CEC Adapter — Sony Bravia: CEC Stops Working After Switching Inputs

Modified on Wed, 29 Apr at 9:50 PM

On Sony Bravia TVs with a Sony soundbar or AV receiver connected via HDMI, the USB-CEC Adapter may stop responding to CEC commands after the TV input is switched away and back. This is caused by the Sony audio system reassigning CEC logical addresses when inputs are switched, which disrupts how the adapter re-registers on the CEC bus.

Symptom

CEC commands work correctly after a fresh start
After switching the TV to another input (for example, the built-in Google TV) and switching back to the PC's HDMI input, CEC commands stop working
Restarting libCECTray or libcec restores function temporarily, until the input is switched again
The issue is specific to setups with a Sony Bravia audio system (soundbar or AVR) in the chain

Step-by-Step Fix

Step 1 — Confirm the audio system is the cause

Connect the CEC adapter directly to the TV, bypassing the Sony audio system entirely. If CEC works correctly after input switching in this configuration, the audio system is confirmed as the source of the conflict. Proceed with the settings below.

Step 2 — Disable TV Power Off Link on the Bravia audio system

In the Sony Bravia audio system settings (via the Sony app or TV settings menu), find the TV Power Off Link option and set it to Invalid (disabled). This prevents the audio system from sending CEC commands on power state changes that disrupt the adapter's bus registration.

Step 3 — Change HDMI Signal Format

In the Sony Bravia TV settings, go to HDMI Signal Format for the port the adapter is connected to. Change it from "Enhanced format (4K120, 8K)" to "Enhanced format". The higher format setting can cause the Bravia's HDMI negotiation to trigger additional CEC bus activity when switching sources.

Step 4 — Set a fixed physical address (LibreELEC / Kodi)

If you are running LibreELEC or Kodi, the CEC adapter's physical address may change when the input is switched. Setting a fixed physical address prevents this:

In Kodi, go to Settings → System → Input → Peripherals → CEC Adapter
Find the Physical address setting and enter the address that corresponds to the HDMI port the adapter is connected to (for example, 1000 for HDMI port 1)
Save and restart Kodi

Step 5 — Disable "Make this device the active source on startup"

In LibreELEC CEC settings, disable the option to make the device the active source on startup. This prevents the adapter from sending Active Source commands that can trigger the Bravia audio system to reassign CEC addresses.

Step 6 — Disable Bravia Sync on the audio system

As a last resort, disable Bravia Sync (the Sony name for HDMI-CEC) on the audio system itself. This removes the audio system from the CEC bus entirely, which prevents it from interfering with address assignment. Note that this will also disable CEC control of the audio system from the TV remote.

Not all steps may be needed — work through them in order and test after each one. Many users find Steps 2 and 3 alone are sufficient to resolve the issue.

Still experiencing CEC drops after input switching?
Contact Pulse-Eight support with your Sony TV model, audio system model, libcec version, and a description of when the issue occurs.

UK: 01202 413 610 | US: (858) 748-8250 | support@pulse-eight.com