Samsung’s smart TVs are rather popular and all have Bluetooth. With the most recent Samsung Smart TVs, you can wirelessly connect your TV to other Bluetooth devices.
With this wireless connectivity, it’s now possible to turn ordinary movies into immersive cinematic experiences!
If you need help connecting your Samsung smart TV to a soundbar via Bluetooth, we’ve got you! This is our complete guide on how to connect a Bluetooth soundbar to your Samsung Smart TV.
How to Connect Bluetooth Soundbar to Samsung Smart TV Step by Step
Although it might sound a bit tricky at first, it is very easy to set up a wireless connection between your Samsung smart TV and a soundbar via Bluetooth. All you need to do is to follow the simple steps below:
1. Enable Bluetooth On Your Soundbar
First, you need to enable Bluetooth connectivity on your soundbar. Press the “Bluetooth Pair” button on your soundbar’s remote control to enable its Bluetooth pairing mode.
If you don’t have the soundbar remote nearby, there’s no need to worry.
All you need to do is press the source button until you see “BT” on the display. Wait a few seconds until the display changes to “BT Ready.”
Now, press and hold the source button until the display changes to “BT Pairing.” This usually takes 5 to 6 seconds.
At this point, you’ve successfully turned on the soundbar’s pairing mode. Now, you need to enable Bluetooth connectivity on your smart TV as well.
2. Enable Bluetooth On Your Samsung Smart TV
Use your TV’s remote control to go to Sources and select Connection Guide. From there, you can select the audio device of your choice to pair your TV with.
An alternative to this is to go to Home and then select Settings, select Sound and then select Sound Output.
Here, you’ll see two options depending on the model of Samsung smart TV you own.
Some TVs will display Bluetooth Speaker List, while some will display Bluetooth Audio Device.
It’ll show you all the available audio devices which can be connected. From here, it’s just a matter of pairing the devices.
3. Pair Devices
Select your soundbar as the audio device. Then, select Pair and Connect and enjoy!
Note: This wireless sound connectivity feature was previously known as SoundConnect or SoundShare in Samsung TVs. But, now it’s changed to Bluetooth Audio.
So, there’s no need to be confused if you see the older option of this feature in your output speakers list.
It just means that you own an older model of Samsung smart TV. So that’s it, that’s how you connect a Bluetooth soundbar to a Samsung smart TV.
Troubleshooting Soundbar to Samsung TV Bluetooth Connection
As you’ve seen by now, Bluetooth pairing is supposed to be effortless and smooth. All you need to do is activate your TV’s and soundbar’s pairing mode and connect them.
However, when dealing with technology, it is natural and likely that you’ll run into a few issues at times.
It is common to have connectivity problems with Bluetooth devices. If you are unable to pair your devices, chances are, you’re doing something wrong!
However, there is always some solution to every problem out there. And, you don’t need to be tech-savvy to fix these problems. Here are a couple of easy hacks you can try.
- First, make sure that your Samsung smart TV and soundbar are compatible with each other.
- Make sure that no other devices are paired with your smart TV or soundbar. Samsung smart TVs only connect with one output device at a time.
- Always keep both devices close to each other, as some devices have shorter Bluetooth ranges. Within five feet is an ideal range.
- Confirm that your soundbar is in pairing mode. To do that, press the source button on the soundbar until it says BT. Then, wait until it says BT PAIRING.
- Afterward, make sure that you have enabled your smart TV’s SoundConnect Then, verify that you have set your TV’s speaker settings to TV SoundConnect.
- If you have already verified that both of your devices are in pairing mode but still are unable to connect, you should do a soft reset. To do that, simply turn off the soundbar. Then, press and hold the stop button until the display says ‘INIT OK.’ Now, turn on the soundbar, and try pairing it to your smart TV again. Sometimes, a soft reset doesn’t do the trick. Therefore, a hard reset is required. A hard reset entails removing the battery and re-inserting it.
- The last step is to try to pair your soundbar and smart TV with other Bluetooth devices. This way, you can identify if both of your devices are working fine or not. If a device does not connect to other Bluetooth devices, it requires evaluation.
If you still cannot pair your devices successfully, contact your retail store or the manufacturer for assistance. You must consult the manufacturer before taking your soundbar or smart TV to a repair shop, especially if the warranty still covers it.
Why Should You Use Bluetooth?
In asking the question of how to connect a Bluetooth soundbar to a Samsung smart TV, you may be asking why should I use Bluetooth at all in the first place?
When you first buy a Samsung smart TV or a Bluetooth soundbar, it is important to know that there are several ways that you can connect them, other than Bluetooth.
For example, you can use an HDMI cable, an optical, or an aux cable to connect. But, when it comes to quality with convenience, Bluetooth seems to have it all.
It is naturally the easiest-to-use option out of all the alternatives. You don’t need to worry about owning extra HDMI cables. You also won’t be bothered by entangled cables, which are seemingly unavoidable.
If you regularly connect your video game systems and other entertainment gear to your smart TV, you know what we’re talking about here.
The cables are aesthetically unappealing. An overall cleaner look to your home theatre setting doesn’t hurt anyone. Luckily, a wireless connection seems to achieve that ever so flawlessly.
Other Ways To Connect Your Soundbar To Your TV
There are many other ways to connect your soundbar to your TV, even though Bluetooth is the simplest. However, let’s face it, Bluetooth doesn’t always work.
Another popular way is to connect your soundbar to your TV using an optical cable. You can also connect your soundbar to your TV using AUX.
If you have an older TV, you can resort to using RCA. Check out our article on how to connect your soundbar to your TV with a red and white cable.
If you are interested in listening radio on your soundbar, you can also stream your radio from your Samsung smart TV if the TV is compatible. On the other hand, some soundbars have built-in radios. Check out our article on the best soundbars with FM radio to learn more.
Can You Use Both HDMI and Optical Audio?
It’s highly recommended to connect your soundbar with an HDMI cable. This is mainly because it provides high-quality sound.
It’s better to connect your soundbar with an HDMI cable because it provides better-quality sound.
Although HDMI and optical connections pass digital audio from one device to another, HDMI can handle higher-resolution audio.
Why Won’t My Samsung TV Connect to My Soundbar?
If your Samsung TV doesn’t work with your Soundbar, here’s what you need to do:
- Make sure the soundbar is in pairing mode.
- Navigate to “Settings > Sound > Speaker Settings > TV SoundConnect.
- Go to “Add New Device”
- Click “On”
- On the same menu, ensure the TV is set to produce sound through SoundConnect.
- You’re good to go!
Wrap Up
So that’s how you connect a Bluetooth soundbar to Samsung Smart TV. The bottom line, it’s easy to connect Samsung smart TVs and soundbars via Bluetooth. Wireless connections are a great alternative to HDMI and aux cables.
They come in very handy if you’re looking to keep your home theatre neat and cable-free. Lastly, the tips mentioned above will help you solve all your wireless connectivity problems. So that’s it, the complete step-by-step method explaining how you can connect a Bluetooth soundbar to a Samsung smart tv.