RM Series Replacement Remote Control for Polaroid TB301

Product Information

One complaint you might see frequently, even on top-end soundbars, is that they don’t sound any better than the TV they’re supposed to be connected to. Even budget soundbars offer a range of connectivity options and, generally speaking, the more ports present, the better.

With a digital optical connection to the soundbar from your Samsung TV, hold the left direction on the Samsung TV remote’s direction pad to activate or deactivate Auto Power Link, which only works with an optical connection. Be sure to also change the TV’s audio output settings, so the soundbar will be controlled by your TV remote.

Sony TVs can be connected to a soundbar through the HDMI ARC connection, an optical digital audio cable only, or with both an HDMI and optical digital audio cable. All of the setups are the same as the instructions listed above. When switching the audio output setting, you’ll select ‘Audio System’ for all setups. This is more common when you’re watching TV using a set-top box such as a Sky or Freeview box. Even if your set-top box is connected to your TV and your TV to your soundbar, you may find the audio only gets to your TV's speakers. With an HDMI ARC connection, your soundbar’s source will automatically change to TV ARC, then you can use the TV remote’s right direction on the direction pad to activate/deactivate Anynet+, which only works with an HDMI ARC connection. Think about what size soundbar suits your television setup best. You’ll want to make sure it fits in your AV cabinet and slots neatly in front of or under your TV without obstructing your view or getting in the way of any infrared sensor your telly may have.

The other two sound modes are less impressive, but useful nonetheless. The processing-free Pure setting delivers audio as intended by its creator, while Night mode decreases the dynamic range to improve low-volume listening. There are also three dialogue enhancement options available, all of which successfully accentuate speech. If you don’t immediately hear the TV’s sound, then you need to go to your TV’s sound or audio settings and turn off your TV speaker. It should be under ‘TV speaker’, ‘speaker list’, or something similar. On this same list, you should see an option for “HDMI Arc” or something similar. Select this option to tell your TV to route the audio channel through the soundbar. When Using Optical: Hitachi is known for its low-priced smart TVs, which often come with Roku TV built-in. Connecting your soundbar to a Hitachi Roku TV is the same as if you use your Roku remote (no matter your TV brand) to control all of your TV and media. If your video device (such as a Sky box, TV box or DVD player) is plugged directly into your soundbar, it’s possible for your sound to get ahead of (fall behind) the image on your TV. Many modern boxes have a feature to prevent this - you’ll find this in your audio settings menu.

When utilizing HDMI ARC to connect to your Hitachi Roku TV remote, you’ll want to head to TV settings > Audio > Audio Preferences. Then, set the ‘Audio Mode’ to ‘Auto (DTS)’ to connect to your soundbar automatically. Also, select ‘Auto-detect’ in the S/PDIF and ARC settings. While each TV brand’s method of connecting to and controlling your soundbar is slightly different, it’s fairly straightforward to connect the two. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to do to control a soundbar with your TV remote. Find the Optical or HDMI ARC Connection on both the Soundbar and TV So, if you don’t mind a bit of audio DIY, the Sharp HT-SBW460 is an attractive choice, but if you’d rather not tinker, you’re better off losing the extra audio channel and buying the Creative Stage 360 instead.

The best budget soundbars to buy in 2023 1. Creative Stage V2: Best budget soundbar with a subwooferUsing HDMI ARC, you will connect your soundbar’s ‘HDMI OUT’ or ‘HDMI OUT (ARC)’ to the ‘HDMI IN (ARC)’ on your TV. When using an optical cable, there’s a small chance that the Television will know to use the soundbar automatically, but it’s more likely that you’ll have to go find the Televisions speaker selection menu and change it as described above. When using an optical connection, the setup is the same as the instructions above. After your optical cable is connected to both your soundbar and TV, you will go to the TV settings, turn off the TV speaker, and change the source to ‘Optical’.

The least powerful bar on this list, the Roku Streambar, is able to fill a reasonably sized room with sound. What’s the best way to connect a soundbar? If your soundbar has an accompanying app for your smartphone or tablet, you could use this as an alternative to the remote, at least on a temporary basis. Some brands also let you buy replacement remotes separately, which is worth trying if you suspect your remote control is faulty (for example, if it stopped working after you dropped it). My soundbar or subwoofer isn’t working at allVIZIO TVs are connected to soundbars in the same way as the instructions above, through an optical or HDMI connection. For an optical connection on the VIZIO TV, the port may be called ‘S/PDIF’, and for an HDMI ARC connection, use ‘HDMI 1’, which is the ARC port. Start by turning the volume of the soundbar all the way down, using your soundbar remote. Then play around with the volume settings to find the optimal volumes on each device to produce the best sound for your system. If space underneath your TV is at a premium but you’ve got room to accommodate a reasonably large subwoofer for added low-end impact, this is the budget soundbar for you.