Connection being dropped between TV (49XE8005) and sound bar (HT-ZF9) when pausing Netflix

[eotillis]

I recently bought a Sony TV (49XE8005) and a Sony sound bar (HT-ZF9). I went with Sony because I have been impressed with the brand in the past and I wanted to avoid any issues getting the two items working together (I was also hoping to simplify the number of remotes).

They are connected via Arc and they mostly seem to be working fine - however there seems to be a problem with syncing when using services such as Netflix and iPlayer.

Steps to reproduce:
Pause (or rewind, etc) a program on Netflix program.

What happens:

When the Netflix service resumes, the sound bar no longer outputs any sound.

This can also sometimes happen in the short pause between Netflix episodes. There is no updated message on the sound bar - the sound just stops working (I'm assuming the TV and sound bar are losing sync but I don't know why).

Current workaround:
The only reliable way I have found to get the sound working again is by turning the TV off a few seconds (long enough for the sound bar to turn itself off), then turning the TV back on again and waiting for the sound bar to sync.

This happens quite frequently and is already incredibly annoying - especially after shelling out for a top-end sound bar to avoid stuff like this.

Things I've tried so far:
 - getting the latest firmware
 - going through the available options on syncing
 - changing the HDMI cable between the TV and sound bar

Questions:
1. Is this a known issue?
2. Does this sound like an error with the sound bar / TV that could be fixed with replacing either / both?
3. Anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks.

[Mick_D]

Hi @eotillis, welcome to the Community.

I don't think there is likely to be a fault in either unit. If it only happens with Netflix etc its much more likely the apps are the problem.

Could you check to see if this behaviour changes when you set Netflix to 'stereo', ie switch from 5.1 to 2.1 audio? The HT-ZF9 is a 3.1 unit and it's possible the problems originate there. 

Cheers

Mick

[eotillis]

Hi Mick,

Thanks for the message - that sounds sensible.

I was halfway through a hard reboot and factory reset when I read this. That's now finished and I haven't yet managed to reproduce the problem. I think this is good news(!)

If it turns out the problem is now fixed then I'm not sure exactly which step fixed it - I'll check back in if it comes back.

Thanks,

Ian