360 box - audio sometimes drops out from sound bar (HDMI ARC)

[Mike1957]

I have a Hisense TV, Samsung HW-Q60T sound bar and new Virgin 360 box. All works well but occasionally (like 2 or 3 times during the evening) the sound switches from coming out of my sound bar and reverts to coming out of my TV speakers (with a message on my screen saying ARC device has been disconnected). If I switch the sound bar OFF and then switch it back ON again then all is ok again and audio comes out of my sound bar (at least for a while, anyway).

This didn't happen when I had the Tivo box and has only just started doing this since getting the new 360 box.

I have not changed the way the 3 units are connected together with cables, that is still the same: TV to sound bar using HDMI ARC to HDMI ARC sockets. TV to Virgin 360 box using HDMI to HDMI sockets.

I'm not very savvy when it comes to this new way of connecting various devices together but conclude that it must be some software issue or a settings issue but have tried various settings and nothing seems to make any difference. The sound still drops out now and again.

Can anyone help? What am I doing wrong?

[roy247]

It could be a HDMI handshaking issue, can you turn off the HDMI CEC control on your TV to see if it makes any difference.

If that fixes the problem you can get a 'CEC Less' adaptor from Amazon 

[Mike1957]

I disabled HDMI CEC on my TV and the audio just came out of my TV speakers and I couldn't make audio come out of my sound bar. 

So I have enabled HDMI CEC on my TV back on again.

But thanks for your suggestion 

[Mike1957]

PROBLEM SOLVED

Having read someone else's solution to this problem I bought a HDMI CEC Less adaptor from amazon costing about £12. I bought the Lindy one as that's what the other person bought. I plugged the adaptor into the HDMI socket on the VM 360 box and plugged the HDMI lead from the TV into the adaptor. 

The audio issue use to happen about 3 or 4 times a day but hasn't happened at all since using the adaptor. Problem solved.

But VM still needs to get their act together and sort out this HDMI ARC problem that they have with the 360 box

[Steven_L]

Hey Mike1957,

Welcome to the community and thanks for taking the time to post here on the forums. I’m sorry to hear of the issues that you’re having with your sound bar working in conjunction with your TV 360 box. Have you been able to get the issues resolved, have you spoken to the manufacturer to have them check if there is anything that they can check or let you know of any known issues?

Kind Regards,

Steven_L

[Mike1957]

The issue is not with the sound bar. The issue is with the Virgin TV 360 box. I didn't have a problem with the old Tivo box. The problem is with the software or hardware in the V360 box

[Matthew_ML]

Please can you try it without the sound bar and let us know if it does the same or it works fine?