Vizio Soundbar Won’t Connect To TV? (Easy Fix Guide!)
If your Vizio soundbar won’t connect to TV, then this guide will help you resolve the problem!
Whether you’re trying to connect wirelessly (Bluetooth) or via wires, there are different possible issues that may arise, and most of them can be fixed quickly.
To begin, let’s review everything you can do:
If you’re unsure of how any of these are done, read the in-depth instructions!
Vizio Soundbar Won’t Connect to TV – (Fix for Wireless/Wired)
Note: Have you tried the simplest step–restarting your TV and Vizio soundbar?
1. Inspect the TV Connection (Wired)
The first and most important step when the Vizio soundbar won’t connect to your TV is to check the wired connection between both devices.
Since you can connect the Vizio soundbar in three different ways, we have prepared detailed instructions for HDMI ARC, Optical, and RCA cable.
1.1 HDMI ARC Inspection
This most common and preferred method of connecting the Vizio soundbar is via HDMI ARC.
- One side of the cable plugs into the HDMI ARC on your soundbar.
- The other side goes into the HDMI ARC port on the back of the TV.
If your Vizio soundbar only supports HDMI ARC, and your TV doesn’t have an HDMI ARC port, you must use a different type of connection.
You can choose between Optical or AUX to RCA.
Important: Verify that the HDMI cable is connected to the HDMI ARC port on the TV and not to the regular HDMI port.
1.2 Optical Cable Inspection
If you’re using a Digital Optical Cable, you need to ensure that the connector is firmly plugged into the OPT-IN (square) port on your soundbar.
On your TV’s side, you must ensure that the connector is firmly plugged into the OPT-OUT port.
1.3 RCA Cable Inspection
When using an RCA connection, one side of the cable would be a 3.5mm jack that plugs into the AUX port of your Vizio soundbar.
The other side of the cable would be RCA connectors (white and red), left and right, respectively, which must be connected to the RCA TV inputs.
What’s important is to verify that the RCA cable is connected according to the color pattern.
Quick Tip: Do you have a replacement cable? Test connecting your Vizio soundbar with it!
2. Optimize TV Connection (Wireless)
If you’re attempting to connect your Vizio soundbar wirelessly to your TV via Bluetooth, you need to ensure that you’re doing it right.
Here’s exactly what to do to connect the Vizio soundbar to the TV wirelessly:
- Turn your Vizio soundbar OFF and ON.
- Hold the Bluetooth button for 5 seconds.
- Blinking blue light means “Pairing Mode”.
- In the TV settings, find the Bluetooth tab.
- Discover and select your Vizio soundbar.
Viola. You should be ready with the wireless connection!
Troubleshooting Wireless Connection:
If the Vizio soundbar has no sound, or you can’t discover the device through the TV’s Bluetooth menu, there are a couple of things to try.
- Power cycle both, your TV and the soundbar.
- Shorten the proximity between both devices.
- Turn off other Bluetooth or RF wireless units.
- Unpair other Bluetooth devices from your TV.
- Check for any potential source of interference.
- Unpair the soundbar from other Bluetooth units.
Quick Tip: If you cannot connect wirelessly, we recommend trying a wired connection to justify whether the problem is related to Bluetooth or something else.
3. Set the Correct Soundbar Mode
If your Vizio soundbar not connecting to TV, perhaps you’re using a different input mode based on the type of connection.
For example, if you’ve connected your Vizio soundbar via HDMI, you must select the “HDMI” input source on the soundbar.
So, pressing the “Input” button on the Vizio soundbar, cycles through the available sources.
- If it’s connected via HDMI, select “HDMI”
- If it’s connected via Optical, select “OPT”
- If it’s connected via AUX, select “RCA”
It’s important to ensure that you’re using the correct input mode, otherwise you’ll hear no sound!
4. Set Your TV’s Audio Out to PCM
Even if the soundbar is properly connected to the TV, the reason for the audio loss in most cases lies within the TV’s audio settings.
If your TV is set to Bitstream (Dolby Digital) audio output it sends compressed audio signals for the Vizio soundbar to decode.
If you hear no audio, you may need to change the audio output to PCM (Pulse Code Modulation), so the TV sends raw (uncompressed) audio.
So, according to the table below, follow the instructions as per your television model:
| TV Model | How to Set TV PCM Audio Output? |
| Vizio | Settings → Sound → Sound Out → Digital Sound Out → PCM |
| Samsung | Settings → Sound → Expert Settings → Digital Audio Output Format → PCM |
| Hisense | Settings → Device Preferences → Digital Optical Out → PCM |
| LG | Settings → Sound → Digital Audio Output/Audio Format → PCM or LPCM |
| Philips | Settings → Sound → Digital Output → PCM |
| Sony | Home → Settings → Sound → Digital Audio Out → PCM |
| TCL | Settings → Sound → Advanced Settings → Digital Audio Out → PCM |
| Panasonic | Down Arrow ▼ → Digital Audio Out → Down Arrow ▼→ PCM → OK |
Note: If your TV was already set to PCM audio output, feel free to change it to Bitstream (Dolby Digital) and test whether the Vizio soundbar will start playing.
5. Enable the Television’s HDMI-CEC
If you’re still wondering why won’t my Vizio soundbar connect to my TV, you should know about the HDMI-CEC feature (HDMI-Consumer Electronics Control).
This feature is typically disabled by default.
The function allows controlling your TV with your soundbar’s remote and is a good way to strengthen the connection between both devices.
According to Vizio, when your Vizio soundbar is connected to the TV but there is no sound, one of the most helpful solutions is to enable the TV’s HDMI-CEC.
Here’s how:
| TV Model | How to Enable TV’s HDMI-CEC? |
| Vizio | Menu → System → CEC → Use arrows to select CEC |
| Samsung | Settings → General → External Device Management → Anynet+ → ON |
| Hisense | Settings → Connection → HDMI & CEC → Enable “CEC Control” |
| LG | Settings → All Settings → General → Devices → HDMI Settings → Simplik |
| Philips | Settings → Display & Sound → CEC or (EasyLink) → Enable HDMI-CEC |
| TCL | Settings → System → Control Other Devices (CEC) → Enable |
| Panasonic | Menu → Setup – HDMI-Control → CEC Function → ON |
| Sony | Settings → Channels & Inputs → External Inputs → HDMI-CEC Settings |
Note: When you’ve enabled the HDMI-CEC on your TV, restart the TV and Vizio soundbar, and then check if you can hear audio.
6. Factory Reset the Vizio Soundbar
If you’ve tried all the methods to no avail and your Vizio soundbar can’t connect to the TV, no matter the type of connection (wired or wireless), it’s time for a factory reset.
This is a very effective method that will erase all bugs and glitches, as well as all custom soundbar options.
- To factory reset your Vizio soundbar, press and hold the Bluetooth button + Volume Down button for 5 seconds simultaneously.
If all the LEDs on the Vizio soundbar flash three times, the device is currently resetting.
When the factory reset is complete you can retry the Bluetooth or wired connection to your television.
Last Steps: If your Vizio soundbar just won’t connect, try a wired or wireless connection to a different TV or perhaps your smartphone.
Finn Wheatley, a Master’s graduate in Computer Science from UCL, London, honed his skills at small data science consultancies. There, he helped large corporations enhance their data capabilities by deploying cutting-edge machine learning analytics and resolving technical hurdles.