Smart tv sound oddness

[Elpenor]

Got something funny with my Samsung smart TV. I can access the apps either via my smart tv or via the BT TV box.

Most of the apps accessed via the smart tv do not have any sound. The only exception seems to be YouTube and Spotify, but iplayer, bbc sounds, ITVX, All4 etc none of them produce any sound.

I have the volume on the tv speaker turned down to zero, and the audio goes out via the optical port to external speakers - Doing it this way stops the TV trying to change the audio source to the tv speaker. I’m wondering if this is something to do with the issue on the apps.

Now I can access all of these apps I don’t get the sound for via the BT tv box, so I have a workaround, but I was wondering why the sound doesn’t seem to work for some and not others?

The reason for my question is I noticed that accessing via the SmartTv I can view things on iplayer in Ultra HD quality, but obviously that’s not much good without sound.

 

[yield]

Does the TV connect directly to the Internet or through the BT box?

 

[Elpenor]

Does the TV connect directly to the Internet or through the BT box?

Yes, the tv is connected directly to the internet

 

[yield]

have the volume on the tv speaker turned down to zero, and the audio goes out via the optical port to external speakers - Doing it this way stops the TV trying to change the audio source to the tv speaker. I’m wondering if this is something to do with the issue on the apps

Still playing to TV speakers.

Default audio out settings need changing

 

[Elpenor]

Still playing to TV speakers.

Default audio out settings need changing

Odd that the audio plays via external speakers for some of the smart tv apps (YouTube and Spotify) and not others. Ah well. I’ll have to have a play around with things.

 

[BoxRoom]

Odd that the audio plays via external speakers for some of the smart tv apps (YouTube and Spotify) and not others. Ah well. I’ll have to have a play around with things.

This is exactly the kind of tinkering I like to both shout at and resolve. If it’s possible to have “my tech isn’t working frustration” envy then I have it.
There’s no reason I can think of why some apps don’t play well with the speakers. I’d be shouting “WHY!?” A few times.

 

[Elpenor]

It’s not even a problem really, as it’s easier to do everything via the BT box anyway, as that’s where I watch tv and can access recorded programmes, and it means I only have to use one remote.

 

[spitfire]

Is the TV software all up to date?

 

[Elpenor]

I’ll check but it should be as I have only had it a month.

 

[spitfire]

Might have been sitting in the warehouse for a while so definitely worth a look in case auto update is not turned on.

 

[savoloysam]

Try a factory reset.

 

[Elpenor]

Might have been sitting in the warehouse for a while so definitely worth a look in case auto update is not turned on.

It was turned on. But…

Still playing to TV speakers.

Default audio out settings need changing

I tried changing the HDMI-eArc mode to Auto and the Digital Output Audio format to PCM and it has now given me audio via the smart tv apps like iplayer.

Audio is still playing through the external speakers so making the change hasn’t stopped anything else working which was my concern

Thanks all

 

[Elpenor]

So it looks like, a few days down the line, the TV speaker has suddenly taken over from the external speakers. In fact what it seems to be doing is playing the shitty sound from the tv speakers through the external speakers.

So I’ve undone the change I made on Saturday. I just can’t hear the awful tinny sound coming out of the terrible tv speaker at all well. Having changed it back I immediately get the good quality sound.

I had a read of this thread Audio output keeps switching to TV Speakers
and while most folk are referring to connecting via hdmi (I’m using the optical audio cable) I think it’s the same issue and seems to be an ongoing problem as the thread dates from 2021.

The thread does state the workaround is to turn down the volume on the tv to 0 and to control via external speakers which is what I currently do (I think I googled for this when I got the tv) but it seems the price I pay for using the external speakers is no sound via the TV-installed catchup apps.