HT CT260H advice please

[rick_75]

Hi all purchased above and im a bit lost to whats what,my tv is a samsung 51" ps51d500,as its not got arc as cannot see anything on back saying it has ive connected the bar via optical cable to tv.

The sound seems low to me,i have it up to 12-15 all effects off and treble upto max 6 prob my ears lol but is this normal safe level.

The main questions are

what is the use of the hdmi input on back of bar,i know one is for arc?

Im not sure if my optic cable is either outdated or knacked there is light showing and sound being produced?it is fairly old one prob 4yrs old or so.

My setup is this
Ps51 d500
Humax foxsat box
Ps3
Ps4

Everthing is hdmi into back of tv,is this right or is there better way?

Sorry if it all sounds dumb but im not that savy and just want the best sound i can.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi there

The HDMI port does have a couple of uses. 

1. One of which is to connect to TV's using the ARC channel (part of a feature of HDMI). 
2. Another is to connect another device to the soundbar via HDMI and then pass the video out to the TV
3. The other use is that it also supports Bravia Sync (assuming that you have a Sony TV, that supports it as well).  However if you dont, sometimes TV's support rudimentary HDMI-CEC functionality.  Basically this allows you to use your TV remote to change the volume.

Anyway onto your issue.

You seem to have connected it up correctly (as in device out > HDMI > TV IN and TV Optical Out > CT260H Optical IN)

A couple of things to check

1. If you experience lower sound at night, ensure that you turn OFF the "Night" function in the settings
2. Turn OFF the DRC Setting
3. If your other devices allow you to, turn the volume all the way UP - therefore only using the volume button on the CT260H

Hope that helps

Cheers

[w0mbat]

Sorry, can I hi-jack this thread with a related query?

Quinnicus, I'm confused about all of the HDMI connection stuff.

Yesterday I bought the CT260H (very nice so far) and I have connected my Sony Bravia 50W656A to it using an optical lead. All of my various inputs go into the TV using HDMI (it's only got two ports unfortunately so I have an auto switcher on one - this works fine), so if I use the HDMI ARC stuff I will lose an HDMI connection on the back of my TV.

Your second bullet point seems to say that I can connect devices to the soundbar and then see the video on the TV, is that using the normal HDMI on the bar and then using the ARC socket to go to HDMI on the TV? I'm getting fed up only being able to set the volume using the little remote and I have enough of them already!

Should I just forget the optical connection then?

Sorry for the questions but you seem quite clued up on it and I don't feel that the manula covers it at all!

Many thanks

[Anonymous]

Hi there

I think i understand what your getting at.

On the back of the HT-CT260H it has

• 1 HDMI OUT (ARC)
• 1 HDMI IN

As I understand it, you hate using a secondary remote control to control the volume.  Good news it that you dont have to.  But you will need a HDMI 1.4a cables.

1. Unplug a device from your TV and clear HDMI 1 (ARC)
2. Remove the Optical cable from TV the Soundbar
3. Plug in a HDMI 1.4a cable from Soundbar (HDMI OUT ARC to TV's (HDMI IN ARC)
4. Plug in a HDMI 1.4a cable from the device you have disconnected from the TV, to the soundbars (HDMI IN)
5. On the HT-CT260H turn on Control for HDMI (page 25 of the manual)
6. On the TV also turn on Control for HDMI (can be called Bravia Sync) - Also look at the various settings.

If all works as expected, the TV should detect the Soundbar automatically when switching devices on, as well as you can use the TV's remote control to control the volume level and other functions

Note: Dont use the HDMI switch for the ARC port on the TV

Hope that helps.

PS: By all means ask as many questions as you want   Sometimes it can be a bit of a learning curve, especially if you are not familiar with things.  I personally find many manuals cover it, but sometimes its written in a confusing manner.  The TV's iManual could be improved though in my oppinion.

[w0mbat]

Thank you for your quick reply. I will try this later (as long as I can find a 1.4a cable)

Just to confirm, the device that I unplug from the ARC connection and then reconnect, using what I imagine is a loop through the HT-CT260H, will just appear on that input as before (from the TV side) and my devices attached to the HDMI switch, which come through the other HDMI input on my TV, will send sound to the bar too?

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Ahh yes.

How to explain..  Do you have another piece of Sony equipment connected to your TV.  One that uses Bravia Sync (or Control for HDMI) for example a PS3 etc?  If so, plug that device into the Soundbars input.  Because you can easily use the Sync Menu to access the device:

http://pdf.crse.com/manuals/13LW600114/EN/syncmenu.html

If not, connect a newish device instead, one that supports HDMI-CEC functions, as that may work (or have at least some commands that work).

What devices do you have?

Cheers

[w0mbat]

At the moment I have A SKY HD box in the 1st HDMI port (the ARC one) and on the 2nd one I have an auto switching HDMI box which has a PS3, PS4 and AppleTV connected! I have used Bravia Sync to control the PS3 and PS4 and that works fiine 

[Anonymous]

Perfect, add the PS3 or PS4 to the soundbar input and use Sync Menu (and Sky box to switch).  PS3 works great for me using a AV Receiver, and I guess works the same way with a soundbar. 

[w0mbat]

That's great I will start swapping the cables as soon as I find a 1.4a HDMI one.

Thank you very much for your help.

[w0mbat]

Hi Quinnicus,

Got my 1.4a HDMI cable and all done as we discussed. Thank you for you help and advice.

One final (I hope) question if that's OK?

Do you have any iodeas why the 260H seems to swap back to Optical everytime I swap sources, it's really annoying! Have I missed a setting somewhere?

Many Thanks....