Soundbar ARC Connection to TV

[Carolo 10]

Has anyone any experience of attaching a Soundbar to your TV via an HDMI cable and using the ARC HDMI input -or output? on the TV ?

 

How does it work?

 

Do you still control the volume with the TV's remote.

 

Does it automatically mute the built-in TV speakers?

 

Does it work even if you do not select that particular HDMI input?

 

I have this facility-but haven't yet used it-basically because I don't understand it!

[eHallam 10]

Hello

 

From my experience, soundbars are normally connected via old 3.5 mm port, or optical port. Because HDMI is used mainly for video signal, and sound as additional signal (used in blu ray players and consoles) but for let's say, computer > monitor, most of time it will be used for video signal only as most of monitors does not even have speakers. Does sound bar has actual HDMI port on it? or is it 3.5mm, or square like port covered with plastic (that's optical port). Picture of ports would help a bunch.

 

Thanks

[Ghozer 112]

eHallam, you obviously don't know what you're talking about....

 

 

HDMI ARC is a feature of the TV, (usually Samsung) - SOME models only support ARC on one HDMI socket, so that is the one you will have to use if that's the case....

 

the sound bar should also support ARC, and how it works is the audio is passed from whatever device you're using (BlueRay / console etc) to the TV down the HDMI cable, then sent back up to the sound-bar (there will be HDMI pass-through on the sound bar)

 

HDMI ARC Audio is only in SD though, not in HD,

 

i'm not sure it sends ALL TV sound up via the HDMI, only what's passed-through... (though this depends on the TV)

 

And in theory, it SHOULD mute the internal Speakers

 

And no, unless your sound bar is the same make as the TV (and the remote designed to work with the sound bar) you cant use the TV volume control, it has to be the volume on the Sound Bar....

 

There are ways to configure it so it works on all TV channels, and with the TV remote for volume, by using a standard analogue Phono connection....`

[Carolo 10]

Thank you eHallam and Ghozer.

 

The sound bar is a Yamaha make and the TV is a Samsung. The TV only supports ARC on ONE of its 4 HDMI socket. The soundbar also has a HDMI socket.

 

Thanks for letting me know it only works with SD channels Ghozer-and also that it won't work if the sounbar and TV are different makes.

 

eHallam perhaps you are right to suggest that I use the optical lead and connections to connect the two things together.

 

I couldn't understand how the connection would work if you were just watching straight TV from the tuner-and not using any of the 4 HDMI sockets-because in my experience-unless you select an HDMI connection via the A/V on the TV-the TV has no interaction with any HDMI socket.

 

Thanks again both.

[Ghozer 112]

Thank you eHallam and Ghozer.

 

The sound bar is a Yamaha make and the TV is a Samsung. The TV only supports ARC on ONE of its 4 HDMI socket. The soundbar also has a HDMI socket.

 

Thanks for letting me know it only works with SD channels Ghozer-and also that it won't work if the sounbar and TV are different makes.

 

eHallam perhaps you are right to suggest that I use the optical lead and connections to connect the two things together.

 

I couldn't understand how the connection would work if you were just watching straight TV from the tuner-and not using any of the 4 HDMI sockets-because in my experience-unless you select an HDMI connection via the A/V on the TV-the TV has no interaction with any HDMI socket.

 

Thanks again both.

 

It will work if they are different makes, if it specifies HDMI ARC ....

 

Personally, I would just plug it in, and see what works/doesn't work etc, and then decide if it's good enough, or look into alternative routes...

 

plug the ARC HDMI from your TV into the HDMI on the sound bar... if it doesn't have another HDMI on the sound bar, then you will loose the use of that HDMI on the TV for normal things... (but you have 3 others, so it's no biggie)

 

and if you're watching a TV channel, and not using HDMI, the software / hardware in the TV are configured to send the audio to the ARC system, which in turn sends it out via the HDMI port.....

 

so it should work for any/all channels, but I can't say 100% that it will, because it's been known to not work on SOME inputs...

[steroc 10]

Thank you eHallam and Ghozer.

 

The sound bar is a Yamaha make and the TV is a Samsung. The TV only supports ARC on ONE of its 4 HDMI socket. The soundbar also has a HDMI socket.

 

Thanks for letting me know it only works with SD channels Ghozer-and also that it won't work if the sounbar and TV are different makes.

 

eHallam perhaps you are right to suggest that I use the optical lead and connections to connect the two things together.

 

I couldn't understand how the connection would work if you were just watching straight TV from the tuner-and not using any of the 4 HDMI sockets-because in my experience-unless you select an HDMI connection via the A/V on the TV-the TV has no interaction with any HDMI socket.

 

Thanks again both.

 

I think your getting a little confused there. It will work with HD channels. What Ghozer was referring to is HD sound. ARC has the same sound capabilities as optical or coax. So stereo (2 channel PCM) or up to 5.1 (up to 6 channel Bitstream). What it won't allow is HD formats which are generally 7.1 or Atmos (8+ channel PCM).

The other hindrance to this is that most TVs won't pass a 5.1 signal from an external source. So you won't get Dolby Digital or DTS from connected DVD, Blu-ray, Sky or Cable boxes with the majority of TVs. But will from built in smart TV apps like Netflix. Anyway non of that is really relevant to a soundbar as they are generally stereo or 3.0 but you can 5.1 systems with subwoofer and wireless rear surrounds.

 

As for being able to control the volume through the TV remote, different brands should work together but can be limited or have issues as each manufacturer has implemented there own versions of HDMI CEC (which is the control side of ARC).

The best thing to do is try it and see. Should work provided the soundbar is ARC enabled too.

One other problem you may come across is not being able to power on the soundbar via ARC. A lot of manufacturers during ARCs infancy forgot to allow the ability of their devices to be able to receive control commands when in stand-by.

 

 

Do you still control the volume with the TV's remote.

 

Does it automatically mute the built-in TV speakers?

 

Does it work even if you do not select that particular HDMI input?

 

And in answer to the opening post, should be a yes for all three providing they have compatible CEC.

 

 

Note: Samsung's version of CEC is called Anynet+ so you may have to search through your tv settings and enable it.

Edited September 9, 2016 by steroc

[apelike 10]

On my system when using ARC on the TV and ARC on the AV amp the speakers on the TV have to be put to no volume or they will still output sound.

Edited September 3, 2016 by apelike

[steroc 10]

On my system when using ARC on the TV and ARC on the AV amp the speakers on the TV have to be put to no volume or they will still output sound.

 

Unfortunately some makes don't place nicely together as they all have there own implementations of HDMI CEC.

Edited September 3, 2016 by steroc

[eHallam 10]

It will work if they are different makes, if it specifies HDMI ARC ....

 

Personally, I would just plug it in, and see what works/doesn't work etc, and then decide if it's good enough, or look into alternative routes...

 

plug the ARC HDMI from your TV into the HDMI on the sound bar... if it doesn't have another HDMI on the sound bar, then you will loose the use of that HDMI on the TV for normal things... (but you have 3 others, so it's no biggie)

 

and if you're watching a TV channel, and not using HDMI, the software / hardware in the TV are configured to send the audio to the ARC system, which in turn sends it out via the HDMI port.....

 

so it should work for any/all channels, but I can't say 100% that it will, because it's been known to not work on SOME inputs...

 

You are right Ghozer, I missed the thing about ARC. Thanks for correcting me