Samsung TV and Vizio Sound bar has no sound when playing movie from USB thumb drive

Hi Everyone

I just got a Samsung 51" Plazma (51" Plasma 720p TV - 600Hz - Clear Image Panel | Samsung PN51F4500AF) and a Visio Sound Bar (VIZIO High Definition Soundbar | VIZIO) and the only Audio output from the TV is a Digital Audio Out (optical).

So, I connected the TV to the Sound Bar with a digital optical cable, and the Sound Bar works great when I am watching TV.

However, when I put a USB thumb drive into the TV, change the source on the TV, from coaxial to USB and try to play a movie, I get no sound to the Sound Bar. I only get sound from the TV speakers.

How do I get sound to the Sound Bar when I am using the TV's USB source???

Any idea the format the audio is on the thumb drive? Sometimes the ability of the USB is limited, like it can only be used for photos. Does the manual say your TV should play a movie?

The sound comes out the TVs internal speakers so why would it not go through to the sound bar

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Originally Posted by renman

The sound comes out the TVs internal speakers so why would it not go through to the sound bar

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Because TVs with only digital output are limited as to compatilbility of digital output vs internal speakers which are analog. The best way around this is to buy a Tv that also have analog audio output. Then there would be no audio compatibility issues :)

Unfortunately, I don't have the answer. The audio would be digital on the thumb and would have to be converted for the TV speakers, but I'm not sure why the TV wouldn't pass the digital on to the sound bar in it's original state. I wonder if you turn the TV speakers off if the signal would pass, maybe the TV can't play the speakers and pass digital at the same time. There's usually a menu setting to turn internal speakers on/off.