Both Onky and Samsung are popular brands in the audio and TV industry. As such, it is common to have both Onkyo receivers and Samsung TVs in the same home theater setup. In this article, we will explain how to connect your Onkyo receiver to a Samsung smart TV.
To connect an Onkyo receiver to a Samsung smart TV, use an HDMI cable. Hook the first HDMI cable from the ARC HDMI port of the Samsung smart TV to the ARC connection of the Onkyo receiver. You can do the same using RCA or digital optical (TOSLINK).
Let’s get into the details for each method.
Method 1: Using HDMI To Connect for Your Onkyo Receiver
Onkyo Receiver is a low-cost multi-functional home theater centerpiece designed to provide the best-in-class entertainment experience for your music, movies, and next-generation gaming systems.
- Your Samsung Smart TV has to have an MDMI-ARC HDMI connection input (Audio Return Channel).
- Then your HDMI cable must be at least version 1.4.
Don’t worry, most recent Samsung TVs have been upgraded and have an ARC HDMI port. Also, using an HDMI cable that is 1.4 below (even 1.3) WON’T WORK. This is because only versions 1.4 and above support the ARC function.
It’s worth noting that the Audio Return Channel (ARC) sends sound signals to the receiver from wherever the sound originates, i.e. the receiver gets its signal from your Smart TV, Smartphone, and any other device which is the sound that is played in the theatre.
You may need to change the setting of your Onkyo Receiver to activate the ARC feature (If needed). You can find this in settings and it may be labeled as HDMI-MEC.
You also need to put on this feature on your Samsung Smart TV. In most Samsung TVs, the HDMI-MEC feature is referred to as Anynet+.
To activate the Anynet+ feature on your TV, follow the procedure below;
- Go to Settings by pressing the HOME key on your Samsung TV remote.
- Go to GENERAL MENU from the settings menu.
- Go to EXTERNAL DEVICE MANAGER.
- A menu comes after that, and “Anynet+” shows on the screen.
- To turn this function on, press the Enter button on your remote.
After this is done, you can now connect your Smart TV to your receiver via the HDMI-ARC ports.
- Look for the HDMI-ARC on the back or side of your Samsung TV (the HDMI-ARC port is usually labeled ARC and located on the backside of your Samsung Smart TV.)
- Make sure that both your smart TV and Onkyo Receiver are turned off. If they are not, out them off.
- Connect one end of your version 1.4 HDMI cable (or above) to the HDM1-ARC output on your Onkyo receiver.
- Connect the other end of your HDMI cable to the HDMI/ARC input of your Samsung TV.
- Turn both appliances on after you’ve connected them.
- And voila! You have successfully connected your Samsung Smart TV to your Onkyo Receiver.
If this doesn’t work, you’ll need to swap out your HDMI cable for a high-speed one. Don’t worry, they aren’t excessively expensive.
Remember that if you have all of your HDMI cables connected to the Receiver (e.g., top box, etc.) and one ‘OUT HDMI’ cable connected to your Samsung TV’s ARC, your Receiver will automatically detect when you change audio sources.
Whenever it switches from Smart TV sound to Smart-hub, for example, the Receiver should spontaneously accept it.
That said, connecting your Onkyo Receiver to your Samsung smart TV should not be a herculean task with a good HDMI cable. However, you may encounter some problems if you are using the older versions of Onkyo receiver. This is because they may not be ARC compatible. But rest assured, we have got you covered.
If you don’t have an HDMI cable, please check out our article on how you can connect your receiver to your TV without HDMI. Otherwise, read on.
Method 2: Using RCA To Connect Your Onkyo Receiver
This is, without a doubt, the simplest and most obvious way to improve connect your Samsung smart TV to a receiver in the absence of an HDMI ARC port.
All you need to do now is connect your Samsung smart TV’s analog stereo outputs, also known as RCA outputs, to Onkyo receiver which should also have RCA input.
The instructions are as follows:
- Connect the mini-stereo plug (3.5mm) to your TV’s audio output using the analog stereo cables you have on hand.
- Connect the same RCA plugs to the audio in ports on your Receiver.
- Afterward, turn on your TV and receiver and follow the on-screen instructions.
If you followed the above instructions to the letter, your Samsung smart TV should now be successfully connected to your Onkyo receiver
It is important to note, that most recent television sets, including Samsung Smart TV, do not usually include 3.5mm or RCA analog inputs. So, if this is the case with your television, don’t panic; simply move to the next method we’ll show you.
For a more detailed guide, check out our article on how to connect a receiver to your TV using RCA.
Method 3: Using Digital Optical Connection
The digital optical connection is a type of connection that is appropriate for audio transmission.
A digital optical connection (TOSLINK), for those who don’t know, is simply a physical connection that uses fiber optics (light) to send audio data from a suitable device to a compatible playback device via specially engineered connectors and cable.
To connect your Smart TV to your Onkyo device using an Optical cable, simply take your optical cable and plug it in the back of your TV to the port labeled Optical Out.
Grab your digital optical cable, connect the digital audio output (optical out) from your TV to the digital audio in (optical in) on the Onkyo Receiver system. Press the cable gently into the port to secure it.
You should be able to hear sound coming from your home theater speakers at this point.
If you don’t hear any sound coming from your home theater system speakers, use your remote to check the audio output settings on your TV and check the PCM option.
Make sure you set the correct Onkyo listening mode on the receiver as well.
How Do I Get My Samsung TV To Play Through My Receiver?
We have already discussed the two most commonly used connections to hear TV sounds from the A/V receiver. These are:
- Option 1: HDM connection using the ARC feature
- Option 2: Connection using an HDMI cable, Coaxial Digital, Optical Digital, or Audio cable
The option you choose to use to get your Samsung TV to play through the receiver depends on the connection ports on your devices. If both your TV and receiver support the ARC feature, we recommend that you choose Option 1 to connect your devices. Otherwise, use option 2. Also, remember to read the manuals that come with your products to get model-specific information about settings and other recommendations.
How To Enable ARC On Onkyo Receiver?
This guide will walk you through enabling ARC on the LG 47LW550T TV and home cinema amp Onkyo TX-SR608. There are, however, some pre-requisites:
- Ensure that the HDMI connection is from DMI out on the amp to the HDMI1 on the TV.
- Ensure that the HDMI lead is HDMI 1.4.
Begin by enabling the RIHD on the amp. Follow the steps below:
Step 1: Press Setup on the Onkyo Remote. Assuming that the OSD is enabled, you should see the setup menu on the screen.
Step 2: Go to Hardware setup.
Step 3: Go to HDMI.
Step 5: Set the HDMI Control (RIHD) to On.
Step 6: Set Power control to On.
Step 7: Set TV control to On.
Step 8: Press the Setup button on the Onkyo remote to exit Setup.
Now configure the TV audio by following the steps below:
Step 1: Press the blue Home button on the LG remote.
Step 2: Go to Setup.
Step 3: Go to Audio.
Step 4: Change Digital Audio Out to Audio.
Step 5: Change TV Speaker to OFF.
Step 6: Set ARC Mode On.
Step 7: Press the Home button on the LG remote to exit.
Now configure the TV input selections:
Step 1: Press the blue Home button on the remote.
Step 2: Go to Input.
Step 3: With the HDMI1 highlighted, press the Red button on the remote to access Simplink.
Step 4: Scroll down to speakers and click right until HT speaker is highlighted.
Step 5: Press the OK button on the remote.
Samsung TV External Speakers Not Working
Press the “Menu” button on your remote, select the “Support” menu and choose the “Self Diagnosis” option. On the menu, choose “Sound Test.” Perform the sound test and check if the speakers replay the melodies plaid by the TV. If you hear the sound, then the audio problem is not in the TV components. Maybe you should consider replacing the speakers.
Conclusion
Now that you have successfully connected your Samsung smart TV and Onkyo receiver, your receiver should seamlessly relay the sound signal from your Samsung Smart TV to your home theater without any Glitch and interruption.