. I hit submit, got a popup for a second, and then it disappeared so I'm going to try again. For my Samsung LED TV with no ARC, we discussed me connecting this soundbar like this:

Connect HD DVR to TV via HDMI
Connect XBox 360 Kinect to TV via HDMI
Connect BluRay to SoundBar (in) via HDMI
Connect SoundBar (out) to TV via HDMI
Connect TV to SoundBar via optical

Would it be more beneficial to purchase 1 of these:

http://www.amazon.com/control-Equalizer-Blue-Jeans-Cable/dp/B0038SQQ0Y/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=35O8JSQV9T6OP&coliid=I3K2LJURLU0IV5

That way, I could connect my HD DVR, BD player, and XBox to the switch via HDMI, connect the switch to the soundbar via HDMI, and then connect the soundbar to my TV via HDMI. I was worried since my TV doesn't have ARC but I don't think that's applicable since everything will go straight to the soundbar.

My main concerns are that I want to get the best possible sound from the soundbar and I also want to be able to listen only through the TV speakers late at night.

Thanks in advance.
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post #154 of 661
11/27/12 at 6:51am
Hello to everybody! Could you please advise me with the following:

I have Philips 52PFL8605H and a HTPC. Now I am going to get Samsung E450. I anticipate that I will arrange the connection between devices as follows:
1. HDMI-out of HTPC -> HDMI-in of Samsung
2. HDMI-out (ARC) of Samsung -> HDMI-ARC of TV Philips

My question is if this connection will allow:
1. to transfer 3D video from the HTPC to TV Philips (through Samsung); and
2. to transfer audio from TV Philips to Samsung (when the audio source is not HTPC)

Thanks in advance.
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post #155 of 661
11/27/12 at 8:35am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doctego View Post

Possumgirl.......I had attempted to post in this thread. I hit submit, got a popup for a second, and then it disappeared so I'm going to try again. For my Samsung LED TV with no ARC, we discussed me connecting this soundbar like this:
Connect HD DVR to TV via HDMI
Connect XBox 360 Kinect to TV via HDMI
Connect BluRay to SoundBar (in) via HDMI
Connect SoundBar (out) to TV via HDMI
Connect TV to SoundBar via optical
Would it be more beneficial to purchase 1 of these:
http://www.amazon.com/control-Equalizer-Blue-Jeans-Cable/dp/B0038SQQ0Y/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=35O8JSQV9T6OP&coliid=I3K2LJURLU0IV5
That way, I could connect my HD DVR, BD player, and XBox to the switch via HDMI, connect the switch to the soundbar via HDMI, and then connect the soundbar to my TV via HDMI. I was worried since my TV doesn't have ARC but I don't think that's applicable since everything will go straight to the soundbar.
My main concerns are that I want to get the best possible sound from the soundbar and I also want to be able to listen only through the TV speakers late at night.
Thanks in advance.

The switch should work for your purpose of sending best possible SQ to the soundbar.

Using TV speakers only though may an issue because I don't see anything in the specs of that soundbar about it supporting pass-through. Even without the switch, whatever is connected directly to the soundbar wouldn't send audio back to the TV without pass-through. You may have to settle for just turning the volume low for that late night viewing.
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post #156 of 661
11/27/12 at 8:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by qsparow View Post

Hello to everybody! Could you please advise me with the following:
I have Philips 52PFL8605H and a HTPC. Now I am going to get Samsung E450. I anticipate that I will arrange the connection between devices as follows:
1. HDMI-out of HTPC -> HDMI-in of Samsung
2. HDMI-out (ARC) of Samsung -> HDMI-ARC of TV Philips
My question is if this connection will allow:
1. to transfer 3D video from the HTPC to TV Philips (through Samsung); and
2. to transfer audio from TV Philips to Samsung (when the audio source is not HTPC)
Thanks in advance.

1. I don't think that soundbar supports 3D video. There is nothing in the manual to suggest it does. Assuming your TV is 3D you'd need to connect the HTPC directly to the TV.
2. Should work using ARC.
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post #157 of 661
11/27/12 at 9:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Possumgirl View Post

The switch should work for your purpose of sending best possible SQ to the soundbar.
Using TV speakers only though may an issue because I don't see anything in the specs of that soundbar about it supporting pass-through. Even without the switch, whatever is connected directly to the soundbar wouldn't send audio back to the TV without pass-through. You may have to settle for just turning the volume low for that late night viewing.

Thanks for the reply. I don't see that, either. Since it's a 2.1 system, do you think that the sound would be much better with the switch than it would be just connecting everything to the TV via HDMI and then using an optical cable from the TV to the soundbar? If the difference would be minimal, I would just as soon use as few connections as possible.
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post #158 of 661
11/28/12 at 1:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Possumgirl View Post

1. I don't think that soundbar supports 3D video. There is nothing in the manual to suggest it does. Assuming your TV is 3D you'd need to connect the HTPC directly to the TV.
2. Should work using ARC.

Thank you, Possumgirl

As I understand from this post - http://www.avsforum.com/t/1397976/samsung-hw-e450-soundbar/120#post_22470678 - a forum participant confirmed that Samsung hw-e450 supports 3D video-pass through, although the instruction and official info from Samsung do not laid down that.
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post #159 of 661
11/28/12 at 2:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by qsparow View Post

Thank you, Possumgirl
As I understand from this post - http://www.avsforum.com/t/1397976/samsung-hw-e450-soundbar/120#post_22470678 - a forum participant confirmed that Samsung hw-e450 supports 3D video-pass through, although the instruction and official info from Samsung do not laid down that.

Indeed, 3D works for that owner. Guess you'll just have to try and see if you also have success. smile.gif Doesn't look like Samsung would be much help if it doesn't work. eek.gif
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post #160 of 661
11/28/12 at 2:57pm
Technically, if the soundbar supports ARC, it should support 3D video passthrough, which is part of the HDMI 1.4 spec.
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post #161 of 661
11/28/12 at 3:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuan View Post

Technically, if the soundbar supports ARC, it should support 3D video passthrough, which is part of the HDMI 1.4 spec.

Technically true. biggrin.gif But from all the posts in this and other threads, this soundbar seems finnicky about what other equipment it works with. Most manufacturers brag about having 3D passthrough, yet Samsung is oddly silent about this one. Curious. eek.gif
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post #162 of 661
11/28/12 at 5:08pm
Is it true that a TV with ARC only matters if you want to connect all of the devices to the TV via HDMI and then run an HDMI from the TV to the soundbar? Of course, that is assuming that the soundbar also supports ARC. I'm asking because my Samsung LED TV doesn't support ARC and I'm looking at soundbar options that have enough HDMI inputs where I can just connect all of the devices into the soundbar via HDMI and then connect HDMI OUT on the soundbar to the TV to maximize the sound quality.
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post #163 of 661
11/28/12 at 5:34pm
^^^
The whole purpose of ARC is to eliminate the need to connect a separate digital cable FROM the TV to external audio if you already have an HDMI cable coming from the external system TO the TV. For TVs that don't have ARC, you just use the optical or coax output that the TV provides. Exact same audio output either way. The three reasons to send audio OUT from a TV:
  • You use OTA (the TV's internal tuner)
  • You have source devices connected to the TV
  • You use the TV's smart apps
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post #164 of 661
11/28/12 at 5:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Possumgirl View Post

^^^
The whole purpose of ARC is to eliminate the need to connect a separate digital cable FROM the TV to external audio if you already have an HDMI cable coming from the external system TO the TV. For TVs that don't have ARC, you just use the optical or coax output that the TV provides. Exact same audio output either way. The three reasons to send audio OUT from a TV:
  • You use OTA (the TV's internal tuner)
  • You have source devices connected to the TV
  • You use the TV's smart apps

I was under the impression that if I don't have ARC on my TV, I would be better off connecting everything directly to the soundbar IN via HDMI and then going from the soundbar OUT to the TV via HDMI. That way, I would get the sound quality of the source rather than 2 channel output from the TV (if I kept everything connected to my TV and just ran an optical from the TV to the soundbar). This would contradict what is bolded above.

By no means am I saying that I'm right. That's just what I have understood from my research here. I would love to be able to just keep everything as is and just run an additional optical cable from my TV to the soundbar but I don't want to sacrifice sound.
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post #165 of 661
11/29/12 at 8:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doctego View Post

I was under the impression that if I don't have ARC on my TV, I would be better off connecting everything directly to the soundbar IN via HDMI and then going from the soundbar OUT to the TV via HDMI. That way, I would get the sound quality of the source rather than 2 channel output from the TV (if I kept everything connected to my TV and just ran an optical from the TV to the soundbar). This would contradict what is bolded above.
By no means am I saying that I'm right. That's just what I have understood from my research here. I would love to be able to just keep everything as is and just run an additional optical cable from my TV to the soundbar but I don't want to sacrifice sound.

The underlined part is true, but that has nothing to do with ARC. Whatever audio a TV outputs is the same whether it travels via ARC or digital (toslink/coax). ARC is just a convenience feature.

What may have confused you is that only HDMI can transport lossless audio, but that doesn't come into play with TVs since they only accept lossy audio in the first place.

The reason for connecting source devices directly to an external audio system is because almost all TVs downmix audio from connected devices to 2 ch. stereo. That doesn't mean a soundbar will sound bad, just that it MAY sound better with direct connection, particularly for blu-rays.
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post #166 of 661
11/29/12 at 9:35am
Just a quick note on 3D, the E450 is able to pass through 3D from a ZOTAC GeForce GTX 660 To graphics card, so 3D does work.
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post #167 of 661
11/29/12 at 10:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuan View Post

Just a quick note on 3D, the E450 is able to pass through 3D from a ZOTAC GeForce GTX 660 To graphics card, so 3D does work.

Thank you for posting that. I'm sure it will be helpful to people that have, or are considering, this bar.
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post #168 of 661
11/29/12 at 11:39am
Does anyone knows how this bar sounds against the Sony CTHT260? I'm currently debating between the 2 right now. The Sony is newer so I can't find many reviews for it other than the ones on Amazon. Which one has the better surround experience? Thanks.
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post #169 of 661
12/1/12 at 10:17am


Mounted the sound bar below my Samsung UN55C7000 with a Blu-ray player and gaming PC. Used the include wall mount bracket with two metal brackets screwed into where the TV base mounts to plus other misc hardware.
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post #170 of 661
12/1/12 at 3:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuan View Post


Mounted the sound bar below my Samsung UN55C7000 with a Blu-ray player and gaming PC. Used the include wall mount bracket with two metal brackets screwed into where the TV base mounts to plus other misc hardware.

Looks good.

I have this TV on the included stand sitting on a short TV cabinet..

http://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/UN46C6300SFXZA

I'm quite certain that the stand isn't high enough for me to put the soundar right in front of it. Is the easiest thing for me to do to mount the TV on the wall 6-12" (or less) higher than it stands right now and then put the soundbar on the cabinet? It would be nice if I could just jack my TV up a few inches but I don't see that happening.
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post #171 of 661
12/1/12 at 4:11pm
I just wall mount everything smile.gif
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post #172 of 661
12/1/12 at 5:58pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tuan View Post

I just wall mount everything smile.gif

You're not married to my wife.biggrin.gif

She gets nervous when I hang a picture let alone a TV. In looking at the specs, I think that the soundbar is slightly less than 2 inches. For some reason, I thought it was taller. I can probably get away with just pushing the TV back on the cabinet a few inches and I should be OK. Might be a little busy on the cabinet but my main concern is making sure that I don't block any portion of the screen.
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post #173 of 661
12/1/12 at 7:51pm
My wife has no problems with drilling holes smile.gif well it took living in our house for about two years before she didn't care as much.
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post #174 of 661
12/1/12 at 8:26pm
I am a total newbie at this. I tried a few ways to hook up my sound bar from the manual with no luck. I was wondering if someone can help.
I have a Samsung tv with two HDMI ports. No optical and several avi ports. No HDMI ARC.
I have a Samsung DVD player with HDMI, optical and several avi ports.
I have a HD DVR cable box with HDMI and avi ports.
And the Samsung sound bar with HDMI in and out and optical, aux in.

I had the DVD player and cable box hooked directly into the tv by HDMI. Now introducing the soundbar, I have no more HDMI ports on the tv left and the few ways I tried with the optical and avi ports failed with sometimes no sound or picture on the tv.

I also have the subwoofer.
There was also some mention in these posts about turning the tv speakers off. Do I need to do that as well?

Any help on connecting all this techy stuff would be helpful.
Thanks in advance.
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post #175 of 661
12/2/12 at 8:29am
You have two source devices, each with HDMI out. Connect one of them to HDMI IN on the soundbar. Connect HDMI OUT on the soundbar to one of your HDMI inputs on the TV. Connect your other source device directly to the TV. The TV must have audio out, either optical or coax. Assuming it's optical, connect a toslink cable from TV to soundbar. Alternately, you could connect toslink directly from the source device to the soundbar in addition to the HDMI connection to the TV. Turning TV speakers off prevents "echo" although you can just turn volume down to zero.
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post #176 of 661
12/2/12 at 10:01am
Thanks possumgirl. This worked great. The only thing is I can't get sound from the tv to the soundbar. I have NO optical on the tv. And I don't have a one port (aux in) to A/V (red/white) cable. I have optical on the DVD player only. Any other way I can connect or should I go buy the aux to red/white cable? Pardon my lack or terminology on these cables. Thanks again.
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post #177 of 661
12/2/12 at 10:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lojo256 View Post

Thanks possumgirl. This worked great. The only thing is I can't get sound from the tv to the soundbar. I have NO optical on the tv. And I don't have a one port (aux in) to A/V (red/white) cable. I have optical on the DVD player only. Any other way I can connect or should I go buy the aux to red/white cable? Pardon my lack or terminology on these cables. Thanks again.

Assuming that you are 100% correct in your descriptions of all of your connection options, I would try this:

1. Connect the HD DVR to the soundbar IN via HDMI
2. Connect the soundbar OUT to the TV via HDMI
3. Connect the DVD player to the TV via HDMI
4. Connect the DVD player to the soundbar via optical

This isn't the way that I would want to do it but it should work. Of course, you would need to switch the source on the soundbar to D.IN when you watch a DVD and you want sound through the soundbar. As Possumgirl said, you want to make sure that you turn off your TV's speakers as well.
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post #178 of 661
12/2/12 at 10:50am
Lojo256, please post the model # of your TV. Doctego's recommendations will certainly work, but I'd like to check your options on the TV.
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post #179 of 661
12/2/12 at 3:30pm
Thank you both Doctego and Possumgirl.
My tv model # is LN40D503F6FXZA.
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post #180 of 661
12/2/12 at 4:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lojo256 View Post

Thank you both Doctego and Possumgirl.
My tv model # is LN40D503F6FXZA.

Looks like you were right. 2 HDMI inputs on your TV. You should also have component inputs but I would try what I wrote above and see how that works for you.
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