KD43XF8796 Optical-out sending data/light when TV is in standby, messing with my soundbar.

[HashbrownRolo]

Hello community,

I recently got a good deal on a brand new XF87. Annoyingly, when the TV is in standby mode it keeps waking up my soundbar.

The TV and soundbar are connected via optical optical cable. To test, I unplugged the end of the cable that goes into the soundbar to check if any light was coming through once the TV was powered off.

Just as I thought, upon powering off the TV via the remote, the light goes off for a second or two, before returning with solid red light.

This is very frustrating, as not only does my soundbar wake up and stay fully powered on all day and wasting electricity, but if I want to use the soundbar with another device on a different input source (such as Bluetooth or aux-in) it keeps switching back to the optical source and all sound cuts out.

The only way to stop it is to reach in behind the TV and turn the plug off at the mains socket. My old TV didn't do this and I'm starting to lose my marbles.

Does anyone have a solution? Thank you!

[rooobb · Accepted solution]

Newer TV never really switch off but rather go in a standby state in which some features are still running an powered on (ie. USB socket and optical audio output). To avoid problems with your soundbar you should be able to switch off the automatic wake up of the soundbar when a digital signal is fed. This option should be in the soundbar menu and the only sideeffect will be that you'll need to use the soundbar remote to poweron the soundbar. Best solution is to have an HDMIarc connection between TV and soundbar but you do not state the soundbar model/brand and I guess it doesn't support it.

[HashbrownRolo]

Thanks for your reply rooobb,

The soundbar I'm connecting to is a Samsung HW-K430, which unfortunately doesn't have an HDMIarc connection option.

However, I looked up the manual since your post and have seen that there is a hidden option to disable the "Auto Power Link" (by holding down the left arrow key on the remote for 5 seconds) which should stop the optical output waking the soundbar up.

I'll test this when I get home tonight, but I think that may have solved it. Very grateful for your assistance, I owe you one1

[HashbrownRolo]

For anyone reading this in the future:

I couldn't get the TV to stop sending data/light down the optical cable when in standby.

Check your soundbar/sound system manual as there should be a feature to disable the wake-up feature when it detects activity from the TV.

I have to use the remote to turn my soundbar on, but I'm fine with that as a solution.

Case closed!

[tuxick]

WONTFIX is not a solution. Never again buying Sony is.

[Ozimek]

I have the same issue. TV keeps turning on my amplifier via optical, even when the TV is off. Seems like it should be fixable with a software update. Cannot recommend Sony TVs until this is fixed. 

[SkyNet404]

What's the models of both your TV and amplifier? And are they only connected via optical? Or have you added a HDMI as well?