To turn on Control for HDMI (Sony’s name for HDMI-CEC) on the Sony STR-DH590, press AMP MENU on the remote, then select “<HDMI>” – “CTRL.HDMI” – “CTRL ON” on the receiver’s display panel. Then turn on HDMI-CEC in your TV’s settings, and in each player or streaming box you want to link.
All three pieces have to be on. The receiver’s setting alone does nothing if the TV or the player has CEC switched off. Once they’re linked, the TV remote can control the receiver’s volume, turning off the TV can turn off the receiver, and pressing play on a Blu-ray player can wake up the whole system. The catch: Sony only guarantees these features with Sony gear. They often work with other brands, but not always, and a few features are Sony-only.
What Control for HDMI does on the STR-DH590
Control for HDMI is Sony’s name for the CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) standard. It lets devices connected by HDMI send each other commands. Sony builds its “BRAVIA” Sync features on top of it. Here’s what each one does and whether it needs Sony equipment.
| Feature | What happens | Works with other brands? |
|---|---|---|
| System Audio Control | Turning on the TV turns on the receiver and sends TV sound to your speakers. The TV remote adjusts the receiver’s volume. | May work, not guaranteed |
| Audio Return Channel (ARC) | TV sound travels back to the receiver over the same HDMI cable. | May work, not guaranteed |
| System Power Off (“STBY.LINK”) | Turning off the TV turns off the receiver and connected HDMI devices. | May work, not guaranteed |
| One-Touch Play | Pressing play on a connected player turns on the receiver and TV and switches the receiver to that input. | May work, not guaranteed |
| Remote Easy Control | You pick the receiver from the TV’s SYNC MENU and operate it with the TV remote. The TV lists the receiver as [Tuner]. | May work, not guaranteed |
| Standby pass-through (“STBY.THRU” or “SIG PASS THRU”) | Video and sound from a player reach the TV while the receiver stays off. | “AUTO” may work, not guaranteed. “ON” is Sony’s pick for non-Sony TVs. |
| Sound Mode/Scene Select (“S.F. SYNC”) | The receiver’s sound field follows the TV’s Scene Select or Sound Mode. | No, Sony only |
| Home Theatre Control | An app on the TV adjusts the receiver’s settings, sound field, and input. The TV must support the app and be online. | No, Sony only |
| Language Follow | Changing the TV’s menu language may change the receiver’s on-screen language too. | Sony doesn’t say |
TV sound over ARC is the feature most people want. It has its own setup details, like which TV jack to use and what to do when the ARC jack lacks HDCP 2.2. Those are in our STR-DH590 HDMI ARC setup guide. This guide covers the control side: power, inputs, and the settings that decide how the system behaves.
Before you start
- The TV must be on the receiver’s HDMI TV OUT jack. Sony’s Control for HDMI troubleshooting checks for this connection.
- Players and boxes go into the receiver’s HDMI IN jacks, not into the TV. That’s how the receiver sees and controls them.
- Use a good HDMI cable. Sony recommends a Premium High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet that supports 18 Gbps for “BRAVIA” Sync hookups.
- Watch the receiver’s front display. “CTRL.HDMI” and the other settings below live in the display-panel menu. They don’t appear on the TV.
Step 1: Turn on Control for HDMI on the receiver
- Press AMP MENU on the remote. The menu opens on the receiver’s display panel.
- Press the up or down arrow until the display shows “<HDMI>,” then press the enter button.
- Press up or down until you see “CTRL.HDMI,” then press enter.
- Select “CTRL ON” and press enter.
- Press AMP MENU to close the menu. To step back a level instead, press the left arrow or BACK.
Two things change right away, and both are normal. First, the power indicator glows red when the receiver is off. It’s staying ready to hear from the TV. Second, the “AUDIO.OUT” setting may change on its own. With Control for HDMI on, the receiver sets it based on the speaker setting in your TV.
Step 2: Turn on HDMI-CEC on the TV
- Turn on the TV and switch it to the HDMI input the receiver is connected to.
- Open the TV’s settings and turn on its HDMI-CEC feature. Every brand names it differently. A few examples from the TV makers’ own support pages:
- Sony: “BRAVIA” Sync
- Samsung: “Anynet+ (HDMI-CEC),” under External Device Manager
- LG: “SIMPLINK (HDMI-CEC),” under the HDMI or device settings
- Roku TV: “Control other devices (CEC),” under Settings > System
- If the TV lets you choose where sound plays, pick the receiver or an external audio system. Sony notes that on some TVs, if sound last played through the TV’s own speakers, the receiver won’t turn on automatically.
The exact menu path moves around between model years, so check your TV’s manual if you can’t find it.
Step 3: Turn on CEC on your players and boxes
Sony says each connected device needs its own Control for HDMI setting turned on. Look in the HDMI, system, or display settings of your Blu-ray player, game console, or streaming box. Skip any device you don’t want the system to control.
If you move an HDMI cable later, repeat Steps 1 through 3. Sony says to redo this setup whenever you unplug an HDMI cable or change the connections.
Step 4: Check that it works
- Turn everything off.
- Turn on the TV with the TV remote. The receiver should turn on too, and TV sound should come from your speakers.
- Press the TV remote’s volume buttons. The receiver’s volume should change. The number on the TV screen may not match the receiver’s display. Sony notes that’s normal.
- Turn off the TV. What the receiver does next depends on “STBY.LINK,” covered below.
- Start playback on a linked player. With One-Touch Play working, the receiver switches to that player’s input.
Set how the receiver follows the TV
Three more settings in the same “<HDMI>” menu decide how the system behaves. Open them the same way as Step 1: AMP MENU, then “<HDMI>,” then the setting.
“STBY.LINK”: should the receiver turn off with the TV?
- “AUTO”: The receiver turns off with the TV only when it’s set to [BD/DVD], [GAME], [SAT/CATV], [MEDIA BOX], or [TV]. On FM, Bluetooth, or SA-CD/CD, it stays on.
- “ON”: The receiver always turns off with the TV, whatever input it’s on.
- “OFF”: The receiver never turns off with the TV.
“AUTO” suits most homes. It keeps music playing if you turn off the TV while the receiver is on Bluetooth or radio. Sony notes that some connected devices may not turn off, depending on their state.
“STBY.THRU” or “SIG PASS THRU”: picture with the receiver off
Sony changed this setting’s name during production, so your receiver shows one name or the other.
- “ON”: The receiver always passes HDMI video and sound to the TV while it’s off. Sony recommends this with non-Sony TVs.
- “AUTO”: The receiver passes the signal when the TV turns on while the receiver is off. It uses less standby power than “ON,” but the picture may take a little longer to show up.
- “OFF”: Nothing reaches the TV while the receiver is off. You have to turn the receiver on to watch a connected device. This saves the most power.
With the receiver off, the TV gets the device that was selected right before you turned it off. So if you watch a streaming box through TV speakers now and then, leave the receiver on that input.
“S.F. SYNC”: let a Sony TV pick the sound field
This works only with Sony TVs. With it set to “ON,” the receiver changes its sound field to match the TV’s Scene Select or Sound Mode. For example, Cinema picks HD-D.C.S., Sports picks Sports, and Music picks Concert. Most other scenes pick Multi Ch Stereo. If you’d rather choose sound fields yourself, set it to “OFF.” Sony notes the sound may cut out briefly when the field switches.
Standby power: what Control for HDMI costs
A red power light on a receiver that’s “off” means it’s listening in standby. Control for HDMI, standby pass-through set to “ON” or “AUTO,” and Bluetooth standby all cause this, and all use more power in standby. If you’d rather cut standby use than have the linked features, Sony’s power-saving list is:
- Set “<HDMI>” – “CTRL.HDMI” to “CTRL OFF.”
- Set “<HDMI>” – “STBY.THRU” (or “SIG PASS THRU”) to “OFF.”
- Set “<BT>” – “BT STBY” to “STBY OFF.”
That trade-off is real. With “CTRL OFF,” the TV remote can’t control the receiver, and ARC stops working.
When Control for HDMI doesn’t work
Nothing happens at all
- Confirm “CTRL.HDMI” shows “CTRL ON.”
- Confirm the TV’s HDMI-CEC setting is on, and that the TV is connected to HDMI TV OUT.
- If you just plugged the receiver in, wait. Sony says the link can take a while to start after the receiver has been unplugged. Wait at least 15 seconds and try again.
- If you moved any HDMI cables, repeat Steps 1 through 3.
- If you recently did a factory reset of the STR-DH590, check “CTRL.HDMI” again. A reset clears all saved settings.
The receiver doesn’t turn on with the TV
Check “CTRL.HDMI” first. Then check the TV’s speaker setting. Sony notes that if the TV played through its own speakers the last time you used it, the receiver may stay off when you turn the TV on. Set the TV’s sound output to the receiver or an external audio system, then turn the TV off and on again.
The receiver turns off when you don’t want it to
“STBY.LINK” is set to “ON,” so the receiver shuts down with the TV no matter what you’re listening to. Change it to “AUTO” or “OFF.”
The receiver stays on after the TV turns off
Make sure “CTRL.HDMI” is “CTRL ON.” Then check “STBY.LINK.” If it’s “AUTO,” the receiver stays on when it’s set to an input outside Sony’s list, such as FM or Bluetooth. Set it to “ON” if you want it to follow the TV every time. Your TV must also support CEC power control.
Pressing play sends sound to the TV speakers
This is a One-Touch Play quirk. If standby pass-through is “AUTO” or “ON” and the TV last played through its own speakers, the receiver may stay off and the TV plays everything. Turn the receiver on, or set the TV’s sound output back to the receiver.
The sound field keeps changing by itself
That’s “S.F. SYNC” following a Sony TV. Set “<HDMI>” – “S.F. SYNC” to “OFF.”
The receiver’s menu language changed
With “CTRL ON,” changing a Sony TV’s language may change the receiver’s on-screen language too. Choose your language on the receiver again.
A second audio device won’t link
The HDMI-CEC standard allows only one audio system in a chain, and the STR-DH590 takes that slot. It also allows up to three recording devices, three playback devices, and four tuner-type devices, one of which the receiver uses. So if a soundbar or a second receiver is also connected by HDMI, don’t expect both to respond to CEC as audio devices.
Quick answers
Is Control for HDMI the same as HDMI-CEC?
Yes. Sony describes Control for HDMI as the CEC standard for HDMI connections. “BRAVIA” Sync is Sony’s name for its extended set of CEC features.
Do I need Control for HDMI for ARC?
Yes. Sony’s ARC setup is the same “CTRL.HDMI” – “CTRL ON” setting. Without it, TV sound won’t return over HDMI. If you’re weighing ARC against newer eARC gear, our ARC vs. eARC explainer covers what changes.
Can I turn it on from the TV screen?
No. Sony says “CTRL.HDMI” is only available from the display panel on the front of the receiver.
Sony’s Help Guide covers each feature on its pages for preparing to use “BRAVIA” Sync, what “BRAVIA” Sync includes, and Control for HDMI troubleshooting.