A:AnswerNo, it uses usb or optical to connect to your TV and includes an audio line in. It uses Bluetooth to connect the sub-woofer to the sound bar. WiFi is not needed to use this device.
A:AnswerI'm not sure about direct tv remotes, but my sound bar is connected to my tv via the optical cable. Once I set the tv to know the sound was going through that, my tv volume automatically adjusts the device volume when I change it on my tv remote.
A:AnswerI'm not a sound bar expert but I don't think brand alone accounts for the phenomenon you're experiencing. I've paired a Samsung sound bar with a non-Samsung TV and experienced the same phenomenon. This was resolved by adjusting the "delay" on the sound bar as described in the sound bar user manual.