For a long time I did not want to sit down to write this article, and not even because I was lazy, but simply the topic of connecting Bluetooth headphones to TVs with Smart TVs is very "dark". It all started when I bought myself a Bluetooth headphone and connected it to my Philips TV, which runs on Android TV. Everything connected very easily and without problems. I thought, why not write detailed instructions on how to connect wireless headphones to TVs. Moreover, many modern TVs have Bluetooth support.
But somehow I didn't really want to write only about Philips TVs, I decided to make a general instruction and show how you can connect Bluetooth headphones with LG, Samsung and Sony TVs. There, as I do not have these TVs, and I cannot check everything from personal experience, then I started looking for information on the Internet. And then it began. If Philips and Sony TVs that run on Android TV connect seamlessly to wireless headphones, then LG with webOS and Samsung Smart TVs have a mess.
It is clear that the TV must have a built-in Bluetooth adapter. But you probably know that almost all TVs work only with original devices (cameras, adapters, remotes, etc.). With headphones, it's about the same story. You can easily connect an original Bluetooth stereo headset to LG and Samsung TVs. But ordinary headphones are unlikely to be connected. But it depends on the TV model, series, firmware version, year of manufacture and what the hell knows what else. The porridge is such that after studying this topic for several hours, my brain boiled.
It seems that in the new models of Samsung TVs, you can already connect any Bluetooth headphones. There is also a service menu in which you can try to enable support for this function. But again, it all depends on the series and model. LG has pretty much the same story. And if you believe the support of LG, then you can only connect original headphones. But again, not on all models.
To avoid confusion, I will divide this article into three sections. I'll tell you about each manufacturer separately. I'll show you how you can try to connect Bluetooth headphones in the TV settings.
In order not to waste time, I advise you to immediately make sure that your TV has built-in Bluetooth (if you have a Smart TV, then most likely it does). In some models, it must be connected with a separate proprietary adapter. You can see the characteristics of your model on the official website.
If your TV does not have Bluetooth, or it flatly refuses to see the headphones, then you can use a special Bluetooth transmitter that connects to the 3.5 mm TV output (it is also possible to connect via RCA (tulip), or optical audio output), and they are already connected to it headphones. I will tell you more about such adapters at the end of the article (or read the article about Bluetooth transmitters at the link above).
Bluetooth headphones + TVs Philips and Sony on Android TV
Since I have a Philips TV (model Philips 43PUS7150 / 12 on Android TV), and I have successfully made friends with it with my JBL E45BT headphones, first of all I will tell you about this platform.
Important! I have no way to test the connection on my Sony TV. But, since Sony also uses Android TV as its Smart TV platform, I think everything will work. I hope they did not make restrictions on the connection of Bluetooth devices.
Go to the Android TV menu and select "Wired and Wireless Networks" at the very bottom.
Then turn on Bluetooth and select "Search for Bluetooth device".
The TV will display a message that you need to turn on the device and place it at a distance of up to 5 meters. We turn on our headphones and press the "Search" button. The headphones must be in pairing mode. The blue Bluetooth indicator should flash. If it does not blink, then most likely you need to press and hold the power button, or a separate button with a corresponding icon.
The TV should see our headphones. Select them and click "Connect".
Next, you need to select the type of device. We select "Headphones". And I got a message that "Connected to JBL E45BT".
The sound from the TV started playing through the headphones. You can control them in the TV settings. Item "Delete device". There you can turn off or remove the wireless headset.
After turning on the power of the headphones, the sound from the TV speakers immediately goes to them. When I turn off the headphones, the built-in speakers sound.
With these TVs sorted out. If you have something to add, or if you have any questions, write in the comments.
Connecting Bluetooth Headphones to Samsung TV
Moving on to Samsung TVs, which is a complete mess on this topic. As I already wrote at the beginning of the article, it seems that new models of some certain series support the connection of Bluetooth headphones from any manufacturer. At least I saw a video where Beats headphones were connected to the J series TV without any problems.
I don't know what kind of Samsung TV you have, what firmware it has, Smart TV version, etc., but I advise you to try it. What if everything works out and will work.
We connect: Open the TV settings. Go to "Sound" - "Speaker Settings". Turn on your Bluetooth headphones and place them next to the TV. They must be online. The blue indicator should flash. Select "Bluetooth Headphone List".
If you do not have the item "List of Bluetooth headphones", or it is inactive, then you can try to activate it in the service menu of the TV. More on this below in the article.
The appearance of the menu may differ slightly.
Next, the TV should find our wireless headphones.
We select them and the devices will be paired. The sound from the Samsung TV will be transmitted via Bluetooth to the headphones. If you disable them, then the sound will come from the TV speakers.
For K series TVs
In the settings, you need to open the "Sound" section, then "Select speaker" and "Audio Bluetooth".
Activating the "List of Bluetooth headphones" section in the service menu
I will not describe the whole process, but will simply add a video in which the author tells and shows everything in detail. There you can see the entire connection process.
If you managed to enable support for Bluetooth headphones on your Samsung TV using the service menu, then write about it in the comments to this article, and do not forget to say thanks to the author of this video.
Let me remind you that a lot depends on the series and model of your TV. If it does not work, then you can describe your case in the comments, or use the solution, which I will discuss at the end of this article.
How to connect Bluetooth headphones to LG TV
I wish I had an LG TV on webOS to check it out myself. There is not a lot of information on this topic on the Internet. But as far as I understand, LG is still more difficult with connecting Bluetooth devices. Only original devices can be connected. That is, original LG headphones, soundbar, etc. You can do this in the settings, in the "Sound" section - "LG Sound Sync (wireless)".
And even if your TV model has built-in Bluetooth, then it is used primarily to connect the LG Magic Remote and other branded devices.
You can also try connecting your headset according to the following scheme:
This is an instruction from the official site. But as far as I understand, only branded headsets are connected this way.
Connecting bluetooth devices via LG TV Plus app
For Android and iOS, there is an app called LG TV Plus. It is designed to control LG TVs that run on webOS.
It seems to be where this application is, right? But I found a video that shows how almost any Bluetooth device can be connected to an LG TV through LG TV Plus. Including headphones and a speaker. But I just can't say for sure, starting from which version of webOS there is such an opportunity. It looks like since webOS 3.0.
How it works: install LG TV Plus on a smartphone or tablet. We go into the application and connect to your TV. There is a "Bluetooth Agent" section in the application settings. Through this agent, you can connect wireless headphones to your LG TV.
Here is a video (about the "Bluetooth Agent" feature from 3:48):
More thanks to the author of the video!
If your TV doesn't have Bluetooth, or your headphones won't connect: solution
There are devices like Bluetooth transmitters. They can be used not only with TVs, but also with other devices. Their task is to take sound from the TV via cable (from a 3.5 mm, RCA, or optical output) and transmit it via Bluetooth to any wireless headphones.
They look something like this:
This is a universal solution for almost any TV, even old ones. It is enough to connect the cable from the transmitter to the TV output under the headphones, and connect your headset to the transmitter. These adapters are usually powered by a built-in battery. USB cable for power / charging is included. If your TV has a USB port, you can connect an adapter to it.
There are a lot of such transmitters on the market. There are many cheap Chinese devices. Read more about them in this article: Bluetooth transmitter for TV (headphones). What is it, how does it work and how to choose?
Conclusions
As it turned out, only TVs running on the Android TV system allow you to easily connect Bluetooth headsets and output sound to them. For such popular manufacturers as LG and Samsung, in this regard, everything is very ambiguous. There are certain series and models that implement the function of connecting Bluetooth headphones. And LG still can't give users the ability to choose the Bluetooth devices they want to connect to their TVs. And do not limit them to just branded accessories.
In any case, you can always purchase an inexpensive transmitter and output sound wirelessly with it. Yes, these are additional costs and inconveniences in the form of another device, but if there is no other way, then the solution is not bad.
Write in the comments. Share useful information and ask questions. I will be happy to answer everyone!
