Problem setting up a Samsung Soundbar

[giddyup]

Just receiver s Samsung HW-J250 soundbar from Lazada. Of course the manual is in Thai, so I'm flying blind. The soundbar came with an optical connection but no analogue connectors. As my TV has no digital optical output I have to use the Audio out on the TV with the red and white connectors. Problem is the only cables I have include the yellow pin as well as red and white, so if I just use the red and white cables and plug into the soundbar with the single pin Aux plug, should it work?

[Lite Beer]

Download the manual in English.

https://www.samsung.com/us/support/owners/product/2015-soundbar-hw-j250

[Lite Beer]

[Lite Beer]

What are you using to send the signal to the TV?

Android Box? DVD?

That could well have an Optical output.

 

I think you actually do have an Android Box.

Connect to that with the Optical cable and just turn the TV volume down.

 

Edited January 29, 2018 by Lite Beer

[giddyup]

40 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

What are you using to send the signal to the TV?

Android Box? DVD?

That could well have an Optical output.

 

I think you actually do have an Android Box.

Connect to that with the Optical cable and just turn the TV volume down.

 

If I connected to the Android box the Soundbar will only work when I'm using the box, not when I'm using the TV or USB. All the externals I have like Android, USB converter and digital TV box all go through the TV sound, so to get the soundbar to work on everything the sound has to come direct from the TV to the soundbar.

[giddyup]

1 hour ago, Lite Beer said:

Thanks for that I'll download it now. Only difference is that my TV has two sockets, red and white for output audio.

[Peterw42]

[giddyup]

Don't know exactly what I did, pressed a few buttons I suppose, but I now have the Soundbar up and running. The sound is better that TV speakers, but I'm not bowled over. I guess I'll try a HD movie and see what it sounds like.

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

That's what I've used, I just dropped the black, which is actually yellow on my cable.

[Lite Beer]

A digital connection will always be better. 

If all your boxes have digital outputs you can use one of these.

https://www.lazada.co.th/audio-optical-toslink-3-way-splitter-switcher-cable-adapter-hub-3-to-1-sl-intl-69279774.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.3.1b4a0b9erQ3xEt

Edited January 29, 2018 by Lite Beer

[giddyup]

16 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

A digital connection will always be better. 

If all your boxes have digital outputs you can use one of these.

https://www.lazada.co.th/audio-optical-toslink-3-way-splitter-switcher-cable-adapter-hub-3-to-1-sl-intl-69279774.html?spm=a2o4m.searchlist.list.3.1b4a0b9erQ3xEt

Thanks, but already have a HDMI splitter and what with all the other cables behind the TV it looks like a Bkk power line. I'm sure an optical connection would be better, but I doubt if my 75 year old ears would notice the difference. I have the soundbar up and working and it's definitely an improvement, not cinema quality by far, but I didn't expect that for 1600 baht.

[Lite Beer]

Don't forget that the soundbar has different sound settings.

[giddyup]

8 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

Don't forget that the soundbar has different sound settings.

I believe 3, standard, sports and 3D.

[Jai Dee]

17 hours ago, giddyup said:

I'm sure an optical connection would be better, but I doubt if my 75 year old ears would notice the difference. I have the soundbar up and working and it's definitely an improvement, not cinema quality by far, but I didn't expect that for 1600 baht

You could try connecting your Android box to the soundbar with the supplied optical cable and see (or rather hear) if there is any difference.

You might be pleasantly surprised and there would be no additional cost.

 

If significantly better you could then lash out for additional optical cables and a splitter box as suggested by LB.

 

It seems a shame that your video interfaces are all digital via HDMI but your audio interfaces are analogue.

 

Worth a try?

 

[giddyup]

4 minutes ago, Jai Dee said:

You could try connecting your Android box to the soundbar with the supplied optical cable and see (or rather hear) if there is any difference.

You might be pleasantly surprised and there would be no additional cost.

 

If significantly better you could then lash out for additional optical cables and a splitter box as suggested by LB.

 

It seems a shame that your video interfaces are all digital via HDMI but your audio interfaces are analogue.

 

Worth a try?

 

I really bought the soundbar to improve on sound from movies and TV. I have one of these boxes that play movies from a USB stick. This doesn't have an optical connection, so I'm still going to have to use the Audio Out on the TV to the Soundbar.

[Lite Beer]

Why don't you put the USB stick in the Android Box?

[giddyup]

2 minutes ago, Lite Beer said:

Why don't you put the USB stick in the Android Box?

Because the media player is a dedicated USB player it's very simple and easy to use, the Android box, not so much. If I stop a movie on the media player it will pick up exactly where I left off the next day, not sure if the Android box will do that. A lot has to do with what I'm familiar with and ease of use.

[janclaes47]

Just now, giddyup said:

Because the media player is a dedicated USB player it's very simple and easy to use, the Android box, not so much. If I stop a movie on the media player it will pick up exactly where I left off the next day, not sure if the Android box will do that. A lot has to do with what I'm familiar with and ease of use.

If you use Kodi to playback the media it will ask you if you want to continue from the point you left or want to start at the beginning.

[giddyup]

4 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

If you use Kodi to playback the media it will ask you if you want to continue from the point you left or want to start at the beginning.

Better the devil know. Thanks anyway.

[janclaes47]

Just now, giddyup said:

Better the devil know. Thanks anyway.

 

There is no learning curve involved in this. Kodi is a dedicated media player for all kinds of files, same as your other USB player you mention.

 

You don't even have to open Kodi. You just click the file in your file browser and it will open Kodi for you automatically.

[giddyup]

9 minutes ago, janclaes47 said:

 

There is no learning curve involved in this. Kodi is a dedicated media player for all kinds of files, same as your other USB player you mention.

 

You don't even have to open Kodi. You just click the file in your file browser and it will open Kodi for you automatically.

I'll give it a try.

[maxpower]

5 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

 

There is no learning curve involved in this. Kodi is a dedicated media player for all kinds of files, same as your other USB player you mention.

 

You don't even have to open Kodi. You just click the file in your file browser and it will open Kodi for you automatically.

No learning curve for Kodi?

To setup and use Kodi correctly requires a new user follow quite a steep learning curve and that curve becomes even steeper when surround sound goes in the mix.

 

To make full use of Kodi playback features files must be in a library and named correctly so its not a simple point and click process like many dedicated players. 

[janclaes47]

1 hour ago, maxpower said:

No learning curve for Kodi?

To setup and use Kodi correctly requires a new user follow quite a steep learning curve and that curve becomes even steeper when surround sound goes in the mix.

 

To make full use of Kodi playback features files must be in a library and named correctly so its not a simple point and click process like many dedicated players. 

 

I think you have no idea what you're talking about.

 

The files just have to be on your usb drive or any other storage media tthat is connected to the Android box.

 

When you click the media file it will ask you if you want to open it with Kodi or any other media player installed on the box.

 

You select Kodi and select always, soit will not ask you again next time.

 

In Kodi passthrough is enabled by default, so the audio decoding will be done by the device that receives the audio stream.

 

If the receiving device has no audio decoder then you disable passthrough in Kodi, and kodi will do the decoding before sending the audio stream to the soundbar. All audio decoders are also enabled by default in Kodi.

[maxpower]

5 hours ago, janclaes47 said:

 

I think you have no idea what you're talking about.

 

The files just have to be on your usb drive or any other storage media tthat is connected to the Android box.

 

When you click the media file it will ask you if you want to open it with Kodi or any other media player installed on the box.

 

You select Kodi and select always, soit will not ask you again next time.

 

In Kodi passthrough is enabled by default, so the audio decoding will be done by the device that receives the audio stream.

 

If the receiving device has no audio decoder then you disable passthrough in Kodi, and kodi will do the decoding before sending the audio stream to the soundbar. All audio decoders are also enabled by default in Kodi.

You said no learning curve so I am guessing you think the OP is a genius like you.  Android opens the file as instructed and Kodi plays along with all its features bells and whistles. That's a learning curve.

[Jai Dee]

For those new to Kodi there is a pinned topic in this form that may be of use.

 

Some of the information in there is a little bit dated, as both Kodi and some of the addons referenced in there have changed slightly, however the basics are there.

 

This particular topic is about soundbars... so let's stick to that OK?

[gaviny]

Hi Giddyup I have lost my private messages and was just wondering if you were the one that advised me on which Vpn to use to acess Foxtel from Oz.If so could you please tell me the Vpn coy again.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[giddyup]

1 minute ago, gaviny said:

Hi Giddyup I have lost my private messages and was just wondering if you were the one that advised me on which Vpn to use to acess Foxtel from Oz.If so could you please tell me the Vpn coy again.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Nope, sorry, wasn't me.

[gaviny]

Nope, sorry, wasn't me.

Thanks .

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[JaseTheBass]

That's what I've used, I just dropped the black, which is actually yellow on my cable.

No it isn't. Look again.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

[giddyup]

5 hours ago, JaseTheBass said:

No it isn't. Look again.

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
 

The cable I used has  red, white and yellow connectors, I just used the red and white.