Connect Your Vizio Soundbar to Your TV in Just 6 Easy Steps

Soundbars are an excellent way to enhance your TV’s sound without taking up too much space. They contain several drivers and often come with a subwoofer to deliver immersive sound that can take your movie experience to a different level.

Also read: What To Do if Your Vizio Soundbar Remote Is Not Working?

How to Connect Your Vizio Soundbar to Your TV

Vizio offers a variety of soundbars you can easily connect to your television.

You can connect a Vizio Soundbar to your television using an RCA, HDMI, or Optical cable. With the cable connected, your TV should be able to send audio signals to your soundbar. The final step involves setting up the input method and sound preferences from the settings on the menu. 

Keep reading to learn more about how to connect a Vizio Soundbar to your TV. This article will provide step-by-step instructions using different connection methods so you can enjoy livelier sound while watching your favorite shows. 

Step 1: Check Your Vizio Soundbar Accessories

The package should contain another box with accessories if you just purchased your Vizio soundbar. If your soundbar comes with a subwoofer, the box should have it as well. 

Accessories for your Vizio Soundbar may include the following items:

• Remote control with batteries
• Quick Start Guide
• Stereo RCA to 3.5 mm audio cable
• 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm audio cable
• Coaxial audio cable
• HDMI cable
• Digital optical cable
• Power cable
• Wall mount brackets (2)
• Wall mount screws (2)
• Wall mount template

If for any reason, one or more of the above accessories are missing, you can always contact the seller or manufacturer. You can also purchase the missing accessories online. 

Step 2: Connect the Soundbar to Your TV Using Your Preferred Cable

You can connect your Vizio soundbar using one of the following:

• RCA cable to 3.5 mm audio cable
• 3.5 mm audio cable
• HDMI cable
• Digital optical cable

Alternatively, if your TV and soundbar are compatible with Bluetooth, you can also use that to connect your soundbar.

However, the HDMI cable will give you the best sound quality. You can learn more about how cables affect sound quality by reading our HDMI and optical cables article.

To connect your Vizio soundbar to your TV using an HDMI cable: 

1. Look for the HDMI port behind or on the side of your TV. Your TV may have multiple HDMI ports labeled as “HDMI1,” “HDMI2,” and so on. 
2. Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the HDMI port on your TV and the other end into the HDMI port on your Vizio soundbar.

If you want to use the optical cable: 

1. Look for the port on your TV labeled “optical.” 
2. Plug one end of the cable into the optical port on the TV and the other end into the optical port of the soundbar. 

One of the best optical cables for Vizio is the NiceTQ 6FT Digital Optical Audio Toslink Cable (available on Amazon.com). Aside from its length, it can also connect a variety of devices — although make sure you check that the connections are “male to male” first. 

You can also use the RCA to 3.5 mm or the 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm audio cable to connect your soundbar to your TV. However, these analog cables will likely not deliver your soundbar’s full surround sound capabilities. 

To connect using the RCA to 3.5 mm cable, plug the red and white cables into your TV’s corresponding RCA audio output ports and the other end into the 3.5 mm input of your soundbar. 

If you’re using the 3.5 mm to 3.5 mm audio cable, plug one end into the 3.5 mm input of your soundbar and the other end into the headphone output of your TV.

Step 3. Turn the Soundbar ON

To turn the soundbar on:

1. Connect the power cable to the port labeled AC IN behind the soundbar. 
2. Connect the other end to a power outlet. 
3. Turn the soundbar on by using the power button on the top left of the remote control or the one on the soundbar. 

Make sure your remote control has the batteries properly installed and that your TV is turned on to perform the next step. 

Step 4. Choose Your Input 

Depending on the cable and port you used, you need to select your input as follows:

1. Press INPUT on the remote as it’s pointed toward your TV or the part of your TV that detects the remote. Doing this should bring up a menu on the screen.    
2. Use the ARROW keys to select the appropriate input.

Your TV screen should display a choice between any of the following:

• AUX input for RCA 
• Optical, Toslink, or SPDIF for Digital Optical
• HDMI input for HDMI

Step 5. Mute the TV Speakers

Before you select your sound output, you’ll want to mute the TV speakers first. Otherwise, you’ll hear an unpleasant echo after connecting your Vizio soundbar.  

You can divert the sound from your TV speakers to your soundbar by following these instructions:

1. Press MENU on your Vizio Soundbar’s remote.
2. Use the arrows to go to Audio Settings.
3. Select TV Speakers. 
4. Using the arrows on your remote, toggle it to the OFF position.

Step 6. Select the Sound Output

The final step is choosing the sound output from the audio menu. 

If you’re using an HDMI or optical cable, use the arrows on the remote to select Digital Audio Output. From here, you can choose between Bitstream or Dolby Digital.

If you’re using an analog cable, select Analog Audio Output and choose Variable or Fixed. Variable lets you control the volume through the television, while Fixed will only let you adjust the volume through the soundbar. 

You can read the owner’s manual to see how you can do things like using your TV remote or smartphone to control your Vizio soundbar. 

Final Thoughts

Connecting a Vizio soundbar to your TV takes only a few minutes. You can use different cables, but the HDMI cable will let you get the most out of your soundbar.

Once your soundbar is set up and you’ve experienced the difference it brings to your TV’s audio output, you’ll never watch another show without it. 

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