[Samsung HW-N950]: HDMI passthrough fails over ARC

[_raVan_]

I recently bought the HW-N950 soundbar. I hooked it up to my Samsung 55KS8000 2016 TV over HDMI ARC and everything works out well. 

However, when I connect my external device (PS3 or laptop) to HDMI 1 & 2 of the soundbar for HDMI pass through, only audio signals are sent and the video shows as no signal. If I change from HDMI ARC to a regular HDMI connection on the TV, then I can see the video as well.

I am running on 1001.2 firmware and the app doesn't upgrade it to the 1003 firmware. In a way its good, as I can see in other samsung forums that people have suggested not upgrading as the new firmware breaks more than it fixes.

Is there anyone else having the N950 soundbar also facing the same issue?

[DickKoster]

Hi @_raVan_,

Why don’t you connect the tv and the soundbar optical wih a Toslink cable?

Much better setting!

Such a cable cost nothing, so give it a try.

With problems? Knock here!

[_raVan_]

Thank you for your response. I would like to utilize the HDMI ARC functionality and hence would like it to work the way its supposed to work.

I experimented with one more thing. I removed ALL the other HDMI connections from the connection box of the TV and attached ONLY the soundbar to the HDMI ARC and it worked. 

There is definitely some issue with the handshake or with the TV not able to handle ARC when other HDMI ports on the TV itself are occupied.

[DickKoster]

Hi pitty it did not work, but thanks for

the feedback!

Lot of succes with solving this issue!

Regards,

Dick

[JoeriS]

Hey @_raVan_ I understand you've connected your soundbar through HDMI ARC with your TV and your PS3 with your soundbar. But that it does work when you connect your PS3 to an HDMI port on your TV instead? What's wrong with that last way of connecting exactly? Because that's how I'd recommend setting it up.

[_raVan_]

But that it does work when you connect your PS3 to an HDMI port on your TV instead?

Yes, it does work

What's wrong with that last way of connecting exactly?

There is nothing wrong with it per se. But if tomorrow, if I want to play Dolby Atmos tracks through an another external device, I can't go with this solution. Because Samsung TVs do not support Dolby Atmos over ARC. So, the external device needs to be connected to the soundbar directly.

If you ask me, I think the firmware on the TV needs to be checked as to why the video over ARC is failing when other HDMI slots on the TV are occupied.

[JoeriS]

Ok, I may be getting this wrong.. 

This way you're getting only sound but no image:

TV > ARC > Soundbar > PS3

But it does work like this:

TV > ARC > Soundbar 

TV > PS3

Right?

In the last option there are 2 different devices connected through HDMI with the TV, so if that works, it is possible to connect more than just HDMI ARC. 

In case I got that last one wrong, does it work when you connect your soundbar to a non-ARC HDMI slot and then connect your PS3 with your soundbar?

[_raVan_]

This way you're getting only sound but no image:
TV > ARC > Soundbar > PS3

But it does work like this:
TV > ARC > Soundbar 
TV > PS3

Right?

Yes, right. Also, if there are no other HDMI connections on the TV, then TV > ARC > Soundbar > PS3 also works.

In the last option there are 2 different devices connected through HDMI with the TV, so if that works, it is possible to connect more than just HDMI ARC. 

Yes, if the soundbar HDMI inputs are empty then everything works smoothly. To make this more clear:

a) If there are no other HDMI connections from the TV

TV > ARC > Soundbar > PS3 works 

b) If there are other HDMI connections from TV:

TV> ARC > Soundbar works

TV > PS3 works

TV > ARC > Soundbar > PS3 does not work

In case I got that last one wrong, does it work when you connect your soundbar to a non-ARC HDMI slot and then connect your PS3 with your soundbar?

Yes, it works if I connect PS3 to Soundbar and Sounbar to a non-ARC HDMI input. 

[JoeriS]

Got it, thanks for the clarification. So the only remaining question is why the TV can't handle the soundbar's HDMI passthrough when there are HDMI ports in use other than the ARC port. Since you already hinted at thinking a new firmware version could solve this, could you check here on your TV: Menu > Support > Contact Samsung, and tell me which software version you see? The latest version I know of is 1230.5

[_raVan_]

tell me which software version you see? The latest version I know of is 1230.5

Yes, I confirm that its the same version that I am using.