Both the sound bar and the sub have to be plugged in to the wall separately. There are power plugs for each. If you use the included optical cable the bar system will turn on when the TV does. This doesn't seem to be the case if you use an HDMI cable (not included) which I prefer and use. Once connected, you can choose between the TV speakers or the bar system by switching the bar off or by switching the output settings on your TV.