Latest Web OS Screwed my Soundbar

[Beushaw]

Another unwanted update, bringing unwanted changes and now my Cambridge Audio soundbar is screwed.

My LG TV just performed an auto update to WebOS 13.30.56. When the TV restarted, all I now get out of the ARC connection is a constant loud buzzing, no programme audio. Well done LG software team. A triumph! 

I have tried resetting the soundbar (it plays fine if I plug in an external device) but all I get from the LG TV is BUZZZZZZZ. I tried restarting both the TV and the Soundbar: BUZZZZZZZZZ. I tried a new HDMI cable BUZZZZZZZZ. So what do I do now?? I did not want this OS update, it brings nothing to me and everything was working perfectly before the update and sound on the (awful) inbuilt LG TV speakers is working, but the ARC audio output to my rather lovely Cambridge Audio soundbar is now, since the Web OS update, just a constant BUZZZZZZZ. I decided to try the Optical output of the LG connected to the soundbar instead. The soundbar is flashing "AUDIO ERROR" at me (I have tried all of the different audio output format options, all with the same result).

It really pi$$es me off when software teams release badly executed updates that break their customers devices. We are not your R&D test department LG, we are paying customers with whom you lose trust, brand loyalty and future sales when poor engineering teams release software updates that are not fully tested. God only knows what LG have done here but after 2 hours of trying to resolve an issue THEY caused on my setup, I have given up.

Has anyone else had this issue and have suggestions please? I have tried to contact LG using their Email Support function, wading through the multiple layers to get to the right page and spending time typing up all the details of my support request, etc, but no response yet (other than the automated bot stuff).

Thanks.

[OliverRC]

I hear you! Latest update made HDMI connectivity super-flaky on my G2

 

[FelixofMars]

I am having the same sort of issues, power cycling doesn't seem to have helped. I just get no throughput to the TV via my soundbar anymore and I noticed that I can't have the TV come on anymore if I power up my Xbox. Really good job LG (not)

[Beushaw]

This might help - I wrote to LG support, complaining about the updates screwing up my soundbar. I got an apology and an admission that they were aware of the issue and working to resolve it, plus a promise to get back to me once they had a resolution. That was 8 months ago, and I have had nothing from LG "support" since, despite me chasing for updates. However, by trial and error I have managed to resolve the issue myself. It seems that the LG software update had messed up the existing normal settings for soundbar connections. Here is what I did:

1. Go to "Settings"

2. Select "Sound"

3. Select "Advanced Settings"

4. Select "Digital Sound Output"

5. Choose "PCM"

After weeks of waiting for LG to fix their own screwup and not having anything but BUZZZZZZZZZ through my soundbar, this simple change resolved the issue. Their update had set the default for this function to "Pass Through" (previously it was "PCM"), which results in AC3/MPEG/etc compressed/coded audio being fed to the soundbar. Now, some soundbars can decode these stream formats, but many cannot (hence the BUZZZZZZZZ). PCM is simple, uncompressed audio, so needs no decoding. ALL soundbars can play PCM and this used to be the default on LG TV audio output to the soundbar (I use HDMI ARC, but this is likely to also be an issue on Optical output). God only knows why they decided to make "Pass Through" the default setting. I wonder how many people ended up scrapping perfectly good soundbars as a result of LG's failure here...