How do I use a game console or Blu-ray™ player with my Roku® Streambar®?

How do I connect my Roku Streambar to my TV?

Using the included Premium High Speed HDMI Cable, connect your Roku Streambar to the HDMI port labeled ARC on your TV. When using this special port, you do not need to connect additional cables to get audio from your TV (and devices connected to the TV) to your Streambar. Instead, ARC (or Audio Return Channel) uses the single HDMI cable to send streaming video from your Streambar to the TV, and audio from the TV (and devices connected to the TV) back to your Streambar. Smart TVs manufactured in 2009 and later typically have one ARC port (among the other HDMI ports) commonly labeled "HDMI ARC" or "ARC"". If another device is already using the ARC port, consider moving that device to a different HDMI port – only one device can be connected to the ARC port.

If your TV does not have an ARC port, you will need to connect a second cable. In addition to the HDMI cable, you need to connect the included optical cable to your TV's optical output, sometimes labeled "Digital audio out" or "Digital output". This connection carries TV audio to your Streambar, while the HDMI connection delivers video from the streaming player in your Streambar to the TV.

• Notes:

  • Consult online documentation or the user manual for your TV if you are not sure your TV has an ARC port.
  • You do not need to connect an optical cable when using the ARC port.

For more help getting your Streambar ready to use with all your devices, read the detailed article about setting up your Roku Streambar.

Do I need to adjust my TV settings?

When connecting your Roku Streambar to the ARC port, it is important you check the settings on your TV since ARC and related features may be disabled by default. If ARC is disabled, the ARC port will behave like a normal HDMI port and you will not hear audio from your TV (and devices connected to the TV) on your Roku Streambar.

You should also check the status of a related feature called HDMI-CEC (or just CEC) that helps simplify how you use your entertainment system. CEC allows commands to be shared between devices over the same HDMI connection you use for audio and video, letting you control common features of different devices without having to juggle remotes. If CEC is disabled, you will not be able to use your Streambar remote to turn on or off your TV, or your TV remote to control volume on your Streambar.

When you are looking for these settings on your TV, keep in mind that some manufacturers such as Hitachi and Vizio refer to ARC and CEC by their proper names, while others like LG, Panasonic, and Sony use brand-specific trade names. Some manufacturers even combine ARC and CEC into a single setting like Samsung's Anynet+. For help understanding the various trade names, review the detailed article describing how several popular TV brands go about enabling ARC and CEC.

How do I connect my other devices?

If your other devices are already connected to your TV, you do not need to change how they are connected to use them with your Roku Streambar. If you need help connecting your other devices, review the guidelines below.

• TV tuner

  To use the tuner built into your TV, you need to connect an HDTV antenna to the antenna input on your television, and then let your TV perform a scan of the local channels available in your area. This process typically takes several minutes before you are ready to begin enjoying amazing sound from free "over-the-air" broadcast television. If you need help and your Streambar is connected to a Roku TV, read the detailed article about setting up your the Live TV input. If you have a non-Roku TV, refer to the online documentation for the brand of your television, or contact the manufacturer directly.

  Game console, Blu-ray player, cable/satellite box, etc.

  There is nothing particularly unique when setting up these devices. Just connect each device to an available HDMI port or composite audio/video port on your TV, based on the manufacturer's recommendation, and make note of the name of each input (e.g., HDMI 1, HDMI 2, VIDEO 1, AV 3, ...). Once your Roku Streambar is connected, you simply need to switch the active input on your TV (using your TV remote) to the name of the input where you connected each device. In just a moment, you will begin hearing the amazing sound from your Roku Streambar.

Why is there no sound from my other devices?

• Is volume at an audible level?- Use your Roku remote to adjust the volume on your Roku Streambar or check that it is not muted.
• Are you using the HDMI ARC port on your TV?- If so, check the TV settings and make sure ARC and related features are enabled. If ARC is not turned on, your TV will not pass audio back to your Streambar.
• If you are not using an ARC port, do you have an optical cable connected?- If you are using a standard HDMI port, only video will be transmitted to your TV from your Streambar. You must connect the optical cable to the digital output on your TV to get audio transmitted back to your Streambar.