Does LG TV have optical out?

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Written By Dinu Sri

Dr H. T. D. S. Madusanka is an electronic expert with 10 years of experience, involved in the research and development of SMART HOME systems.

Understanding whether your LG TV has an optical out feature is crucial for setting up a high-quality audio system. Optical out, also known as TOSLINK, is a standardized optical fiber connection system that allows for the transfer of digital audio signals. It’s a feature that has been incorporated into multiple television brands, including LG, to provide users with superior audio quality. However, it’s essential to note that not all audio formats are supported by optical audio ports, and specific settings may need to be adjusted for optimal performance.

Here’s a quick how-to guide for checking and utilizing the optical out feature on your LG TV:

  1. Locate the Optical Port: Check the back of your LG TV for a port labeled ‘Optical’ or ‘Digital Audio Out’.
  2. Connect the Optical Cable: Insert one end of the optical cable into the optical port on your LG TV.
  3. Connect to Audio Device: Attach the other end of the optical cable to your soundbar or audio receiver.
  4. Change Sound Settings: Navigate to ‘Settings’ on your LG TV, then to ‘Sound’, and finally select ‘Optical’ as the sound output.

By following these steps, you’ll be able to determine whether your LG TV has an optical out feature and how to utilize it for a superior audio experience. Whether you’re a tech-savvy individual or a beginner, this guide aims to provide you with a comprehensive yet straightforward roadmap for optimizing your LG TV’s audio settings.

Does LG TV have optical out?

The key to survival for any brand, especially with the stiff competition, is taking advantage of the latest and best technologies.

This helps to improve the user experience as well as deliver quality services. Having survived and been among the top-ranked television brands, LG is aware of this market secret.

Consequently, as you can quickly tell, they have already incorporated optical audio in their devices to ensure that their customers have the clearest and blasting audio. 

However, we can’t give a blind eye to the fact that optical audio ports do not support all or even most audio formats. In other words, they may fail to output some of the audio from your television.

Fortunately, there is nothing to worry about.

LG televisions have optical-specific audio formats. Consequently, they are designed to be perfectly compatible with optical audios. 

With that said, where is the optical audio located? 

Where is the optical out on my LG TV?

You require an optical fiber cable to act as the link to use the optical audio. But where do you plug in the cable?

There are several ports at the back of the LG TV for different purposes. In most cases, the ports are labeled with the appropriate use; hence you can easily distinguish the optical audio port.

However, connecting the optical audio cable is not sufficient to have your optical audio system working. You also need to alter the sound settings to direct the audio signals to his channel. 

Therefore you should also navigate the settings and change the sound output to optical. However, if you suspect you will have trouble doing the connections and settings, it will be my pleasure to help you get it done. 

How do I connect my LG TV to optical audio?

Television is a programmed device and only works within your settings. For instance, if you want to use the LG TV HDMI output, you must set it to that. Similarly, if you need to use optical audio, you must alter the settings and connections.

To connect the LG TV to optical audio is done through two primary steps. Keep reading to learn how to make the connection.

How to hook up the soundbar to an optical cable?

The optical audio system uses an optical fiber cable. This cable receives the sound signals from your LG TV and outputs them to the soundbar system, which produces the audio. Simply it acts as the link or the data transfer mechanism.

1. Connect the optical cable to the TV.

The cable is connected to the LG TV using a port. The port is located at the back part of your TV. In most cases, the ports are labeled. Hence you should connect it to the audio port.

2. Connect the optical audio cable to the soundbar

Take the other end of the optical cable and connect it to the soundbar.

You can also check on the video on how to hook up the sound bar with an optical cable.

How to change the sound settings to optical? 

After making the hardware connection correctly, next, you need to work on the software part. All you need to do is alter the sound settings of the TV. How do you do that?

1. Navigate to the settings screen

Go to the home screen by pressing the home button on the remote. Look for the settings icon and click on it.

2. Tap on the sound settings

On the settings screen, please move to the sound settings and tap on it.

3. Change the sound settings

Tapping on the sound settings displays the selected output channels. If the sound output is not set to optical, move the tab to highlight optical and press ok on the remote to set it. 

You can also check on this DIY video on how to connect the optical output in LG TV.

LG TV optical out not working: solutions

If you have followed the above guide on how to connect the optical and there it is not working, there must be a problem. Some of these issues you can troubleshoot all by yourself. Below are some of the reasons why your optical audio might not be working well, with tips on how to correct them.

1. The audio device is far from the TV

The LG TV connects to an output sound system that receives the sound signals and produces the sound. If the sound system is located far, the data might not be efficiently transferred, or the cable might disconnect accidentally.

Thus it is essential to ensure that the sound device is placed close to the TV.

2. Connections

The optical cables are susceptible; hence you do not have to tighten them too much or apply a lot of pressure. Actually, excessively pulling them or applying excess pressure may cause them to break.  

Similarly, you should avoid twisting, bending, or any form of mishandling the cable, for it may result in breakage.

3. No light

Optical cables are designed to have a red light at the connectors when working. In other words, if the cable is not producing the red light, that6 means that it might not be working correctly. 

Lack of light on the cable may mean that the cable is faulty or broken. In most cases, you may need a professional to repair the cable, and mostly, you will have to replace it. Simply take good care of your optical cable. 

4. Audio source

Another reason your optical output might not be working is that you have not set the audio source as output. 

As we have discussed, you need to ensure that the sound output is set to optical and not any other channel. 

5. Your TV is not up-to-date

Similarly, if you have not downloaded and installed the latest LG software, you might have issues operating your TV.

This software is freely available in most cases and takes a few minutes to install. Thus, you do not have a valid reason why your TV uses outdated software. 

6. The sound system is not compatible

The audio receiver or the soundbar should decode the received audio signals to produce sound. 

However, if they are not compatible with the LG TV, they will not decode the audio. Thus, the systems will not work. Therefore, you might have to change the audio receiver or the soundbar to be compatible. 

LG TV optical port is broken: What can I do to fix it?

The optical cable is connected to the optical port. These ports are usually fragile. Hence, you need to be gentle when plugging in the cable. 

Otherwise, if you apply a lot of pressure, you might break them. Besides, twisting or bending the cable when connected may harm the port.

Is it possible to fix a broken optical port?

Even though this may look like a minor issue, it isn’t. It involves the hardware part of the TV, and if poorly handled, it may result in further damage.

You can purchase a replacement socket, and advisably, you should consult a professional. 

Categories LG