[Custom Integration] Sony Bravia Theatre (Quad / Bar 8 / Bar 9) Control (Testers needed!)

Share your Projects! Custom Integrations
, ,
1

Hi everyone!

I’m excited to announce the availability of a new custom integration designed for the Sony Bravia Theatre lineup (2024 models). If you own the Theatre Quad (HT-A9M2), Theatre Bar 9 (HT-A9000), or Theatre Bar 8 (HT-A8000) and have been frustrated by the lack of direct control in Home Assistant, this is for you.

bravia_quad_device_page
bravia_quad_device_page1543×1798 281 KB

:question: The Problem

Until now, automating these devices was difficult. The official Bravia TV integration works great for TVs, Songpal works great for older AVR devices, but these 2024+ sony audio systems operated independently, using Bravia Connect. Most of us were stuck using:

  • IR Blasters: Reliable but “dumb” (no feedback).
  • HDMI-CEC: Often finicky and tied to the TV’s power state.
  • AirPlay: Good for audio, bad for automation (can’t switch inputs or control detailed settings).

:bulb: The Solution

I discovered that these units still expose a control interface on Port 33336, similar to older Sony AVRs (like the DN-1070). By reverse-engineering the commands, I’ve built a custom integration that communicates directly with the soundbar over your local network via TCP.

Current Features:

  • Auto-Discovery: Automatically discovers Bravia Theatre devices on your network using mDNS/zeroconf - no manual IP configuration needed
  • Power Control: Turn your Bravia Theatre system on and off
  • Volume Control: Adjust main volume from 0-100 via a number entity
  • Volume Step Interval: Configure a delay (0-10,000ms) between volume steps to smoothly increment/decrement volume, avoiding jarring changes
  • Rear Level Control: Adjust rear speaker level from -10-10 via a number entity
  • Source Selection: Switch between inputs (TV/eARC, HDMI In, Spotify, Bluetooth, Airplay)
  • Bass Level Control: Automatically adapts based on subwoofer presence:
    • With subwoofer: Slider from -10 to +10
    • Without subwoofer: Select between MIN, MID, MAX
  • Subwoofer Auto-Detection: Automatically detects if a subwoofer is connected and adjusts bass level controls accordingly
  • Voice Enhancer: Toggle voice enhancer on/off
  • Sound Field: Toggle sound field processing on/off
  • Night Mode: Toggle night mode on/off
  • HDMI CEC: Toggle HDMI CEC on/off
  • Auto Standby: Toggle automatic standby behavior on/off
  • Dynamic Range Compressor (DRC): Control Dynamic Range Compressor mode (Auto, On, Off) - polls for state changes
  • Auto Volume: Toggle Auto Volume on/off - polls for state changes
  • Real-time Updates: Automatically receives and processes notifications from the device for all state changes (where supported)

:test_tube: Call for Testers: Bar 8 & Bar 9

I need your help! Liudger and I developed and tested this on our Theatre Quads (HT-A9M2), and it works really well. However, we do not own the Theatre Bar 9 or Theatre Bar 8.

Given that these devices share the same Bravia connect platform and were released in close proximity to the Quad, it is highly likely they share the same network control stack and will mostly work out of the box.

If you have a Bar 8 or Bar 9:

  1. Please install the integration.
  2. Report back in this thread or the issue tracker:
  • Does it connect to the IP?
  • Does volume control work?
  • Do the inputs map correctly?
  • Do the other settings enable/disable as expected?
  • Please share any logs if it fails!

:inbox_tray: How to Install

This is a custom integration available via HACS.

  1. Ensure HACS is installed
  2. Go to HACS → Integrations
  3. Search for “Bravia Theatre” and install it
  4. Restart Home Assistant

:link: Links

Note: I am not a professional coder, just a home automation enthusiast. Use at your own risk.

1 Like