How to connect Bluetooth headphones to the TV
Every time it’s the same story: you sit on the sofa at home to relax in front of the TV and your children play the hell out of four, preventing you from following the dialogue of the movie you are watching. During the day you can easily remedy it by turning up the volume of the television, but in the evening you prefer to avoid in order not to disturb the neighbors and respect the condominium rules. How do you say? The Bluetooth headphones you bought to listen to music on your smartphone could be the solution to your problems but you have no idea how to pair them with the TV? So don’t give up and follow the advice I’m about to give you.
If you take a few minutes of your time, I can explain how to connect Bluetooth headphones to the TV and succeed in your intent. First, you will need to check that your TV has Bluetooth technology and is compatible with audio devices, then you can easily pair the headphones with the TV. And if your TV does not support Bluetooth, don’t worry: you will find a list of alternative solutions that will allow you to connect headphones to the TV using external transmitters. Interesting, right? So don’t waste any more time and get deeper into the topic now!
Come on, make yourself comfortable, take five minutes of free time and read the next paragraphs carefully. Identify the solution that best suits your needs and compatible with the devices in your possession and put into practice the instructions I am about to give you. I am sure that, in no time, you will be able to connect your headphones to the TV and enjoy all the movies you want without more distractions. I just have to wish you good reading and, above all, good viewing!
Index
- Preliminary operations
- How to connect headphones to TV: built-in Bluetooth
- How to connect Bluetooth headphones to TV: Samsung
- How to connect Bluetooth headphones to TV: LG
- How to connect Bluetooth headphones to TV: Sony
- How to connect Bluetooth headphones to TV: Philips
- How to connect Bluetooth headphones to TV without Bluetooth
- How to connect wireless headphones to the TV: alternative method
Preliminary operations
Connecting Bluetooth headphones to a TV with built-in Bluetooth is a process that takes a few seconds, as long as your TV also supports pairing with wireless headphones. In fact, not all TVs that have support for Bluetooth technology are able to transmit audio to headphones/earphones, speakers or sound bars equipped with the same technology.
Before proceeding with the connection, therefore, check that the TV in your possession is compatible with the transmission of audio to Bluetooth devices, by consulting the user manual of the device, taking a look at its technical data sheet (you should come across a of the words Bluetooth A2DP, AVRCP or HSP) or by searching Google for information on this (using, for example, the Bluetooth audio key [TV brand and model] ).
If the verification is not successful, you can still deal with the matter by purchasing a special Bluetooth transmitter, to be connected to the jack dedicated to the speakers, or use a pair of wireless radio frequency headphones: I will talk about these possibilities in the final chapters of this guide.
In any case, in order to establish the connection between a TV equipped with Bluetooth technology for audio transmission (or a receiver of this type) and a pair of Bluetooth headphones, it is essential to set the latter in pairing/pairing mode, in order to make them detectable.
The procedure to carry out to achieve this goal, however, varies according to the model of headphones in your possession: generally, it is sufficient to press or hold down the power button for a long time, until a voice (or a particular sound) notifies the entered pairing status occurred. Generally, as a result of this operation, the power LED of the headphones starts flashing rapidly, a sign that the device is ready for pairing (when the connection is established, however, the LED is steady or flashes slowly).
If, on the other hand, you have chosen to pair true wireless Bluetooth headsets (i.e. headsets that are not connected by any wire between them), you must turn them on by extracting them from the case and holding down the dedicated pairing button, present on it. If you are unable to set the headphones in pairing mode by following the steps I explained earlier, take a look at the user manual of the device, looking for detailed information on the subject.
How to connect headphones to TV: built-in Bluetooth
If your TV is natively compatible with the transmission of audio via Bluetooth, connecting wireless speakers equipped with the same technology is really a breeze.
So, after setting the latter device in pairing mode, as I explained earlier, turn on the TV and access its settings, by pressing the appropriate physical button on the remote control, called Settings or Settings, or by calling up the Home menu ( generally you have to press the remote control button in the shape of a house ) and pressing the dedicated virtual button, which appears on the screen.
Then, go to the menu dedicated to Sound / Speakers or to external devices/connections, choose the option dedicated to Bluetooth and indicate that you want to view the list of headphones; within a few seconds, the name of the audio device should appear in the list of those detected by the TV: after selecting it, press the OK button on the remote control, in order to establish the connection between the two devices.
Unfortunately, I can’t be more specific about the exact steps to take, as the procedure for pairing Bluetooth headphones can vary depending on the model of TV you have. As an example, let me explain how to do this on some Smart TVs produced by the most important players in the sector.
How to connect Bluetooth headphones to TV: Samsung
Specifically, to connect Bluetooth headphones to the Samsung TV, the steps to take are as follows: first, press the Home button (shaped like a house ) or Smart Hub (shaped like a colored prism ) on the remote control, select the Settings button from the menu that appears on the screen and press the OK button on the remote control to access it.
Now, still using the directional arrows and the OK button on the remote control, select the Sound menu, go to the Audio Output> Bluetooth Speakers List sections and wait for the name of the Bluetooth headphones, which must have been previously set in pairing mode, to appear on the screen.
When this happens, select the name of the headphones from the list of detected devices, press the OK button on the remote control and press the Pair and connect button, which appears on the TV screen, to complete the connection and start playing the audio through the headphones just connected. To return to listening to the sounds through the TV speaker, go to the Settings> Audio output menu and select, this time, the item TV speaker. More info here.
How to connect Bluetooth headphones to TV: LG
If, on the other hand, you have an LG TV with WebOS operating system, press the key dedicated to the quick settings on the remote control (the one with the gear symbol ), select the All settings item from the menu that appears superimposed on the screen, using the directional arrows and press the OK button on the remote control, in order to access the dedicated section.
Now, use the same procedure to enter the Audio> Audio Output menu, select the LG Sound Sync / Bluetooth item and, after activating it, click on the Device Selection option that appears immediately below. Within a few moments, the search for the Bluetooth headphones visible nearby should start: as soon as the name of the ones you are interested in appears on the screen, press on it to establish the connection.
To return to playing sound through the TV’s internal speaker, go back to the All Settings> Audio> Audio Out menu and select, this time, the Internal TV speaker option. More info here.
How to connect Bluetooth headphones to TV: Sony
To connect a pair of Bluetooth headphones to a Sony TV equipped with Google TV / Android TV, after setting the audio device in pairing mode, press the Home button on the TV remote control (the one in the shape of a house ) and, using the arrows directional buttons, select the Settings button and press the OK button on the remote control.
Now, in the same way, reach the Bluetooth Settings menu located in the Remote Controls and Accessories / Networks and Accessories pane, select the Bluetooth item and make sure that the lever at the top of the screen is set to ON, otherwise you do it. At this point, select the name of the Bluetooth headphones from the list of detected devices, press the OK button on the remote control and wait for the connection to be completed.
From now on, the TV sound will be played through the Bluetooth headphones; to disconnect them, go to the Settings menu > Remote controls and accessories> Bluetooth settings> Paired devices, select the headphones from the list of configured devices and press the Disconnect button to disconnect them. If you are interested in connecting them again, repeat the same procedure by pressing the Connect button at the end.
How to connect Bluetooth headphones to TV: Philips
If you have a Philips TV equipped with Google TV / Android TV, after setting the headphones in pairing mode, press the Settings button on the TV remote control (usually characterized by a gear symbol ), use the directional arrows to select the item All settings, located in the menu that appears on the screen and press the OK button on the remote control, to access the dedicated menu.
If your remote control does not have a physical button dedicated to settings, press the Home button instead to access the main menu of Android TV, select the gear symbol located in the top bar and press the OK button to select it. Next, highlight the All Settings item and press the OK button again.
Now, select the Wireless and networks item, press the right directional arrow to access the next menu and, in the same way, reach the Bluetooth and Search device sections. At this point, select the Search button, press the OK button and wait for the name of the headphones to appear on the screen; to finish, select the latter, press the OK button again and wait for the connection to be established. If prompted, complete the configuration by selecting the Headphone item and press the Next button.
To use the newly connected headphones, press the settings button on the remote control again, select the Speakers item from the menu displayed and press on the name of the Bluetooth headphones, to ensure that the sounds coming from the TV are “diverted” to them.
How to connect Bluetooth headphones to TV without Bluetooth
Your TV does not integrate Bluetooth technology and the idea of giving up just doesn’t like it? Do not worry, the solution is there and it is also quite cheap. You must know, in fact, that there are small devices called Bluetooth transmitters, which can be connected to the TV via a 3.5 mm headphone jack cable, RCA cable (but also via optical or coaxial input, for the more “advanced” ones) and allow to send all the sounds emitted by the TV to the Bluetooth headphones.
External Bluetooth transmitters convert the audio signal coming out of the jack on the TV into a Bluetooth signal, thus allowing connection with headphones that support the same wireless technology. The most common transmitters have a range of about 10 meters and allow the combination of several devices, even simultaneously – if indicated in the technical specifications.
Devices of this kind can be purchased at the best electronic stores, or online, but be careful: before proceeding with the purchase, make sure that the device you have chosen has Bluetooth transmission functions and not just reception, otherwise it will not it will work (at least not for this purpose).
To connect the headphones to the transmitter, take the transmitter, connect one end of the supplied cable to the input of your TV, then insert the other 3.5mm jack into the appropriate input of the transmitter and, if necessary, supply electricity using a USB port or power plug.
If your TV does not have a 3.5mm input, you can complete the connection using the optical input (if available) or the supplied jack to RCA adapter: after inserting the 3.5mm connector into the appropriate input of the Bluetooth transmitter, complete the connection with the RCA cable and insert the two connectors of the latter into the two inputs of the TV (in the red input for the right audio and in the white input for the left or mono audio).
Now, take the headphones and activate the pairing mode as seen above and turn on the Bluetooth transmitter by pressing the power button until the LED starts flashing: in most cases, the transmitter should be able to detect the headphones and complete the connection completely automatically.
If not, you may have to press a physical key, use a switch or, again, use a special application that allows you to complete the pairing; for precise instructions on what to do, read the user manual that was supplied with the device.
How to connect wireless headphones to the TV: alternative method
If your television is not compatible with Bluetooth technology and you are not thrilled by using an external receiver, you can always consider purchasing a pair of wireless radio frequency (RF) transmission headphones – these devices are equipped with an “independent” base, which must be connected to the physical input dedicated to the headphones on the TV, using the 3.5 mm male-male AUX cable supplied.
There are RF wireless headphones for all tastes and budgets: if you intend to go down this road and need a hand to choose the device that best suits your needs, you can take a look at my guide dedicated to the best headphones wireless, in which I gave you valuable “tips” on the subject.
In any case, once you have the necessary, you have to connect the base of the headphones to the dedicated input on the TV, using the appropriate cable; then, connect the base to an external power source (electrical socket or USB, depending on the model), turn it on and select the frequency to use, both on the base itself and on the headphones, using the appropriate physical switch.
Once this is done, simply turn on the headphones by long pressing on the dedicated physical button, so that the connection is established: in most cases, no additional configuration is required and the sounds coming from the TV should immediately start “coming out” from the wireless headphones
