It’s been a long time since I was active in the forum here and knew what I was doing (roughly), but I don’t seem to finding the answer I’m seeking.
I have a Vero 4k+, a CEC-compatible TV and a basic soundbar. I have the Vero connected to the TV via HDMI and would like to connect the TV to the soundbar via toslink. If I do this, will the Vero control the TV’s volume control via CEC volume commands or will it vary it’s own volume output?
On the surface it seems like, what difference does it make - same result. But if the Vero only controls its own volume output that means I have to set the TVs volume control high-ish for good range. And then when using the TVs built-in services like Netflix the volume is too loud.
Cheers,
Robert
No. CEC never sees a TV as an amplifier. It would only control the soundbar if connected direct to it via HDMI.
Thanks for the quick response Grahmh!
Pity. I wonder how it would be possible for both the TV and the Vero to control the volume of the sound bar independently.
Cheers,
Robert
The output of a toslink connection is fixed just like it is from any regular stand alone component (CD player, reel to reel, Betamax, etc.) and it also has no function to communicate any control signals. Kodi, absent a CEC enabled amplifier type device will lower the volume it is sending via PCM, but this really only works well if Kodi is the only playback device being used. Your best bet, assuming you don’t want to do the multiple remotes thing, is to either switch over to a remote that is capable of sending volume signals directly to your soundbar (ie universal remote) or else switch over to a sound system that has CEC. The Vero has a built in IR sensor so it can be controlled with most any universal remotes. I personally use a FLIRC USB IR sensor on mine though as it is a bit more responsive and allows you to keymap long presses.
Have you considered the alternative and using your TV remote to control the Vero (via CEC)?
This controls the TV volume on my devices
Thanks for the replies folks. I’m not encouraged. My soundbar has no HDMI input, only analog and toslink.
Not sure how to link can be fixed level though, the Vero seems to raise and lower the volume when connected to the soundbar only via toslink…
Oh well, soundbar for Vero and TV speakers for Netflix I guess.
Cheers,
Robert
You know how you plug a stand alone (component) CD player into an amplifier and that had no volume control on the CD player, just on the amplifier? The music playing from the CD player had loud parts and quiet parts, but to change the overall volume you had to do that by changing the volume on the amplifier. It was no different on a CD player if you were connected analog, toslink, or s/pdif. Kodi has the ability when outputting PCM (ie not passthrough) to manipulate the source audio signal such that the loud parts are quieter. It can’t turn up the amplifier, and manipulating the audio signal like that reduces its quality, but it gives a cheap and dirty for those that need it.
Given toslink soundbar and wanting to use TV and Vero sound the best bet will likely be connect Vero to the TV, TV to soundbar via toslink, and then use a universal remote that can control all three. If your TV remote allows to act as a universal such that it can be programed to send volume commands to the sound bar via IR then you could use that and have it control the Vero via CEC like djbloc suggested, but I don’t think that is a very common feature in TV’s nowadays.
Ok, so toslink volume IS varied by the Vero volume buttons (if not set to fixed), it just does it in the digital domain, poorly.
We really want to just use the Vero remote, we’re used to it and like it. Not a fan of multiple remotes to juggle or million-button universals. Granted, we’ll need to use the TV remote for Netflix, but for the majority of our viewing we use the Vero.
I’m down with buying a different soundbar with CEC HDMI/ARC if that would get me to the goal of all sound regardless of Vero or TV source to go to the soundbar. Realize it would still be two remotes, one for each source.
Or perhaps a basic AV receiver outputting to a pair or speakers or just the analog in on the existing soundbar? Would the Vero volume buttons control the receiver volume over CEC then?
Cheers,
Robert
Yes. Since the OSMC remote is RF only it lacks the ability to send IR signals for volume so it just sends volume up/down commands to Kodi. Kodi, if it does not see a CEC amplifier type device does the manipulating the audio signal trick. If it does see a CEC amplifier type device then it switches from manipulating the audio internally to sending volume commands over the CEC bus. Most sound bars with HDMI input and any regular AVR with HDMI and CEC will report themselves on the CEC bus as an amplifier type device and so Kodi will be able to directly control the volume on them.
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Thanks for walking me through this. I have a better idea now of where to go with this.
Cheers,
Robert
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