So been encountering some issues with my set up.

Cant remember models but it comprises: LG Smart OLED TV, SONY surround AMP, B&W surround speakers & sub, SKY HD box, Amazon fire stick, SONY Bluray player.

So I have the fire stick, bluray & sky box all feeding into the amp via HDMI cable, and a HDMI cable from the amp to the TV…all good so far?

As the TV is a smart TV which has built in apps like netflix, amazon film, bbc iplayer, spotify etc I also have another HDMI cable coming back from the TV via the HDMI ARC (Audio return channel) to the amp. Without this no sound would come from the built in apps (TV speakers are disabled).

So the issue I am having is whenever using any of the sources that go through the amp (Bluray, Sky box & fire stick), the screen goes blank after a few minutes and the sound stops (blu ray, sky box) or apps on the firestick seem to pause themselves (spotify, netflix, Gaia yoga app).

In the case of the sky box, or netflix through the firestick (not the built in app on TV) the picture and sound come back after 1 or 2 seconds of blank screen, albeit at a reduced volume.

Its like I have some kind of conflict between the amp and something else?

Also the amp never powers off, or changes display in any way, so its not overheating/overloading.

Any ideas?

I also noted yesterday that I have an optical cable coming from my TV to the amp, and cant for the life of me remember why, I think perhaps to get dolby digital MASTER 7.1 from built in apps back to the amp, as this wasn’t possible over HDMI??

Do you have 2 HDMI cables between the amp and TV?
I’m pretty sure I only have 1 HDMI cable in the ARC between TV amp. That might be a possible cause?

I use the amp as the source and it sends pics to the TV. I only use the TV if I use certain smart features built in to the TV and then the amp is set to TV audio. For any other devices the amp is set to the device (CBL/SAT, BLU-RAY, DVD etc).

Yep, you only need one cable from the amp to the TV for ARC: https://www.cnet.com/news/what-is-audio-return-channel-arc/

Might not fix everything immediately but I’d be to sort that out before troubleshooting any further. One question – is your amp ARC enabled?

Does the amp have a load of separate HDMI inputs or do you have another device as well (e.g. HDMI switch)? If the latter have you tried directly cabling in the Sky HD box to the amp and seeing if the same issue happens?

Yup, one HDMI cable should be sufficient between the amp and TV. The one marked ARC on the TV is an ‘in’ for picture and sound but also an ‘out’ for sound.

Do you have 2 HDMI cables between the amp and TV?

I will have to check, I dont think so.

One question – is your amp ARC enabled?

the HDMI output on the back says ARC on it so I assume so?

Does the amp have a load of separate HDMI inputs or do you have another device as well (e.g. HDMI switch)?

loads of separate inputs, see the 2 outputs A&B

This is the back of my AMP

Back of AMP

So the sky box goes into the SAT/CATV port.
The bluray goes into BD port
and ive got the firestick into Game (as its 4k)

1st step: I am going to remove the optical cable and see what happens.

I will have to check, I dont think so

OK – your OP wasn’t particularly clear and sort of suggested you may have 2 HDMI cables between TV and amp

So I have the fire stick, bluray & sky box all feeding into the amp via HDMI cable, and a HDMI cable from the amp to the TV…all good so far?

As the TV is a smart TV which has built in apps like netflix, amazon film, bbc iplayer, spotify etc I also have another HDMI cable coming back from the TV via the HDMI ARC (Audio return channel) to the amp. Without this no sound would come from the built in apps (TV speakers are disabled).

Double check which HDMI port on the TV you need connecting to the ARC on the amp. I seem to remember it wasn’t as I imagined when I set mine up (Pana TV, Denon amp) but could just be that combo.

this is the TV if it helps

http://www.lg.com/us/tvs/lg-55EG9600-oled-4k-tv

OK – your OP wasn’t particularly clear and sort of suggested you may have 2 HDMI cables between TV and amp

yeah i know, and now I am not sure and not at home.

Double check which HDMI port on the TV you need connecting to the ARC on the amp. I seem to remember it wasn’t as I imagined when I set mine up (Pana TV, Denon amp) but could just be that combo.

Pretty sure it is in HDMI 1, but will have to double check the manual, thanks

EDIT: just found this pic, you may have solved it!!

http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/image/uhdtv/LG-55EG960V/connections.jpg

Weird though as I am getting sound from the built in apps on the tv through the amp, but that could be coming through the optical cable??

Ill report back tomorrow.

good luck, it may not be any of that, but worth checking to rule it out if nothing else.

Maybe if that doesn’t work, start with amp and TV and then add each extra device and test what happens with just those plugged in, then add more until you encounter an issue?

thanks, see my edit above

Weird though as I am getting sound from the built in apps on the tv through the amp, but that could be coming through the optical cable??

On my amp, you have to specify whether you’re using HDMI or optical for audio on a given HDMI input. Check settings.

My LG OLED has the ARC only on HDMI2; one cable from TV to amp; however the ARC isn’t very reliable (in fact; it only started actually recognising my Onkyo amp as an ARC device after a firmware update a couple of weeks ago) – so I usually use the Optical out for TV -> Amp sound.

So in my setup:

SKY + PS4 + others => HDMI => AMP => HDMI => LG TV (Input 2)

make sure CEC / ARC output is enabled on everything and fingers crossed it should work; maybe leave the optical cable connected as a backup …

So I only have one HDMI cable, but it was in HDMI 1. I swapped the HDMI cable to HDMI 2, removed the optical from the TV, and all seems good so far, fingers crossed.

Makes me wonder why I had the optical from the TV to the AMP in the 1st place? – I am sure its something to do with only Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD MA or something cant go through the ARC channel via HDMI? any ideas on this? I must have done it for a reason? or maybe thats before I realised I had an ARC on the TV?

Thanks for the help.

Great, sounds like you’re well on the way to sorting it.
On the second question, I can’t help you on that but it does sound like you suggest and maybe a way of trying to emulate the ARC through a non-ARC HDMI port?
Give the DTS HD and Dolby a go without the optical and see how it fairs maybe?

Hmmm, still problems.

Everything through the firestick seem to be affected, its a 1st genberation, could it be gubbed?

BBC iplayer stops, netflix stops, GAIA yoga app stops although spotify seem to work OK.

Sometimes says I have lost internet connection/connectivity, could the wifi be gubbed on the fire stick? its well within range and in same room as router.

Grrr

Gonna try a new firestick on the tv tonight and see what happens.

Potentially you had other inputs into the TV originally? As I found (and mentioned elsewhere), some or many TVs won’t pass more than 2.0 through the ARC from other inputs on the TV, however will send 5.1 and more when it comes from its own apps.

HDMI should be fine with TrueHD and DTS HD MA etc, though I don’t think I had any sources from TV to prove it going via ARC. Might have seen it showing DTS on a couple of films on my server, not sure.

Since then I’ve got everything plugged into the amp, and got myself a Fire TV into the amp to replace the crummy Smart TV apps.

I do however use optical from Sky HD as I’ve got an older box which for some weird reason they’ve never been able to enable 5.1 over HDMI, but works with optical.

firestick is into the HDMI port on the amp (a 4K one if that makes any difference).

I may revert back to firestick into HDMI 1 on the TV and see what happens