I'm broke, but it's HERE! But the problem...

[bruss01]

Ok, so after the past 10 years of watching 27" CRT goodness... I screwed up my courage and resolve in the face of a bleak economy and my wife being out of work, and broke down and got a Samsung 52" LCD tv. (LN52A750 to be exact). Got no tax and free shipping, which was great because that's the ONLY way I would have been able to swing this deal. It mates up perfectly with the BD-P2550 BD player we got last month, and the PQ is STELLAR! My wife is very happy....

Except for ONE thing. We were watching it last night and every time we tried to turn the volume up or down or mute, we got "feature not available" message on the screen... WTF?! A TV without a volume control? Figured maybe a firmware glitch so I downloaded and installed the latest firmware. Hit the volume button and YAY it works, except the firmware install also re-engaged the in-tv speakers which are out of sync with my external speakers so it's time to go put that setting back to external-only.

WTF?! Now the volume control quit working AGAIN! Checked the manual and it seems that the volume control is disabled when the internal tv speakers are deactivated!

WHO THE FLYING F#%& THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA?!!

Someone, please tell me this is just a bad dream and that there is SOME kind of fix for this, whether it's a setting to sync the audio so we don't get this weird echo or SOMETHING. I cannot BELIEVE that anyone thought this was a good idea. So I either have to give up on using my external speakers, or get up and go physically manually turn down my powered speakers every time I want to adjust the volume? That's crazy, that's insane. Don't suggest a receiver - that's not a solution given that I just spent my last available cent getting the TV. Please PLEASE someone offer me a usable suggestion.

Thanks for listening to my rant. I'm pretty PO'd at Samsung for a $2k tv that I can't control my own audio choices on. *fume*

And everybody raves about what a great TV this is... don't get me wrong, it's a great GREAT picture, but this (what should be) simple audio setting has me in a lather. Someone tell me I'm a ninny and that there's a simple audio setting on this unit that I'm overlooking.

Thanks.

[Bizdady]

So you have the speakers on the tv on when you listen to bds on ur surround sound? If you have a surround sound system setup you shouldnt need to have the volume on the tv.

edit:nvm just picked up on the no reciever.

[prankster]

yes, the volume control is disabled when you disable the tv speakers. there is no way around this.

how are you 'external speakers' connected? are they connected via a receiver? composite outputs from the set itself?

[TVguy86]

I dont know of a fix for you. I have seen multiple HDTVs that did the same thing. Turn on the external speakers and blam no more internal speakers.

So heres the way i fixed it at a customers house for them. Its probably not the best way but it was the way it worked. I guess only if you have a cable box.

I ran the RCA audio out of the cable box to RCA splitters and then ran audio in to both the tv and reciever. That way you have audio going to both and can turn them up and down seperatly. I wont say say 100 percent that the sound will be synched up but it will give you audio in both places.

Sorry i just re-read your post and saw you have powered speakers and no reciever. Dont know how to fix your problem then??

[bruss01]

Originally Posted by prankster

yes, the volume control is disabled when you disable the tv speakers. there is no way around this.

how are you 'external speakers' connected? are they connected via a receiver? composite outputs from the set itself?

RCA audio outputs on the back of the TV, just like my previous TV set. These route to the powered subwoofer which divies the sound out to the other 5 speakers.

[gtmorgan23]

need more input.....

[Uniquely]

Wow........ a major upgrade from a 27" SD tv to a 52" HD tv..... and instead of creaming over how great the pic.... is you're going ballistic over not being able to use internal and external speakers at the same time?

I mean really..... it's a pretty minor issue..... and most tv's work this way. Not many people actually use their tv speakers and their surround sound system..... you know..... at the same time. Just pick one or the other; and use the volume control for either the tv or the surround sound system. Problem solved.

[SquidPuppet]

If you disable the TV's speakers, what would the volume control affect?

I take it your powered speakers dont have their own remote?

[prankster]

Originally Posted by bruss01

RCA audio outputs on the back of the TV, just like my previous TV set. These route to the powered subwoofer which divies the sound out to the other 5 speakers.

unfortunately it sounds like you're out of luck

i have the ln52a550 and internal speakers are set to 'off'. however, my cable box is connected to my receiver (onkyo 605) via hdmi and then from the receiver to the lcd also via hdmi. the only way i get sound and picture with my lcd is by turning on my receiver.

you have a great lcd set, by the way!

[bruss01]

Originally Posted by TVguy86

Forgive me for asking the stupid question. If you have external powered speakers why would you want to listen to the tv speakers??

I DO NOT want to listen to the internal speakers. I want to listen to my external powered speaker set. The catch is that the volume control is DISABLED when you turn the internal speakers off. I wish there was a way to go into the chassis and clip the wires to the internal speakers since that would totally solve the problem. However that would no doubt void the warranty, something I am loathe to do on an electronic device costing $2 grand. The volume control works JUST FINE as long as you are listening to both the internal and external speakers. However, when you do that, they are out of sync by about 1/3 of a second so it creates an echo chamber effect that cannot just be ignored. OMG I can't believe this.

[Uniquely]

Ohhhhhh..... now I get it...... you are using some computer speakers that lack their own volume control for audio. Again.... not a situation that most tv maufacturers would take into consideration.

[bruss01]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

you're going ballistic over not being able to use internal and external speakers at the same time?

Not many people actually use their tv speakers and their surround sound system..... you know..... at the same time. Just pick one or the other; and use the volume control for either the tv or the surround sound system. Problem solved.

The powered speaker set has a little dial on the front that controls the volume = NO REMOTE. This worked great on our previous set where the volume coming out the RCA jacks from the TV was controlled by the TV remote (or front pannel). Yes, with the internal TV speakers off.

It seems difficult to comprehend that the TV maker would anticipate only 2 scenarios - one with the viewer using only the TV speakers, and one with the viewer using hundereds of dollars of specialized equipment with it's own remote to manage the volume. Can't believe they didn't anticipate someone hooking up their stereo, boom-box or powered speaker set for enhanced audio. The disabling of the volume control just seems like a needless, pointless hobbling of the set's capabilities, and I'm at a complete loss to understand why they would choose to do that?

On the plus side, if we can "make do" with the mish-mash of options handed to us for a few months, maybe we will be able to get a receiver when I get my bonus in april (provided the IRS doesn't eat it all). I would have liked to have done that anyway, but I really resent having my arm twisted in this way.

Yes, it's a great TV, it really is, and we like it a lot. However, this audio glitch is like a massive gnarly growth on the face of an otherwise beautiful lady. Just be sure to kiss the right side, and you'll be all right!

[dogger114]

It sounds like you are running the audio out og the Blu-ray player into the tv and then out from the tv to the Sub?

This would not work if you shut off the tv speakers. You should go directly from the player to the sub.

[RWebb74]

Dude, with the kind of money you spent on that TV, it's time to get a receiver.

[Bizdady]

Im more confused than ever before. Powered speakers and sub but no receiver, cant you send the audio directly from the bd player to the speakers?

[SDBlu]

GET A RECEIVER! PROBLEM SOLVED!

[Bizdady]

Originally Posted by MarcosG

GET A RECEIVER! PROBLEM SOLVED!

no!thats not an option! focus!! lol

[TVguy86]

OK i got you now.
Basically your issue is
You can enable both but the sound is off synch.
If you turn off the internal tv speakers then no way to turn the volume up and down without getting up.

So one way out is to get a cable box that has audio outputs so then you can change the volume up and down on the cable box. Thats how i run my Plasma upstairs. I have the Component video out of the cable box directly to the plasma. Then i run the audio out of the cable box to my reciever. I have no audio at all going to my plasma as it has bolt on speakers that are big and bulky looking.

Only other way is to lol hear me out on this one. Get a HI-FI vcr if you have one sitting around. IF it has audio outputs on it then you can use the tuner built into the vcr as your channel changer. Then you can use the audio outputs for your speakers. Again only works if the VCR has the ability to change volume.

Ill let you know if i come up with any other ideas.

[SDBlu]

then find some kind of universal remote that can control your volume to your speakers

[bruss01]

Originally Posted by MarcosG

GET A RECEIVER! PROBLEM SOLVED!

Sigh. Some people either can't read, or can't be bothered to read. From the OP:

Don't suggest a receiver - that's not a solution given that I just spent my last available cent getting the TV. Please PLEASE someone offer me a usable suggestion.

Any other helpful comments? *sigh*