ARC, or Audio Return Channel, is one of the best it still has HDMI, with less understood features. It’s a feature that simplifies your system and is compatible with most televisions, receivers, and soundbars.
In its most part basic module, ARC uses an HDMI cable to send audio from a TV back to a receiver or soundbar. This means you can use only one line for audio and video – from a Netflix application built on your TV or a connected game console, then use your TV for switching.
The eARC or Enhanced Audio Return Channel standard, a part of HDMI 2.1, gets better on the original in some key, including ways supporting Dolby Atmos, and we will discuss it in more depth shortly.
Do you need ARCO?
Many people do not do it need ARCO. The feature is redundant if you only listen to audio using your TV speakers and don’t have a receiver or soundbar. The point of ARC is for sending audio created or switched via the TV to an external audio device, i.e., a soundbar or receiver.
And since the sound on most TVs is terrible, we highly recommend getting at least one soundbar to improve the TV experience. For more, check out our What is the Best Soundbar to Buy and How to Buy Guide, e soundbar vs. Loudspeakers.
If you have a soundbar or receiver of fairly recent vintage with HDMI, it also has ARC. Here is how It works.
Can You Use ARCO?
Check your HDMI connections on the back of your TV, soundbar, or receiver. If the HDMI port has ARC, it should be marked as a tale. Both the TV and the soundbar or receiver must have ARC to work.
eARC and HDMI 2.1
The latest version of the HDMI interface is HDMI 2.1 and offers numerous important changes, Including support for higher resolutions. Relevant to us in the context of this item is eARC, or advanced audio return channel.
While Dolby Atmos can be overcome over regular ARC today (via Dolby Digital Plus), EARC offers improved bandwidth for higher streaming Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio in high quality, including Dolby Atmos.
The new format also has lip sync compensation built-in. This feature was optional in ARC, but it is now required. This allows you more easily line up the sound with images, something that has always been an issue in the modern era of television.
To take advantage of the new features, both pieces of gear must be eARC compatible. Fortunately, eARC is available in far more gear than high-end 8K TVs. From 2019 to then, compatible devices include the Sonos Beam, the Yamaha RX-V6A, and the Sony X950. The format is backward-compatible with ARC, but don’t expect to stream Atmos through an older TV. Although most new Televisions don’t need the other features of HDMI 2.1, manufacturers can implement the most useful parts of HDMI 2.1, such as eARC.
You don’t need new HDMI cables for eARC. Older cables with Ethernet, standard or at high speed, will work. The new Super high-speed cables will do their work also, of course. But chances are your current cables have Ethernet, and you don’t even have it know this, so they probably will work, mashed potato. NB: To take advantage of some HDMI 2.1 gaming features, such as Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and 4K 120Hz, a high-speed cable is needed, or you won’t get anything signal.
What is eARC?
eARC enables the audio to a TV from the cable, satellite, streaming, or source devices to be sent to an AVR or sound bar through a single HDMI cable. This ensures the simplicity of connectivity and that the original audio can be experienced.
Setting up
Most HDMI cables should work with ARCO. Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the ARC-compatible HDMI input in the TV and the other into the ARC-compatible output on the soundbar or receiver.
They are two main ways to connect a system using ARCO. Suppose you have a TV, receiver or soundbar, Blu-ray player, and a game console (Xbox or PlayStation).
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Using the TV as an HDMI switch:
Connect the Blu-ray player in the game console to the TV, then connect a single HDMI cable to the soundbar. The TV becomes the central hub of your fun system.
This configuration allows you to use your TV remote to switch between Blu-ray player and game console sources; in most cases, you can use your TV remote to control the volume.
The potential downside of this configuration is that you may need help to obtain 5.1 o higher surround sound. This is more of a problem if you use a surround receiver instead of most soundbars (which, in kind, can not playback 5.1). We will discuss it more in problems with section 5.1″.
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Using a receiver or soundbar such as an HDMI switch:
Connect the Blu-ray player or game console to the receiver or soundbar, then a cable to the TV. Some budget soundbars may need more HDMI inputs for all your sources, so you must use Configuration 1.
In this setup, your receiver/soundbar is the central hub of the entertainment system. Wishes switch between your sources and adjust the volume using your receiver/soundbar remote. Only you use your TV remote to turn the TV on and access whatever apps are built into the TV.
HDMI CEC Control
Another HDMI feature is called CEC, or Consumer electronics control. Almost every company has its name for it, including SimpLink, Anynet +, BRAVIA Sync, and others. In theory, CEC will let the remote from one piece of gear control another, as long as they are connected with HDMI. For example, in Setup 1 above, your TV remote can adjust the volume on your soundbar.
However, he isn’t guaranteed to do the work, especially for different brands or ages of gear. If there is any aspect of ARC configuration that stands for cause agony, that’s it. You may only be able to accomplish the dream of using one remote if you get a universal remote control. If it doesn’t work, however, Google could help. It might be easy to turn around on your gear in a certain order. But ultimately, something other than this aspect of control may work.
Troubleshooting
The last setting up step: He’s sure your TV and soundbar/receiver can send or watch for the audio sent over the audio return channel. If you’ve connected everything correctly and it’s not working, it’s time to dive into the settings. It should be obvious in the configuration menus; otherwise, all owner’s manuals are on the manufacturer’s website.
One last thing to check. If all else looks correct, but you still don’t receive audio or receive audio with some sources but not all, check the audio output settings on the TV or the problem source. Look for a setting that allows you to change “bitstream” in “PCM” or vice versa. Moving on to the other could clear up the issue.
Problems with 5.1
How can it be ARC? One big issue: 5.1. Technically, TVs cannot send 5.1 audio over HDMI. In other words, if you are looking at a movie on Blue Ray with 5.1 Dolby Digital or DTS connected directly to the TV (Setup 1, above), the receiver may receive 2.0 audio only. TVs that can do this are said to have a “5.1 passthrough”. This restriction helped create eARC, which we’ll talk about shortly but allows external speakers to playback both 5.1 channels and Dolby Atmos.
Some existing TVs can still play 5.1 while others will output 5.1 via optical output, but not ARC. Our friends on Rtings.com have a vast list of what TVs do what? Even if it goes alone back to 2017.
This issue is only relevant if you have a 5.1 source, like a Blu-ray player or game console, if you’re trying to send the audio via ARC from the TV to a receiver. If your TV doesn’t support 5.1 passthrough, you can connect that source to the receiver directly or connect the TV and receiver with an optical cable. However, the optical cables do not support Atmos.
Connecting a source like Blue Ray directly to the receiver/soundbar has another advantage: Doly Atmos, Dolby True HD, and DTS Master Audio. If you have an older TV, these higher-loyalty formats cannot be sent to ARCO. But they can do it with eARC.
