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How to connect an iLive soundbar to a TV: run the optical cable from the box between the TV’s optical output and the soundbar, press Source until the light turns amber, and set the TV’s audio output to PCM.

iLive’s bars have no HDMI or ARC port, so the choice is optical, RCA, a 3.5 mm cable or Bluetooth, and the TV decides which of those it can send.

Pick an input the TV isn’t using and the soundbar’s light comes on, but the TV keeps playing through its own speakers.

The light is the quickest check, because iLive’s manuals give each input its own color.

Below are the steps for each connection, what the lights mean, and the fixes for no sound.

Which iLive Soundbar Do You Have?

That model number decides the small differences, so look for it on the box or on the cover of the user’s guide. These iLive guides cover the common bars, and they share the same inputs:

iLive model Length Bluetooth range TV inputs
ITB196B 32 inches 60 ft Optical, RCA, 3.5 mm line in, Bluetooth
ITB296B 37 inches 60 ft Optical, RCA, 3.5 mm line in, Bluetooth
ITB400 40 inches 60 ft Optical, RCA, 3.5 mm line in, Bluetooth
ITB284B 37 inches 33 ft Optical, RCA, 3.5 mm line in, Bluetooth

None of the four manuals lists an HDMI or ARC port, so the cable you plug in is one of the four above. If you’re still choosing a bar and want HDMI ARC, our brand-by-brand TV connection guide covers the ones that have it.

How to Connect an iLive Soundbar to a TV With an Optical Cable

That table’s optical input is the best connection these bars offer, and the cable is in the box on the 32, 37 and 40-inch models (iLive). The ITB196B manual gives these steps:

Hand about to push an optical cable plug into the red-glowing optical port on the back of a TV
  1. Plug one end of the digital optical cable into the TV’s optical output and the other into the soundbar’s optical input.
  2. Press the Power button on the soundbar.
  3. Press Source repeatedly until the light turns amber.
  4. In the TV’s audio settings, choose PCM or Optical Audio and make sure the output is switched on.

iLive adds three tips. Make sure the cable is seated firmly at both ends, check that the TV’s optical output is active (a red light should come from its optical socket), and note that the setting may be labeled SPDIF.

The ITB284B is the exception on cables, because it comes with an RCA cable instead.

If you need to supply an optical one, the Amazon Basics Toslink optical cable is a standard cable for this connection.

the Amazon Basics Toslink optical cable

the Amazon Basics Toslink optical cable

Type: Toslink digital optical
Use: TV optical out to soundbar optical in
✓ Toslink digital optical cable✓ Made for soundbars and home audio✗ Carries less than HDMI, so no Dolby Atmos
See ratings on Amazon

Can You Connect an iLive Soundbar With RCA Cables?

Yes, and it’s the route for older TVs whose optical port is missing or busy. On the ITB196B and ITB296B the RCA cable isn’t included, and iLive’s steps are (iLive):

Red and white RCA plugs lined up with the red and white jacks on the back of a soundbar
  1. Match the colored plugs to the colored RCA inputs on the back of the soundbar.
  2. Plug the other ends into the TV’s audio outputs.
  3. Press Power, then press Source until the light turns white.

The TV has to have RCA audio outputs for this to work, which many newer sets don’t. If yours only has inputs, use optical or Bluetooth.

The same RCA setup leaves room for a subwoofer. iLive says to run another RCA cable from the soundbar’s subwoofer output, and the bar then uses the subwoofer automatically.

Can You Use the 3.5 mm Line In Instead?

If the TV has neither the optical nor the RCA output those two methods need, the line-in jack is the last wired option. iLive’s manual has you plug a 3.5 mm cable, not included, into the soundbar’s Line In and the other end into the audio or headphone output of the source, then press Source until the light turns green.

Once the bar is on Line In, iLive says to use the controls on the connected device to control playback.

Can an iLive Soundbar Connect to a TV by Bluetooth?

Yes, if the TV can send Bluetooth audio, and the bar’s wireless range is 60 feet on most models and 33 feet on the ITB284B. The pairing steps in iLive’s manual are:

  1. Power on the soundbar and switch it to Bluetooth mode, shown by a slowly flashing blue light.
  2. Press and hold Pair on the side of the soundbar until the light flashes blue quickly.
  3. Stay within 3 feet, and pick the soundbar’s name, such as ITB196, in the TV’s Bluetooth settings.
  4. Enter 0000 if the TV asks for a password.

When it connects, the soundbar beeps and the light turns solid blue. iLive says it stays paired until you unpair it or reset it.

Bluetooth is convenient but trails a cable for a TV. If your TV has an optical output, use that, and keep Bluetooth for phones; the phone pairing steps work on any bar with Bluetooth.

What Do the Lights on an iLive Soundbar Mean?

Those pairing lights are part of a bigger scheme, because each input has its own color, which makes the light the fastest way to see what the bar is listening to. iLive’s guides give these readings:

Front of a slim soundbar with a row of five small indicator lights glowing red, amber, white, green and blue
Light What it means
Red Power off
Amber (called orange in one table) Optical mode
White RCA or Aux In mode
Green Line In mode
Flashing blue Bluetooth pairing
Solid blue Bluetooth connected

If the color doesn’t match the cable you plugged in, press Source again until it does. That single check clears up most silent setups.

Why Is There No Sound From an iLive Soundbar?

If the color is right and it’s still silent, the TV is usually the cause. Work through iLive’s own tips, starting with the TV’s audio output.

  • Output format. Set the TV’s optical output to PCM, not Dolby Digital, as iLive advises.
  • Optical output. Make sure the TV’s optical output is turned on, and that the cable is firmly seated at both ends.
  • Mute. The Mute button on the remote makes the light flash, so check that isn’t what you’re seeing.
  • Interference. iLive warns that fluorescent lighting can interfere with the remote and cause erratic behavior, so move the soundbar away from it.

If the TV’s own speakers keep playing, the TV is still sending sound to them, so set its sound output to external or optical speakers in its audio menu.

Can You Control an iLive Soundbar With the TV Remote?

Once the sound works, the next annoyance is a second remote, and on some models the fix is iLive’s Learn feature. It captures commands from your TV remote, and power, volume and mute are typical examples (iLive).

To teach it, turn the soundbar off, press Learn on the unit, press the soundbar remote button you want to copy, then press the matching button on your TV remote. iLive says to do that separately for each button, and that not every function, such as bass and treble, can be learned.

The Learn feature is listed in the ITB196B and ITB296B guides, so check yours before you try it. The ITB400 and ITB284B guides don’t list it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an iLive soundbar have HDMI ARC?

No. The ITB196B, ITB296B, ITB400 and ITB284B guides list optical, RCA, 3.5 mm line in and Bluetooth, and none lists HDMI.

Which cable should I use for an iLive soundbar?

The optical cable is the best of the wired options, and it’s included with the 32, 37 and 40-inch models. Use RCA or the 3.5 mm line in only if your TV has no optical output.

What is the Bluetooth password for an iLive soundbar?

It’s 0000 in iLive’s guides, if your TV asks for one.

Why is my iLive soundbar’s light red?

Red means the soundbar is powered off, according to iLive’s guide. Press Power, then press Source until the light matches the cable you plugged in.