When choosing a soundbar, be sure to choose one with the correct connections for your TV and other components. There are two basic ways to connect a soundbar to your system. The most common way is to use your TV as a relay hub: you connect your Blu-ray player, cable or satellite box, and game console to your TV, then send the audio from your TV to your soundbar.
This is a basic approach that allows you to switch audio and video signals simultaneously when you switch inputs on your TV. Typically, you set up a digital audio connection (optical or HDMI) between your TV and soundbar to be able to enjoy surround sound with sources that provide it. This is an especially good form of connection if you bought your TV in 201 or later.
TVs in pre-2015 models would convert audio to a two-channel PCM signal. This produces stereo sound that can still be played with soundbars and that sounds good, but not surround. By the way, if you can't get sound from a connected source when there is a picture on the screen, the answer to this question is usually related to the sound settings; Go to your TV's menu and check PCM or Dolby Digital preferences in the sound settings.
Every HD TV and 4K TV has an optical digital output, and almost every soundbar does. This connection ranks second after HDMI as a way to stream high-quality sound from your TV to the soundbar.
Speaking of HDMI, a growing number of soundbars include HDMI connections; this means you can connect your Blu-ray player or high definition media player directly to the soundbar. Once your soundbar is connected and set up, you can usually use your TV remote to control its volume. Most TVs and cable or satellite remotes can be programmed to control a soundbar, or the soundbar can learn your TV's commands. Most soundbars include at least a basic remote and often have free remote apps that let you use your smartphone or tablet as a remote.
Originally developed as a reaction to the mediocre sound performance produced by TV sets, soundbars have become a highly preferred part of our daily lives over time, providing user-friendly performance, comfort and a much more satisfying sound performance.
Today, among the many models, anyone can find a soundbar solution to suit their preferences and budget.