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Want to upgrade your PS4 Slim with
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powerful immersive sound? Connecting it
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to a soundbar is one of the easiest ways
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to transform your gaming, Netflix
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nights, and streaming sessions. Let's be
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honest, built-in TV speakers just don't
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deliver. In this video, I'll show you
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exactly how to set it up. From the
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cleanest HDMI RC connection to reliable
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alternatives like optical cables and
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HDMI audio extractors, stick with me and
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by the end, you'll have cinema quality
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audio filling your living room. Let's
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start with HDMI ARC, the simplest method
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if your TV supports it. All you'll need
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are two high-speed HDMI cables. Take
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your first HDMI cable and plug it into
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the HDMI output on the soundbar. Then
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connect the other end into the ARC
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enabled HDMI port on your TV. It'll
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usually be labeled HDMI A or HDMI EC.
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This connection allows the TV to send
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audio back to the soundbar through the
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same cable, giving you great sound
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without extra wires. Next, grab your
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second HDMI cable and connect one end to
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the HDMI output on the back of the PS4
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Slim. Then, plug the other end into HDMI
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input one on the soundbar. This way,
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video and audio flow through the
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soundbar first, then out to the TV. Once
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all cables are connected, power on the
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PS4, the soundbar, and the TV. If
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nothing shows on the screen right away,
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don't panic. Just grab your TV remote
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and switch to the correct HDMI input.
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Also, make sure your soundbar is set to
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HDMI 1 or whichever port you used. Once
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the PlayStation home screen appears,
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you're all set. Now, let's fine-tune the
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audio settings so you're getting the
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best sound possible. On your PS4, go to
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settings, scroll down to sound and
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screen, and select audio output
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settings. Under audio format, you'll see
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linear PCM selected by default. And for
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gaming, that's usually the best option
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because it has the lowest latency, but
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if your soundbar supports bitstream, try
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switching to DTS for richer and more
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immersive audio. Explosions, dialogue,
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and music will feel punchier, though it
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may add a slight delay. So, test both
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and see what works for you. Next, under
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HDMI output, you can choose between 5.1
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and 7.1 channels. If you're just using
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the soundbar alone, stick with 5.1. But
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if you have a soundbar setup with
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surround or rear speakers, select 7.1
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for that full theaterlike experience.
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Since the PS4 Slim doesn't have its own
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optical port, you'll need to route the
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audio through your TV. Here's how to do
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it. First, connect an HDMI cable from
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the PS4 Slim's HDMI out to any HDMI
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input on your TV. Next, take an optical
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cable and connect the optical out on
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your TV to the optical in on your
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soundbar. Now, grab your TV remote, go
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into the sound settings, select optical
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or digital audio out, and turn off the
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internal speakers. Finally, on your PS4,
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go to settings, then sound and screen
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audio output settings, and under primary
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output port, choose HDMI out. That's it.
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Your PS4 sound now goes through the TV
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and out to your soundbar. Another option
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is using an HDMI audio extractor, and
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I've added some recommended ones in the
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description if you want to check them
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out. This is especially useful if your
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soundbar doesn't support ARC or only has
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a single HDMI port. The extractor splits
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the signal from your PS4. Video goes
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straight to the TV while audio goes to
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the soundbar. Setup is simple. Connect
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an HDMI cable from the PS4 Slim to the
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input on the extractor. Then another
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HDMI cable from the extractor's output
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to the TV. Finally, connect audio to the
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soundbar using either HDMI or optical
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depending on the extractor. It might
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sound a little technical, but once it's
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set up, it runs smoothly and gives you
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more flexibility with older TVs or
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limited ports. If things don't work
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right away, here are some
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troubleshooting tips. First, check your
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HDMI cables are high-speed and firmly
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connected. Loose cables are one of the
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most common problems. If the TV shows no
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signal, restart your PS4 by unplugging
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it for 30 seconds and turning it back
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on. If you're still stuck, fall back to
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the optical method. It's simple and
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reliable. And if you notice audio delay
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where the sound doesn't match the action
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on screen, switch your PS4 audio format
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back to linear PCM. That usually fixes
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lag instantly. And that's it. You've
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just learned how to connect a PS4 Slim
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to a soundbar using HDMI ARC optical
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cables or an HDMI audio extractor. No
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matter which method you use, the upgrade
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is huge compared to built-in TV
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speakers. Explosions feel more powerful,
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dialogue is sharper, and music sounds
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richer. If this video helped you, give
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it a thumbs up and don't forget to
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subscribe for more PlayStation tips and
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easy home electronics guides. Got a
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question or ran into an issue with your
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setup? Drop it in the comments below and
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I'll be happy to help. Thanks for
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watching and enjoy your new sound
