If you’re using a 3.5mm aux cable to connect to your soundbar, this is likely the culprit. First, ensure both ends of the cable are fully and securely inserted into your TV and soundbar.

Open your TV's menu, head to its audio settings, and make sure the TV is set to output audio to the correct place. This may require selecting the corresponding setting to the cable you are using—like HDMI Out, Digital Out, or something to that effect, rather than TV Speakers.If possible, place your soundbar directly in front of your TV and watch head on for the best results. Designed to enhance films or music, such as ‘cinema’ or ‘3D’ for a film, this is when the audio is electronically processed to create a virtual surround-sound effect. Most recent soundbars can connect wirelessly using Bluetooth. This allows you to play music through your phone or laptop, for instance. This is usually done through your device’s settings menu under 'Bluetooth'.

The product must be correctly installed and operated in accordance with the instructions contained in the manual.Soundbars aren't just for use with TVs, though – you can also use one to listen to music from your phone, tablet or laptop. We'll show you how. Whatever the problem, fixing your soundbar will almost certainly be cheaper – and more environmentally friendly – than replacing it.

Don’t be tempted to hide your soundbar in your TV cabinet – your new speaker will sound boxed in and you won’t get the most from it. If you're only getting parts of the sound, it’s also possible that your TV, set-top box, or disc player is outputting audio that your soundbar can’t use properly. Similar to the problem earlier in this guide where no sound is coming out at all, your soundbar might be receiving a full 5.1 surround sound mix but may only support 2.1 or 2.0. This means you might be missing out on a huge amount of the sound that’s supposed to be in the movie you’re watching. Ensure that your TV and other boxes aren’t outputting in surround sound, again by finding the audio settings menus and ensuring they’re set to either 2.0 or 2.1. My picture and sound are out of sync It must be used solely for domestic purposes. The guarantee will be rendered invalid if the product is re-sold or has been damaged by inexpert repair.

If your video device (such as a Sky box, TV box or DVD player) is plugged directly into your soundbar, it’s possible for your sound to get ahead of (fall behind) the image on your TV. Many modern boxes have a feature to prevent this - you’ll find this in your audio settings menu.

Soundbars often have smart features, which allow you to control some settings with your smartphone or tablet. This is especially likely in mid-range and premium soundbars. Different brands and models have different levels of functionality. If you don’t have that information to hand, use trial and error to find an output format that works. The downside, of course, is that you are limited to the number of ports on your soundbar—many may only have one HDMI input—and it does not work for your TV's built-in apps or antenna tuner, which will require HDMI ARC or optical. Still, if you are having problems with one game console or Blu-ray player, try plugging it into the soundbar instead of the TV. This will allow you to use your TV remote to adjust the volume coming from the soundbar. 4. Adjust the soundBut here's the problem: Not all devices are capable of decoding every sound format. Some TVs, for example, may only be capable of decoding Dolby Digital, but not the DTS audio that comes on some Blu-ray discs.Optical cables, for example, do not have enough bandwidth to carry 5.1-channel PCM, or the ability to send Dolby Atmos signals. In addition, you will also probably have to enable a feature called HDMI-CEC on your TV and soundbar. This allows your TV remote to control your soundbar and vice-versa, and it's usually required for ARC to work properly. Annoyingly, this is called something different on every TV—Samsung calls it AnyNet+, while Sony calls it Bravia Sync, and LG calls it SimpLink.