HDMI ARC Not Working? This May Be Why

[@FlairUp1]

I really appreciate what you did here. After two hours of head scratching I found your video and just went out to buy an optical cable.

[@BrianAper]

If your 4k blu ray player has a hdmi audio only out port and your soundbar has a hdmi in port, run a hdmi cable from one to the other. This is 100 percent guaranteed to work and is every bit as good as earc. Provided your soundbar supports these things you will get dolby truehd, dolby atmos, dts hd master audio, dts:x and multi channel pcm.

[@brAzzi64]

Do you get to control the volume with your TV’s RC when using optical? That’s my main problem against just using optical. I need to use the soundbar’s RC only for sound adjustment :/

[@greentg9709]

I think the other big culprit is High Bandwidth Digital Copy Protection (HDCP), which like CEC has been implemented slightly differently by every manufacturer. If there is even the slightest mismatch, then the two devices will not handshake.

[@CalvinTennessee]

I think a lot of the problem is these cheap chinese knockoff HDMI cables people are buying online. Even the certification is bogus. Saying they are 2.1 certified and it’s not.

[@ernies8828]

Thats part of it. No manufacturer can guarantee compatibility at this point, sorry to say.

[@asparagustrevor]

Yeah, HDCP is one of the anti-piracy measures that mainly just ends up causing problems for legitimate customers.

[@randallsmith2521]

HDCP at one point was a shitshow. It's better now, but still not perfect.

[@kpv123]

Hdcp should be banned by everyone the problem is we can't boycott those who do it because everyone is going with it

[@WhiskyCardinalWes]

Life was so much easier with RCA cables.

[@AtlantaJonny]

When HDMI is working properly it beats RCA hands down. But like so many things increase complexity leads to more potential issues.

[@CalvinTennessee]

rca cables!? That’s 90’s tech. You still playing nintendo 64 on your tube tv? Come on man.

[@WhiskyCardinalWes]

@@CalvinTennessee Actually, yes. It works. I turn on the dumb LCD HD projector and the Xbox, Xbox 360, Playstation, PS2, and PS3, GASP!! they just work. Every. Single. Time. I don't have to reboot this, or power cycle that if something didn't boot correctly. As for HDMI beating RCA, the qualifier in your sentence 'working properly' is what I'm talking about. RCA works. Period. I don't have to worry about HDMI 1.4 not getting along with the HDMI 2.0 cable plugged into a HDMI 2.1 blu-ray port, plugged into an eARC. One remote, one power button to turn EVERYTHING on, and another button to cycle through everything. 7.1 surround sound, with an effective 120inch screen from the HD projector, with one remote using two buttons.

[@chassiex3]

Ahahahah I was JUST telling my son this!!!!!!

[@GraeTendo]

At WhiskyCardinalWes : THIS. Also, wireless is the Voldemort of AV - pure evil. There will always be some sort of unnecessary noise introduced with wireless that must be mitigated via the newest clickbait technology. It's time to replace HDMI with the next level of high end cable that will handle much higher bandwidth, resolution, frequency, FPS, ALLM, HDR, surround sound, and on and on. This cable will likely be larger and heavier than HDMI or DisplayPort. Hot Take: I vote that it should be relatively round in connector shape and, bear with me here, have a twist-lock connection similar to BNC in order to reduce or even eliminate stress on cables and electronic devices. Will this be expensive AF to begin this conversion? Hell yeah, however, it will eventually (almost) level off in price. Will it be worth the upgrade costs in the long run? Absomuthafugginlutely.

[@aninterestedparty1426]

Finally: honesty! Thank you. I’ve been clicking, dropping in and out of menu options, unplugging & replugging, watching videos, forget “manuals” (they’re just cartoons now), etc., just to get ANY sound out of a simple set-up (yes, HDMI ARC) - just a damn DVD player/flatscreen/sound bar connection, at a 2.0 level - and it’s been days of maybe it’ll work today, or maybe not, maybe yesterday’s apparently correct settings will hold, or . . . Thanks for your rant, so much better than the No-problem videos we’re normally sedated with.

[@CarsandCats]

You know, the more I think about this the more I believe that HDCP is responsible for most of the connectivity issues. Especially delays in video resolution/audio format switching.

[@ShotgunSandwichENT]

Thank you for this, Caleb! Am so damn sick of this issue. No matter the tv or soundbar I find myself unhooking, restarting, getting on my knees and begging… for sound.

[@jeannielynna]

Same it's maddening!

[@ShotgunSandwichENT]

@@jeannielynna you’d think in this day and age it wouldn’t be. Ridiculous.

[@mohamedahmed1023]

POWER CYCLING: I normally don't suggest something so silly but I actually resolved HDMI CEC issues with two separate systems (1. Sony OLED eARC to Marantz receiver, 2. LG OLED eARC to Sonos Beam Gen 2) by turning everything off for a few minutes then turning it back on. If your eARC works well then stops working after a few months despite not having changed any settings, try POWER CYCLING! I know- it sounds silly but it worked for me. Just hoping it minimizes headaches for others.

[@CarsandCats]

Yes, that sometimes fixes it. After everything is turned on, then SCAN for CEC devices on your display and this should reset the list in memory.

[@JustRandomExplorer]

Wow.🎉 thanks for this but this actually worked. I really did not believe but it did. My old shitty Sharp tv and new Argon SA2. First, switched HDMI CEC and ARC on tv's settings. Then unplugged both devices from electricity, then plugged back after few minutes. Tv and amp on and BOOM. Sound is working through HDMI.

[@bikdav]

I’m glad that you brought this out into the open. I gave up using HDMI ARC and eARC.

[@MiamiHiFiMan]

Caleb, as usual, you are spot on. ARC/eARC/CEC are easily one of the most frustrating tech bits in the last decade. You would think that after all this time, they would have this figured out. Now.. the truth is that it’s much better than it once was and it also works much more reliably when same brand products are used. On the other hand, after all this time, it should work close to 100% of the time and it simply doesn’t. Manufacturers simply are not on the same page here and it makes everyone crazy!😵‍💫🤦🏻‍♂️ Caleb, Please champion this issue and see if they can make this all it’s promised to be! Keep the great content coming! 🙏🙏🙏

[@momsbasement656]

​@@lanla6838zYou are so wrong. I have multiple devices that have poor CEC functionality.

[@paul8926]

@@momsbasement656I have that problem too, not all my streaming devices work properly.

[@TapCat]

Very timely video as I just spent a good portion of this past weekend grappling with ARC connection issues. The most infuriating thing when you get it to work one time and then it refuses to work shortly thereafter even if configured the exact same way.

[@glazdarklee1683]

YES! You go to bed feeling Quite Pleased, and then find everything AFU when you turn on the television the next morning.

[@24carrera]

Same issue here. So frustrating I want to get the sledgehammer out.

[@ChaseSchleich]

Thank you. I work as a home theater Geek Squad agent and I'm going to start sending this video to my clients when they say "but the store told me ARC would work" when I tell them it won't because of handshake/compatibility issues. I've been running into it more often with Apple TV's, Sony Bravia TV's and Sony soundbar combinations. For whatever reason, those 3 things hate working together (even though Sony to Sony should be plug and play). I love ARC, but it's also one of my worst enemies lol.

[@kriswingert1662]

As an original BB product service/computer tech ( I hate they went to the Geek Squad crap ), I can assert this is an issue even we professionals cannot solve for every setup.

[@mddg1515]

I have an LG C2 OLED TV and an Onkyo rz830 A/V receiver and thank God the eARC works beautifully. I get sound from all sources. Count me as one of the lucky ones! Caleb's videos are always right on the mark and very thorough. I bought my LG OLED because of his positive reviews on it. It is a fantastic TV that thrills me very time I turn it on!

[@cascastro]

I’ve got an LG C2 as well and I’m very impressed with it. I use a Bose Smart Soundbar 300 with it and not too long ago I began to have issues with the ARC. Nothing I did worked and in the end it got so bad that I gave up with it and changed to optical instead. Just means that I have 2 remotes now instead of using just one. However, having seen this video I may be tempted to give it another go.

[@Qrzychu92]

I have the same tv and it worked fine with my Soundbar, but since last month the arc connection started having problems. Not sure if that's the latest firmware update, but it's super annoying. Not only the Soundbar doesn't turn on, even when it works it cuts out randomly

[@Lesspaw41]

​@Qrzychu92 Are you not getting it to read Dolby Atmos through your soundbar? My last soundbar the ARC quit altogether. So I bought a new high priced soundbar hooked it up. It works. But still doesn't want to run Dolby Atmos..can't read it. I have the LG Oled C1. I think you are right about the Firmware update. I wish they would fix...it's frustrating.

[@heavyarms951]

Sony a95j with the HT-A9 seems to get a stale connection after awhile. A one minute reset always fixes the ticking and audio cutouts.

[@paul8926]

I own the newest Amazon Fire TV cube connected through HDMI eARC on my Sony Bravo OLED, and still cannot get Dolby Atmos working. I have the latest Belkin Ultra HD High Speed HDMI cable connected with the CEC settings “ON”. I get Atmos through my Apple TV, but only get Dolby Digital Plus working on my Amazon Fire TV cube…this is driving me bonkers !

[@HCGonzalezJr87]

HDMI Forum/Licensing should absolutely be put on blast. They're letting HDMI 2.0 capable devices be sold as HDMI 2.1 even if they support none of the HDMI 2.1 specification.

[@CalvinTennessee]

hdmi 2.1 is so silly anyways. The only reason to use that specific cable is 4k @ 120hz or higher, which the only people that care about that are hardcore gamers.

[@jordanmullen4802]

I would recommend that you turn off HDMI-CEC functionality for certain devices connected to your TV if it's not too inconvenient. The less devices competing to use HDMI-CEC the better. I recently encountered a scenario where my Samsung TV wouldn't recognize my Samsung Soundbar as a sound output option. After some investigation, I realized that it was the HDMI-CEC functionality in my 4k Blu-ray player that was interfering with my TV / Soundbar connection. I disabled the HDMI-CEC on my blu-ray player, and my TV has had no problem recognizing the Soundbar and using it as the default sound output option ever since. If your TV or connected devices have a "quick-start" option, I would recommend disabling it. In my experience it can sometimes mess up the initial handshake that takes place when your TV and devices power up. As some other people have mentioned in the comments, power cycling your TV and devices can sometimes fix HDMI-CEC problems. Hope this helps!

[@CarsandCats]

That's very interesting. Limited bandwidth, perhaps? I wasn't aware of a device limit but perhaps some are a bit overbearing in their control.

[@jordanmullen4802]

@@CarsandCats Ya I think you're right about some devices being overbearing in their control. I've had issues in the past with an LG CX TV, 4k firestick, and an xbox series x where the firestick would always switch the source/HDMI input back to itself whenever I tried to use the xbox.

[@Usjurfifrugfhjvghgsf]

I am having the same problem with my brand new Samsung tv and brand new Samsung sound bar. They are not working via HDMI. Only other thing I have connected is my cable box to the tv. Should I try disconnecting the box maybe? Under settings for the tv HDMI arc is not an option for sound output. This new tv was a replacement that Samsung sne tbecause the previous new tv was having the same issue. What's Power cycling?

[@jordanmullen4802]

@@Usjurfifrugfhjvghgsf Power cycling is when you unplug your tv from the power outlet (and everything connected to the tv), wait for a few minutes, and then plug everything back in. Sometimes people plug in the tv first, and then connect each source/device to the tv one at a time. I'd recommend giving that a try. If there are HDMI-CEC settings for your cable box I'd try disabling HDMI-CEC on there. And finally I'd try another HDMI cable if you haven't already. Just to make sure it's not the cable. If you want to use HDMI e-arc I believe you need an HDMI 2.0 cable or higher.

[@Usjurfifrugfhjvghgsf]

@@jordanmullen4802 it worked! And then didn't. Did the power cycle and plugged only the sound bar in. Did Netflix and it was able to connect via HDMI earc! Great sound. Then plugged in the cable box and it all went away. Found the CEC setting on the box and turned it off. Power cycling everything again and seeing if that helps.

[@ssalani]

Yes, please do the investigative journalism that you suggested. You will be a hero in getting to the bottom of this fiasco! And yes, I like this video and wish you would do more of them addressing problems in tech.

[@mddg1515]

I agree. Consumers need advocates to represent them and make the manufacturers respond to their complaints/comments.

[@NDfabs]

Samsung NU 8009 ARC not working with either Lyngdorf and Pioneer reciever. Really frustrating. Using optical cable now.

[@marlongayo6666]

Like you mentioned… HDMI ARC is already old tech. Had this problem before with my TCL tv paired with my TCL Dolby Atmos soundbar. The sound/signals keep dropping off when watching Dolby Atmos movies in Netflix or Disney. Seems like the handshake between the tv and soundbar can’t keep up with all the informations being processed in real-time. Bought a cheap 8K capable HDMI cable from Amazon. Never look back ever since. Now it’s smooth as butter…

[@kevinpastores6041]

My now resolved issue was when I upgraded my old LCD TV to a new Hisense 55U7N that I connected to an older Yamaha RX-V475 receiver. The audio signal stops when I switched streaming apps (didn't matter if it was Disney+, Hulu, KZbin, Max) and I noticed the sounds stayed on until it tried to sync with Dolby Digital (which my Yamaha receiver can handle). It didn't matter if I set my new TV to pass-through or hard set the audio to PCM or Dolby Digital...I had to toggle audio inputs from Tuner to my TV on my receiver or power off/oh. The fix for me was basic...a new 4k/8k HDMI cable but then I had to hard-set my TV to Dolby Digital vs AUTO and passthrough was OFF. Thanks for this KZbin video! It was very informative!!

[@ghola5822]

It would be helpful to have a searchable website that listed the devices which were not compatible with each other. This may shame companies into doing better.

[@MKBUHDD]

8:38 exactly me today with my Samsung Qled flagship Q9f .. nothing fixed my issue even factory rest!

[@dcaseng]

I actually gave up trying to get my Dolby Atmos receiver to deliver Atmos surround because i can't get it to work. I have gone back to the the regular Dolby surround using digital optical.

[@SwirlingDragonMist]

Part of what makes it squirrelly is that CEC is now parallel to network controls. So the software running it is expanded to include networking protocols. Which also if you decide to do investigative journalism, includes a data collection and snooping component. As access to your home network offers these brands data about your devices which they can sell to 3rd parties. From this perspective it’s better to have user oversight over whether to turn on CEC or not. Anecdotally, some TV’s CEC wont work unless the tv is set to enable standby functionality. On LG they call this “Quick start+” which is under general>devices>tv management. Also under devices is “HDMi settings”, which is where you can enable “SIMPLINK (hdmi-CEC)” Of note my Philips tv from 2008 has working CEC but my 2020 LG has CEC issues.

[@davide6844]

I tried switching quick start+ to on now the hdmi ARC is working

[@jameslester6785]

I have been using the EARC on my Sony tv to my Marantz AV receiver for several years. It works good. A bit laggy at times but good.

[@genehager8481]

Just experienced my third iteration of problems getting sound from my Sony A95k TV to my Sony HT-A5000 sound bar via ARC. Have now implemented the Sony Support suggested procedure to fix the problem twice, only to have it reoccur with no new hardware or software changes to any of my system components. I'm going to give up use optical and avoid a reoccurrence. I suspect this is not going to change due to a new altruistic attitude from hardware manufacturers. Thanks for all that you do to guide the A/V consumer community.

[@benjaminwyatt3778]

To everyone watching this: GET NEW HDMI CABLES!!! They have to be modem/ethernet compatible. Any newer “high speed” cable on Amazon will do the trick. My Sony soundbar was a brick until I updated my cable and it worked instantly. Thank you for the video!

[@BurnAfter8]

Does staying within the same brand help (Example: Sony TV with Sony Receiver/Soundbar)?

[@jamestapscott9400]

Caleb, To fix my CEC issues, I no longer route UHD player and Roku device through my Denon AVR. Instead, I have UBP-X800M2 player and Roku Ultra connected to my Sony OLED, and EARC running from tv to my Denon AVR using Zeskit Lite 2.1 HDMI cables. This allows me to sleep better at night, knowing my AVR will not randomly turn on at 2 a.m. The only drawback to this new method for routing cables; the UHD Player is slow to boot-up.

[@cyprio8182]

Had issues with arc for a couple of years and always put it down to having too many sources. I always used to think that my NAD receiver was the culprit till I change out my LG oled for a Samsung qd oled - no issues since. I think a lot of the problems are down to incompatibility issues between different brands.

[@FredW.EakerJr]

I had the same problem between my Onkyo and LG TV which gave me no sound at all. When I switched to an yamaha receiver the problem was gone.

[@robtw007]

I love the video. You can't ever fix a problem unless you talk about.

[@dougstofelonline3710]

Keep it up! Keep it “real”! No positive, half glass full videos! Your ability to keep things real is what builds trust. Builds credibility!!

[@dominicdibagio7166]

I miss the days when I could listen to Caleb without him being interrupted by a random clip once a minute.

[@thejeffbrown]

But they're not random. They play right into the story he's telling. That's the opposite of random.

[@Dreamtwister2k]

Thank you! Yes! Made the video a bit annoying to watch!

[@stablizershock]

It’s becuase he know that this video is boring so tries to make it funny

[@dominicdibagio7166]

@@thejeffbrown the videos at most repeat a word or phrase he's saying - there's minimal thematic connection, let alone any entertainment in seeing them.

[@stevenrobinson4884]

Yes!!!! Get rid of the clips!

[@fonsie3029]

I have an LG C2 and an LG SJ9 soundbar and ARC doesnt work, every few weeks or so i feel like tinkering about but with no result, i just use optical now and it annoys me so much.

[@dustincortes45]

I have had this issue SO MANY TIMES! I have a Klipsch 1200 Cinema and the number of times I have thought about throwing the whole system out the window. I'll probably just opt in for the Optical cable and hopefully they fix this issue in the futire. Thank you for reassuring me that "I'm not the problem" Lol

[@hawkeyes4768]

tbh i usally stick to optical out and rca lolol i did notice all brands have a arc problem 😢😢

[@AdamDoree]

Sometimes it all goes wrong because there is one dodgy CEC device connected to your set up. Unplugging it makes everything else work as normal again. You can buy a CEC blocker to overcome this and be able to use the dodgy device without the whole setup collapsing, just without CEC features.

[@777zai]

This was it for me. It was the box from my Cable provider. Unplugged it and suddenly everything else works.

[@69Dartman]

I was playing with rebuilding and using TV's since the early 70s when everything was analog and some TV's were still full of tubes. RCA cables and coax was pretty much all you needed to connect some of the rare TV's that had external inputs. Then all the other analog video inputs, and coaxi and optical digital inputs that were still easy to deal with. Early HDMI was fairly easy because it was very simple early HD so as long as the cables were well made they worked. And yes if you don't care about all the latest audio formats digital cables almost always work. Every time they added more formats and higher video resolutions and copy protection just getting HDMI cables that play well with everything and work has gotten harder and harder. I was finally able to afford to upgrade to a nice 8k TV and 8k Dolby Atmos receiver so I had to buy a bunch of new cables that have the speed and bandwidth to fully support all the new stuff. My first HDTV was a 16x9 34" 1080i CRT set with 2 whopping HDMI inputs, and two of every other input known to man in 2005 when I bought it. I didn't even have any HDMI capable gear at the time and used optical and component HD video cables. What a long strange trip it's been...

[@allanwellings8422]

So glad to hear I’m not alone! I have an LG TV and an LG Soundbar but every time we have a power cut it takes about a month to get HDMI eArc working again. And I swear that all I do is put everything back exactly as it was - again and again.

[@bornchildpilot]

Same issue I have with my Samsung and Onkyo

[@nicolaspda]

Same here with LG C1 and LG SNH5

[@AlexandruBurda]

Same issue with a Samsung TV and a Samsung soundbar. And not even after a power cut. Just a new cable. And suddenly the soundbar is not recognised anymore. Or not visible at all. Miserable experience...

[@BarryRedhead-n6o]

Me to, LG TV and an Onkyo, the ARC did not work for about two years unless you powered down the TV. Then after a software update it started working, but if I turn off the power to the TV, I can lose the sound to the AV receiver, it starts working again after about an hour all by itself.

[@TheJube97]

I have eArc between my tv and soundbar, I don’t have any console etc. Sometimes the whole setup goes silent for ten seconds or more while watching any media.

[@glazdarklee1683]

Thank you. We were recenty required to update a FIOS cable box, which massively messed up everything. And as soon as I finally got everything working correctly, and felt happy, I would make the horrible error of turning off my television and messed everything up again. So everything you said rings absolutely true. As I play this I keep pausing to repeat it to my wife so that we can laugh maniacally in recognition. I am pleased that I anticipated your solution and "just gave up" and ordered a shiny new optical cable. Thank you so very much. I feel seen.

[@blakkelure]

I sell TV and soundbars on a daily basis and CEC is a pain that makes some customers think there is something wrong with their TV or Soundbar. Our local TV provider has massive issues with their new streaming device where the CEC is not talking with several brands of TV and soundbars :(

[@davidpalmer4184]

Hi Caleb, Don't particularly care if the glass is half full or half empty, it is all about how much is in the bottle. Seriously though, does it help to buy the same brand TV and sound bar to avoid this issue?

[@HarveyTAS]

I have bugginess with ARC for sure, but more annoying is general handshake issues. Everytime a device switches to HDR my device, TV and receiver battle it out for a solid minute. Only my cable box can seem to connect within a couple of seconds. Can't figure it out.

[@CarsandCats]

You're right. Do you know what works perfectly and looks just as good? DVI. I know, no audio.

[@enriquecabada8841]

i have the sony a80j oled and it will just disconnect my sound bar in middle of movie luke i shut it off manually from time to time it does it 4 or 5 times in a row then stops for weeks or months at time then comes back it drives me crazy 🤬

[@TheJube97]

I have similar issues with my phillips setup

[@movie_av_impulse]

One can only pray that we do not go wireless with TV's.. I feel there will be too much room for errors!! Signals drop way too often..

[@WilmaTell]

Wash your mouth out with soap.

[@datastorageable]

This video helped me to get my soundbar working fully with the TV remote. Thank you very much. I thought I was relegated to basic sound using the optical connection but your video helped get the settings turned on and it all works great.

[@peterpowis4145]

Caleb knows his stuff! Respect! 👍🏻

[@nashvilleboy3163]

Thank You for this video and I vent with you. I have a Yamaha RX-V6A and had a Samsung TV and had major issues with the "handshake" and at first I thought maybe there was a setting I was overlooking and even wondered if something was even wrong with my equipment. I finally threw in the towel and bought a Sony TV instead since I love the Yamaha receiver and works perfect now. I moved the Samsung in to another room and it works perfect there.

[@meh991]

I have a question: can I use a sound bar with tv speakers simultaneously? I watched your video on how to set up the sound bar to the tv and I got it to work but I have to pick one or the other. Will it not sound good with both?

[@tazanddo]

Thanks DT. I'm learning not to blame anyone for anything. Ommmm.

[@Spock1234]

Loved this video and the hokey humor. I don't mind you telling it like it is, and being harsh on manufacturers when it's justified. The ARC-CEC issue is a long festering one and should be called out.

[@ssalani]

Hi Caleb. So glad that you are addressing this issue. I have my Vizio sound bar and Sony TV consistently and constantly disconnecting via eARC and then I have to switch the TV speakers back to the sound bar. So, frustrating 😠but sorry to say that I am not alone.

[@UFONinja9]

I have this setup with the same issue (x90j & V51) , they were working okay for a few weeks, but as of recent it disconnects almost every day, and sometimes does not reconnect even after power cycling the sound bar. Last week I updated the tv firmware and it’s gotten consistent again but I am considering another sound bar. The sound bar played nicer with the TCL we had prior but still would disconnect every so often.

[@ssalani]

@@UFONinja9 Right. That is very much the issue as you have detailed. I think at this point the only issue around it is to get a Sony sound bar to match the Sony TV. The problem is that Sony sound bars with real Dolby Atmos and surround speakers are very, very expensive. Interestingly, I asked Sony about this when I talked to them and they said, no, any sound bar brand should work well without issues

[@sealrock9404]

Same problem with a Samsung TV and Pioneer Elite receiver. Caleb recently also mentioned this problem in a review; he seemed to blame an Apple TV device but in my case the Apple TV does not seem to be at fault.

[@amazingspiderman4403]

I have same problem and i need solution i want to use earc but i cant it is so frusturating

[@timturkkan]

The fact that in some instances items will work with some other items but not all lean towards a software issue rather than hardware so the problem seems to be in the implementation of the standard, not the standard itself.

[@DanielWaun]

My earc issues got so painfully frustrating between my Sony TV and Vizio sound bar that I gave up and switched to toslink. No more problems. I don’t even really miss Atmos.

[@NeilBulk]

I was excited to upgrade to eARC since it doesn't rely on CEC. However my Sony X900H connected to my Yamaha RX-V6A exhibits occasional audio dropouts which are super annoying, so I stick with an Apple TV 4K connected to the receiver.

[@dillon599]

Should I set my s90d to pcm or pass through for my q600c?

[@disposable_hero1725]

Sometimes with my Reciever when the sound cuts out, I have to disable and the re enable eARC for it to come back.

[@davidedward2891]

THANK YOU!!! Went in and searched out the HDMI-CEC and turned it on in the receiver settings.

[@gonzaramiro]

I dont know if my LG soundbar, with DolbAtmos, give me that kind of sound from my Tv or Apple TV4K... always doubt of the HDMI cable...

[@SeniorChief1991]

Thanks so you and my never quit attitude, I finally connected my Samsung Q90 to my Samsung sound bar with HDMI ARC. Haven’t these people ever heard of plug-n-play? Great, informative post.

[@andrewhoward4570]

My issue happens when I pause an app on my LG C1 (eARC) for an extended period of time, or heck even switching between streaming apps, I occasionally lose audio from my Receiver (eARC) until I change my output in the settings to another source, then switch back to ARC. It's really frustrating.

[@momsbasement656]

My LG TV and Denon reciever have audio video dropouts constantly when eARC is enabled on the TV. Plain ARC works fine.

[@knighstalker]

Caleb… Where is the Hisense U8K review???

[@thevangogh258]

Good call Caleb. My eARC for LG GX and Denon always stop working after a few days of operation - presumably handshake issue. I had to revert to ARC only as a workaround. Very annoying.

[@rgieselman]

1:54 Hi Caleb - hope you can help me. I have what used to be two setups, one for vinyl and one for home theater. The vinyl setup incorporated a Sony DN1080 receiver, a pre-amp, and a Luxman turntable. The theater was a Samsung q990d soundbar and a 16 yo Samsung flat screen. These systems were in different rooms, but I was able to Bluetooth the vinyl system over to the theater. I recently upgraded the tv to a Samsung qn90d 50”. At the same time I installed the tv, I decided to move the vinyl system to the same room and eliminate the speakers, opting to send the audio to the soundbar. Well, I can’t make this work any which way. I can no longer Bluetooth the sound to the theater, nor can I make it work with hdmi. All three units (tv, receiver, and soundbar) have multiple hdmi ports. Each has one hdmi Earc port. I’ve tried configuring the system in a variety of ways, both recommended and not, by the mfrs, but I can’t seem to get the vinyl setup to play thru the theater. Any suggestions? Am I crazy for trying to do this? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide! -Russ

[@Hoakaloa]

Thanks. I get some sense of relief that it's not me, user error. My setup was working just fine: Hisense TV (with eARC), Vizio soundbar (with eARC and Atmos) and Apple TV 4k. All purchased in 2023. Then a firmware update and now I have to use each remote for each device. Was able to get it to work again by disconnecting all the HDMI cables and unplugging the powerstrip. But, just had to do it again just two months after doing it the first time!

[@danzu25]

I tried two different Dione sound bars (changed the first one thinking it was wrong), impossible for them to recognize HDMI input (2.1 and below). Devialet support was crap and even recognized there might be a software issue, sent both back...

[@davidturner7101]

Just a thought, seems everything comes down through Ethernet cable wouldn’t it be more practical to connect say the tv to a AV receiver or soundbar and have other things like Apple TV, PlayStation, Xbox etc connected via an Ethernet connection instead of the hdmi?

[@robertliskey420]

100% Agree! After 50 years in the audio hobby things have gone too far when the cable I bought last year will not work this year.

[@jimmichael3857]

I couldn’t agree more. Imagine my shock when (3yr ago) my brand new 65” LG G1 and LG SP9YA sound bar WOULD NOT work well together over eARC. Yes, I tried multiple “certified” (and expensive) cables, but while I could sort-of get them both talking for a while, as soon as I powered both down, then back on, the sound bar would not pass audio until I unplugged/re-plugged the HDMI cable back in. (WTF??) So if even top end (3yr ago) devices from the SAME manufacturer can’t work right, there’s zero hope this will ever “just work.” I had to resort to optical for reliable operation, so I’ve never heard Atmos through my stupid sound bar, but you gotta do what you gotta do. SO FRUSTRATING!

[@MrPesos08]

Hi. Is there any way to keep the TV's speakers active simultaneously with the soundbar (earc)?

[@randallsmith2521]

I work a PT job for a major TV brand selling TVs on the weekends. While I realize that anecdote is not data, my experience has been that Samsung Soundbars like Samsung TVs, but sometimes will have issues with other brands. LG soundbars have issues even with LG TVs, but that seems like a crapshoot. Sony and Vizio bars tend to work with every brand TV. Sonos, Bose, and JBL also seem to work with everything. I would be interested in seeing some sort of study of which brands have more issues. That might pour some gas on the fire.

[@willgamez5555]

Thank you. I was missing the cec setting being enabled.

[@gledsonr30]

I have a Sony bravia Oled TV, A80L 55”, Sonos arc and two sonos ones plus the sub, I also have the Sony UBP x800 m2 4K dvd player. To have better image and sound, is an HDMi 2.1 cable necessary? If so, what would be a good value for money? Thanks for the excellent content.

[@FQ8]

Wish my TV had a audio-only HDMI out like my UHD BD player.

[@johnantczak6523]

Your video was great. I had the same problem with my new LG TV and my vizio, soundbar. After I contacted LG support and they told me to check the batteries in the remote. I knew I was in for a hell of a ride. They told me to change HDM cable So I did with still no luck. Changing every settings on the t. V and soundbar with no good results, so I finally change it to a digital cable and it works fine.

[@carlosportis3843]

And, optical sounds just as good if not better. HDMI sound and not video is about making money; by telling the public it sounds better.

[@Lesspaw41]

So..am I too assume, since I too am having problems, that paying for a Dolby Atmos soundbar is not worth it? I can get my EArc/Arc to work but can't get it to play any Dolby Atmos. I just paid over 800 for a new bar yesterday. I just might return.

[@MrPenguinsfan66]

So, I have an ARC Vizio tv and eARC Yamaha receiver. I thought I could use 1 cable to act as a 2 way street for audio. Send video to the TV while the receiver to act as the switch for most things. When I cast to the TV, that cable carries audio from the TV to the receiver. Don't care about any controls. Just video/ audio. Is this part of what ARC can do?

[@drpeks]

Been so frustrated with using HDMI arc on my vizio m quantum tv and M5.1.2 sound bar. Its been so crazy and intensely bad. Once i switched to the samsung q990c its like something new jjst happened.

[@rgruenhaus]

eARC is out there. Has that made ARC better?

[@LeezahB]

Love the alliteration and the amusing interjection of clips! (No, the clips did NOT annoy me.) I am a little embarrassed to disclose this but my AVR is pre ARC, eARC, Atmos and 4K. I used to have the satellite box and everything else plugged into my AVR but when I got my first 4K TV I had to plug it into the TV since the AVR couldn’t recognize the 4K. Now everything is plugged into the TV and I have optical plugged from the TV to the AVR. It works just fine! In fact, I like it better this way. I don’t have to do anything much with the AVR except turn it on or change input to play the turntable. The TV automatically switches to the BluRay etc. (It’s especially fun for watching a cool KZbin relaxation nature video with some nice jazz music from your turntable when you get bored and anxious by the same four chords looping over and over. It’s like doing my own scoring.) I like this video! If ARC/eARC is an issue, then it’s great you brought it up. Only thing is the lighting, brightness and color are different and your eyes don’t look blue!

[@michaelwyckoff7593]

Hello Leezah

[@LeezahB]

@@michaelwyckoff7593hi Michael!!!😄

[@mjthethird1]

Yeah arc with CEC can be a huge headache I just got new soundbar and was pulling hair out as I had Apple TV 4K and all the settings were enabled and it was flicker g on and off or sometimes for tv updates the tv will just turn on so I just left it I’m able to control volume of sound bar and tv with Apple Remote and have to use dedicated tv remote or ask Alexa to turn TV on and I’m too nervous to mess with it as it’s so finicky and working great otherwise 😂 I may just switch to optical and learn new remote for sound bar if any more issues with ARC.

[@pauljenkins6877]

My LG C1 OLED and my Sonos Arc - both with eARC support - do not play perfectly with one another. The sound is transmitted fine, but for the last several months I cannot charge the volume on the Arc sound bar using LG’s Magic Remote (it worked fine for a couple months, but then ceased to work). I spent hours on the phone with Sonos technical support with no success. So I am forced to change the volume using the Sonos app on my phone.

[@dewrules235]

Not sure it’s eARC/CEC problem, but my current problem(s) is I stopped getting Surround/Atmos using the eARC port whether using my TVs apps or an Apple TV box. If I force the soundbar into Movie mode then I get “surround”, but Direct just doesn’t get the signal or something. Plug my Apple TV directly to the soundbar and boom Direct works correctly but then all sound takes some amount of time to even come on any time there’s a stop in the sound. Skipping an ad, scrubbing the timeline, starting a new video, etc.

[@adinnugroho6544]

I still using RCA and AUX, even the new Optical Toslink currently. Was thinking to use it, but... After realizing if HDMI ARC/eARC has issues Mr Caleb mentioned here. Maybe I won't getting it if I correctly setup

[@Jumpman67]

Caleb, can you tackle why the volume coming from my Apple TV is so much lower than anything else? I'm using a soundbar and eARC port on my tv.

[@meebs99]

Came across this trying to figure out why my 9 year old TV couldn't send audio to my soundbar. Hit the you shall not pass meme and that totally unlocked what was wrong in my brain for it. Turn ON CEC or whatever they call it on your TV! Thanks.

[@joes3800]

Caleb: what about DisplayPort? Same issues, or could it be the solution?

[@justimoore22]

Something new needs to be created. The multiple HDMI ports is confusing to the average customer. How about a new version of Optical? Like where it's 3 lines in one to carry all the info needed for Atmos. Optical+

[@DanWhiteT]

Anecdotally, I hear all kinds of people having issues with CEC/ARC so I realize it's not a perfect solution, but it works pretty damn well for me at this precise moment in time. I use my TV remote to control everything and it seems to just work great. I have to restart my TV or receiver one out of maybe every 50 times I turn it on, but it's a pretty neat thing overall for me. I'm also a nerd who know exactly how to hook it up to make it work, though.

[@eu3145]

For eARC do i need a HDMI 2.1 cable?!

[@CharizardFan_og]

I am unable to make the optic cable work on the sinotec md 002. It doesn't have a option to enable it or anything... I was hoping HDMI would work even though there isn't a option for that either...

[@yougotsnail8266]

Countless audio disconnects between bose 900 and both my Samsung S90C and my TCL 6 series qled. I've gone for the optical audio route as I can't stand 30s disconnects every 10-15 minutes. I've factory reset everything, tried a few cables, tested each of the 12 (why are there so many?) CEC options within the bose app. I'm sad because the surround speakers with bose 900 truly sound amazing and I liked it working with my headphones.

[@TheDestructor1972]

Well the fun I've had trying to get a Philips TV connected to a Samsung Soundbar really does highlight this issue! eARC is just a complete mess & the 2 just don't play nice! Standard ARC handshake thankfully worked between the two but means I lose out on a couple of audio codecs! Should you do an indepth report? HELL YES. For a Standard which has been out as long as it has, we shouldn't be getting all these issues so more coverage will bring this into the publics eye and hopefully make the manufacturers pull the proverbial finger out! Nice report BTW 👌 👍

[@FeedScrn]

Reminds me of this: In the USENET days, somebody had this as their signature: "The nice thing about standards, is that there are so many to choose from".

[@scubasleeve3497]

I have a Sony surround sound receiver and Samsung TV. The HDMI/ARC connection doesn't work. Is it just as simple as abandoning HDMI and using an optical cable?

[@jamesc.7988]

I just got a TCL 2024 QM8 to go with my Yamaha Rx-V679. I thought it was going to be a simple connection between the TV's HDMI ARC port and the receivers HDMI ARC but nope. No such luck. When I select the ARC and CEC options on the television, I get absolutely nothing from the receiver. And I can't get into the receivers On Screen setup options because pressing the button no longer displays it with this TV. It worked fine on my "dumb" Panasonic plasma tv and I was up way too late last night trying to figure this out. Please help.

[@JoeyVaracalli]

I have a brand new Hisense tv 85 inch and got the highest end Vizio sound bar that supports atmos unfortunately I can’t use it cause the arc on the tv just randomly turns off basically everyday so I switched to optical. Still frustrating as hell cause I really enjoyed being able to lower the sound on my tv with my cell phone using the Apple TV remote but not I have to use the physical Apple TV remote not the one on my phone. I knows it’s first world issues but damn it’s frustrating as all get out

[@cooluser23]

Please review the Sony WF-1000xm5 earbuds. Are the microphones for phone calls really as bad as they sound in initial reviews?

[@ponchoskunk420]

Is it possible to use HDMI ARC for sound only while keeping CEC options OFF and have HDMI ARC function similar to Digital Optical?

[@CarsandCats]

Yes.

[@ponchoskunk420]

@@CarsandCats wouls this involve “Enable CEC” to allow my tv to send audio to the ARC channel. Then just leave everything on off? Based on Caleb’s video i should keep CEC off for everything but the sound bar too (blu ray, game console, etc.)?

[@CarsandCats]

@@ponchoskunk420 CEC only turns things on and off and switches inputs. ARC is sound. They can be used together or separately.

[@ponchoskunk420]

@@CarsandCats I get that, the thing is, I have to turn on CEC on my TV to get ARC to work. Until I upgrade, looks like digital optical. Even then….hopefully eARC is abetter experience 😒

[@maschinenorganismus]

Still loves toslink but only compressed 5.1 😢