There are several ways that you can connect a karaoke machine to a smart TV. The simplest way is to use a wired connection, such as an HDMI cable. If your karaoke machine has an HDMI output, simply connect it to the HDMI input on your TV. Alternatively, you can use a wireless connection. Most karaoke machines come with a wireless microphone, and some also have Bluetooth connectivity. If your karaoke machine has Bluetooth, you can pair it with your TV and stream audio wirelessly. Finally, there are several smartphone apps that allow you to control a karaoke machine from your phone. These apps typically have a library of karaoke songs that you can play, as well as features for controlling the volume and pitch of the music. You can also use the YouTube app on your smart TV to stream karaoke videos from YouTube. Simply search for “karaoke” in the YouTube app and browse the results.
People love going to karaoke or playing home karaoke. Invented in Japan as the “Empty (Kara) Orchestra (Oke)”, it’s composed of the instrumentals to the song and lyrics on a video you can use to sing along to the music via microphone.
It’s hugely popular as an arcade machine or as a home console. You can even rent out DVD players with discs and a microphone dedicated to singing karaoke songs. With that in mind, let’s learn how to connect karaoke to tv.
How to Connect Karaoke to TV
Karaoke machines can connect to your HDTV with the same connections you’d use for your DVD player. Arguably, many karaoke machines work like DVD players. Primitive machines even double as DVD or VHS players, with them using tapes or DVDs to showcase the instrumental music videos with lyrics.
The cheapest way to go about karaoke to TV is by buying a microphone and DVDs that feature karaoke music videos you can switch to on the DVD menu or by your DVD remote. The more sophisticated karaoke machines, you can hook up to your TV like a whole media players.
Therefore, you can use HDMI and HDMI-ARC, HDMI with optical, or standard A/V connections to connect your karaoke to TV (such as RCA composite, S-video, and component video).
Using an HDMI Cable for Modern HDTVs and Smart TVs
It’s rare to find a streaming channel for karaoke like with the Amazon Fire TV Stick or Roku Streaming Stick Plus. You’re likelier to get a DVD-player-style karaoke system with a simple HDMI hookup for modern devices.
- HDMI Input and Output Ports: It’s simpler to hook up HDMI cables to your karaoke and HDTV because it’s one cable with one connection instead of three separate plugs like RCA. However, HDMI varies between HDMI and HDMI-ARC or HDMI-eARC.
- Hook Up Everything: Turn off your smart TV. Connect the HDMI cable to your karaoke machine’s HDMI output then connect the other end to your TV’s HDMI input. This digital cable delivers both the audio and video signal in one cable.
- Set Up the HDMI Input: Turn on your smart TV screen and switch to the port you hooked up your karaoke machine to (HDMI1, HDMI2, and so forth). If you did things correctly, you should see the welcome screen of your karaoke.
- Insert Disc: Insert the DVD or BD into your karaoke machine so that it can play instrumental music videos with lyrics displayed on the screen for you to follow. Don’t forget to hook up your microphone/s to the allotted slot on the karaoke machine to start singing.
- The HDMI-ARC Difference: Most modern HDTVs have a separate HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC) connection to either the AV Receiver (AVR) or external speakers. You can also hook up the speakers directly to the karaoke machine if you wish.
- Optical or 3.5mm: If your TV’s HDMI is more primitive and it lacks ARC, you might need to hook up your TV or your karaoke machine to your AVR or home entertainment speaker system via optical TOSLINK or S/PDIF or 3.5mm AUX cable.
Using an RCA Video Cable for Vintage TVs
Many karaoke systems connect to CRT TVs using the standard RCA cable since they’re from the CRT TV era. Thankfully, you can hook them up even in modern HDTVs by opting to get an RCA composite to HDMI adapter. This is the method used for older TVs with no HDMI port but have RCA input.
- What’s an RCA Connection? The RCA input includes a yellow video cable and two audio cables (red and white) for stereo sound. It’s an analog connection standard for 480i resolution.
- How to Connect: Turn off your TV and disconnect any devices plugged into it, which includes game consoles and DVD players. Hook up the yellow video cable to the yellow port and the red and white cables to the red and white audio ports at the back of the TV set.
- Audio Out and Audio In Ports: Hook up the color-coded cables to your karaoke machine’s “Audio Out” ports then specifically look for the “Audio In” ports or something similar at the back of your TV set. Just follow the color code for easy hookup.
- Turn on Your TV and Up the Volume: Turn on your TV, switch to AV1 or AV2 on your Video or AV settings, then go to the main screen of your karaoke machine. Use the karaoke’s remote to switch between song to song in the menu. Don’t forget to put the microphone on its slot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s now cover the most popular FAQs regarding karaoke to TV connections.
- Do karaoke machines connect to TV? Yes, you can connect karaoke machines to TV using digital HDMI or analog RCA cables. Digital offers the best sound and picture quality. RCA allows you to connect the machine to older TVs.
- Will my karaoke machine work with TV? It depends on your TV. A vintage CRT TV requires RCA cables and the latest HDTV or smart TV sets have an HDMI input port or even HDMI-ARC for additional audio connections. Check your TV type and react accordingly.
- Do Smart TVs work with karaoke machines? Karaoke machines have added HDMI ports to allow for smart TV and HDTV connections via the HDMI cable. They’ve even included Blu-Ray discs for better quality video and music instead of their usual DVD karaoke collection.
- Do wireless karaoke microphones work with TV? Make sure you have a wireless receiver or transmitter to make them connect to the TV or to the karaoke machine. Some karaoke systems include high-tech wireless microphones.
When Push Comes to Shove
You can easily hook up your karaoke system to your TV because most of them need the TV to serve as the video display with the lyrics while the rest of the system provides the music and the like. The screen shows the words and the speakers showcase the instrumentals.
Connecting the karaoke machine depends on the type of machine it is. It might be more like a DVD player or require a DVD player to work. It might require an HDMI plug or a simple RCA composite plug.
References:
- KMG Staff, “How To Set Up Karaoke System To TV“, KaraokeMachinesGuru.com, October 4, 2021
- “How to Connect a Karaoke Machine to any Device“, HowtoKaraoke.com, Retrieved April 25, 2022
