Since the Vizio soundbar works with most TVs, you need to have one. It can enhance the quality of sound coming from your device so that you have a great time with your loved ones. But you might be wondering how to pair the soundbar with your device, especially if you do not have a remote control.
While you need a remote to control your TV with ease, it’s not a mandatory device. You can still connect your TV to Visio soundbar by following the easy steps shared in this comprehensive guide.
The easiest and most common method to connect a soundbar to your TV without a remote is by using an HDMI cable alongside your television’s buttons. Provided you have the buttons on the soundbar alone, you can connect your TV without a remote. If you like, you can invest in a universal remote and use it to initiate a connection between your TV and the Vizio soundbar.
If your remote is unavailable or has stopped working due to a problem, here is how you can connect the soundbar to your TV quickly.
Connecting the Two Devices
Here are the steps you need to follow;
First, you should get an HDMI cord because you’ll need it for the connection. Before you start using the cord, you should confirm that it’s fully functional.
Once you have the HDMI cable, insert it into your TV. One end should go into the port on your television. This connection enables signals to be delivered to the soundbar.
Take the other end of the HDMI cable and insert it into the port on the soundbar. After doing that, your soundbar can receive audio signals from your television.
After connecting the HDMI cable, turn on the TV and the soundbar. Your TV should be connected to a power outlet before you can switch it on. Take another power cable and plug it into your soundbar’s port. Turn on the bar and see if it’s working.
Head to the soundbar and locate the Input button. Use the button to change the Input settings to HDMI. Just look on the soundbar, and you’ll see the third button. This is the button you should press to change the Input settings to HDMI.
Also, go to your television and change the Output settings to HDMI. By doing this, you’ll be altering where the sound or audio from your TV is played from.
If the HDMI is plugged into the soundbar, that’s where the sound will be played from. Since the remote is unavailable, you can use the buttons on your TV to change these settings.
Once you’re done with the whole process, the two devices should be connected. Test to see where the sound from your TV is played from.
Can You Use a Universal Remote?
If you have remote-controlled devices in your home, then you should invest in a universal remote. That’s because the remote can control all of these devices without complicated settings.
But if you don’t have one yet, you should consider getting a universal remote from reputable brands, such as Samsung.
Once you have this remote, you won’t need your original Vizio TV remote to connect the soundbar.
How to Connect Via RCA Cables
While this is a good method, it might be hardly reliable. That’s because RCA ports are highly versatile across TV models, which is also based on age. RCA port is one of the oldest ports on TVs. Thus, you can be sure that it’ll work if you’re using an old model TV.
It serves as a great alternative. Here is how you can use RCA cables to connect your Vizio soundbar to TV.
First, you need to get RCA cables. If you haven’t used them before, you can ask at any local store selling electronics. These two red and white cables are for audio, and are always conjoined.
Once you have the audio cables, locate the Audio Out ports right on your TV and insert the AV cord to connect it. To find these, try to locate two adjacent ports at the back of your TV. They should be red and white.
After finding the ports, insert the white cable to the white port, and the red cable to the red port.
After doing that, hold the two other ends of the RCA cables to two AUX or Audio IN ports on the soundbar. By doing this, you shall have connected the soundbar to your TV.
Turn on your TV and soundbar, and make sure they’re both connected to the sources of power. You should hear sound coming from the soundbar if you try to play music or an audio file from your television.
If you have a soundbar remote, try to choose AUX or AV as your input method. To do this, you want to press the Input button on the remote, and using the pointer keys, select AUX or AV.
Now, press the Menu button on your soundbar remote, and you’ll see a Vizio Menu displayed on your TV. If you check that menu, you’ll see that there’s an audio option.
Turn off the speakers of your TV after the menu bar pops up. You can then click on the TV speaker to turn off any output coming from your TV speakers. You can also turn them off by using the arrow keys located on the remote of your soundbar.
You can make the connection work without a problem by completing these steps. But if the devices can’t work together, this might mean either the soundbar or television has a glitch.
Check to confirm that the power cables are in place, also you want to ascertain that the power support is stable. Otherwise, the devices will not work.
How to Connect Via Bluetooth
If you connect the soundbar to your TV, you might notice that the sound quality is not that good. But everyone likes the idea of a Bluetooth connection because it removes the need for cords.
The other problem with Bluetooth is that the connection will be lost in case of interruption, such as a power outage. But that doesn’t imply that a Bluetooth connection is not a great alternative.
Here is how you can connect the Vizio soundbar to your TV using Bluetooth.
Go to the controller of your soundbar and tap on the pair option. By doing that, you can initiate the soundbar’s connection. Once the Input is set to Bluetooth, you’ll notice that the system is displaying “BT.”
But if you don’t have the controller, just press the Input key and hold until it indicates “BT Pairing.” From there, it’ll start looking for compatible devices from the surrounding.
Now, you need to turn on the Bluetooth feature on your TV to initiate the connection. Make sure that the soundbar is visible and discoverable. In that case, you need to ensure that you press the menu button on your TV to find the necessary features.
If you still find it hard to connect, you might want to find out the problem with your remote before talking to the manufacturer.
What Might Be the Problem with Your Remote?
Maybe the problem is with your remote, so you can’t use it to initiate the connection. Here are some of the issues that might be troubling your remote and how you can fix them;
1. No clear line between your soundbar and the remote
Just like any other remote, the remote of your Vizio soundbar should have a clear line with the soundbar. Otherwise, it won’t be able to control it. This can happen through IR sensors. If the remote control is too far from the device or some objects are blocking the sensors, then the connection might not work.
2. New batteries
The other reason why your soundbar is not working is that the batteries might have run out of juice. Or they could be spoilt. If this is the problem, you need to replace the old batteries and solve the problem.
3. Restart Your Remote
Maybe the remote is not working because of a minor glitch that you can fix by just restarting. You can start by removing all the batteries and then power cycling the device by pressing every button twice. Return the batteries and try to use the remote to see if it’s working again.
Final Verdict
You don’t need a remote to connect your Vizio soundbar to the TV. You can use these tips to connect the two devices and enjoy quality sound. You can either use an HDMI cable, RCA cables, or Bluetooth. If you can’t use these tips to connect the two devices, you can try to fix the remote using the tips shared above. We hope this information helps you connect your soundbar to the TV. If you have any questions, we’re only a comment away.
Denis is an article/blog and content writer with over 7 years of experience in writing on content on different niches, including product reviews, buyer’s guide, health, travel, fitness, technology, tourism. I also have enough experience in SEO writing.