HT-CT390 suddenly stopped working properly

[TobyCG]

Hi all,

Bought an HT-CT390 on Friday to go with my 55XD9305.  Connected up via HDM4 (ARC) and all was working fine.  Left it at default settings and it turned on when the TV was turned on and into standby when the TV was turned off.  Perfect.

Last night it started acting up all of a sudden.  When I turn the TV on now, only sometimes does the soundbar come on too.  Similarly, when I turn the TV off, most of the time it doesn't put the soundbar into standby either.

Even more annoying is that sometimes the TV is failing to communicate with the soundbar at all.  This seems to happen when the soundbar doesn't come on with the TV and I have to turn it on separately but has also happened when I've pre-emptively turned the soundbar on before the TV.  I end up with both switched on and connected but no sound at all.  The TV says the selected speakers are "audio system" but nothing comes out of the soundbar.  If I leave it like this then, after a short while, it'll usually switch back to the TV's speakers and put a message up about a communication failure.  When this happens the ONLY resolution is to completely restart the TV, either via the menu option or by cycling the power.  There is no other way I can find of getting the soundbar to work again.

What on earth is going on?  Why are these two pieces of Sony equipment suddenly unable to talk to each other reliably all of a sudden?  I've always purchased Sony equipment and specifically bought a Sony soundbar for compatibility reasons.

For the record, all the soundbar settings are at their defaults but I also tried putting the HDMI control from AUTO to ON to no avail.  I've looked but can't seem to see any settings on the TV.  The Sync menu doesn't even recognise the soundbar - is this correct?

Any help appreciated here.

[rooobb]

I would try first of all unplugging the HDMI cable (better even switch it with another of proven quality), resetting the TV (with power off pressed more than 5 seconds), unplugging for a minute the soundbar from power. Then start again reconnecting everything and reenabling the braviasync device list (Settings > External inputs > BRAVIA Sync Settings > BRAVIA Sync device list >Enable): your soundbar should answer with "Complete" after few seconds.

Let's know if it helps.

BTW: sync menu will never show the soundbar itself, only any device that you connect through it.

[TobyCG]

Thanks for the reply but I've done all of that already to no avail.

It's stabilised slightly now in that turning the TV on seems to be turning the soundbar on pretty reliably again but turning the TV off only turns the soundbar off about half of the time.  When it doesn't I just turn the soundbar off manually.  Providing I leave it for a while before turning the TV back on, it's fine.

Still temperamental though and it should reliably turn the soundbar on and off as it did solidly for the first few days.

Regards the BRAVIA Sync settings stuff - are you saying the bar shouldn't appear here anyway?  I'm a bit confused because you said it should "answer with Complete after a few seconds" but then said it'll never show the soundbar itself.  Nothing is connected to it other than the TV via HDMI.

Thanks

[rooobb]

So you tried also a different HDMI cable? It could seem strange, but often this kind of problems are related to faulty cables...

Regarding your question, the soundbar will show in the bravia sync setting in the list of devices (or at list it should, if not there is a problem) and pressing "enable" the message "complete" sould appear on the soundbar display (at least it work like this with mine HTCT350).

In the braviasycn menu accessed via remote button instead the soundbar will not appear since it is not a source for the TV, only those device attached to it (if any) will appear on the same HDMI4 connection, giving you the opportunity to switch automatically to the one you desire (both video and audio).

Last resource could be a factory reset of the TV.....

[TobyCG]

I didn't try a different HDMI cable but checked all the connections plus it's a brand-new high-end one.  I'll try a different one later anyway.

You seem to say it should show in the list then say it won't - sorry for my confusion here.

One other thing which might possibly be important is that I'm using Sky Q and I've seen reports of other users having problems with CEC control when using Q which they've resolved by using a CEC blocking adapter to prevent the Q box from trying to control anything.  It's a long shot and I don't really see how signals from the Q box to the TV would affect things between the TV and the soundbar but I've ordered one of these adapters to try it out anyway.

[rooobb]

Sorry but probably my English is worst than i suppose...

What I tried to explain is that in the setting menu for bravia sync the soundbar should be enlisted while if you press the sync menu on the remote it shouldn't: is it clear now?

Sky.... oh my god! yes those decoder are devil, the bad CEC pin management could harm the whole setting in several different ways. Using an adapter or an HDMI CECless cable you should solve, they are on sales I think only for sky :). BTW you could try disconnecting it from your system: if the soundbar works smoothly, it's definitevely Sky

[Crartist999]

It's definitely Sky Q that is causing the problem. We just have to wait for a Sony and Sky Q update. Annoying!

[Wyxzol]

HI, 

I have just had a similar problem, I bought my sound bar last september to go with my new sony bravia TV about a week ag it stopped working so I contacted my retailer they spoke to a sony rep who told that the CT390 had been taken off the compatability list of certain sony TV's. I have been given a cash refund as it was under a year old.

[Dalton1234]

I have a problem with ht-ct390 the first one I had stopped working all the time after 3 weeks got a replacement and that’s fine apart from when I have a Samsung DVD player attached tried different hdmi cable and different port had Sony tv and Sony soundbar 4 months DVD player works fine with tv alone and with any other tv any ideas