User experience is also an important factor when choosing the right soundbar. The ease of control and navigation are critical for a hassle-free configuration and easy to use experience whenever you turn on the soundbar.
i. On Screen Display
On screen display provides visual feedback for more complicated features on TV. This feature is commonly found on the soundbars that come with network connection and built-in online streaming services that require user navigation during setup and content selection.
ii. LED Display
Typically found on premium soundbars, LED displays provide visual feedback on volume level, input sources, audio settings, via the LED panel on the soundbar.
Source: Samsung Website
iii. HDMI CEC
Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) is a feature of HDMI designed to allow users to control devices connected via HDMI using only one remote control. For example, with CEC, the TV remote can be used to control the soundbar, set-top boxes and Blu-ray player that are all connected via HDMI.
Source: Yamaha
iv. Remote Control
About every home theater device comes with its own remote but soundbars are an exception. There are some soundbars in the lower price range that do not include a remote but instead rely on programming the TV settings to enable soundbar control. However, it does not always work in practice, and only basic functions can be operated. If you want to control your feature-rich soundbar seamlessly, nothing beats having a remote.
Source: Nakamichi website