HDMI ARC or Optical? Which is Best Way to Connect Your TV and Audio Gear?

[@kaicasswell1]

brilliant videos and so helpful. many thanks!

[@islandcactus1508]

Thanks for this Roger! I have a hisense soundbar and a Samsung TV. I tried both optic and ARC with the settings but I find optic to have better quality! Is that normal?

[@rogergadgetguy]

It does happen sometimes but it is more common for the two to be identical. I have sometimes found that the TV audio processing can be set differently between the two paths or the TV control can overide settings on an audio system which can account for a difference. More common though is a level difference when you swap from one to another. Psychoacoustics being what it is a very slightly higher output may not be perceived as louder, but instead fuller and more impactful. Whatever the reason if you like it then just enjoy!

[@islandcactus1508]

@@rogergadgetguy bless Roger! You’re a gem! Keep these videos coming. They’re fantastic and on par for any university course out there! Thank you

[@alangeorgebarstow]

This is the excellent connection advice that I've been looking for, Roger; thank you for that. I've been connecting my Mac Mini 2 to my ordinary Samsung TV via an HDMI cable; as well as connecting that TV to my Hi-Fi system (Audiolab 6000A) via a 3·5mm jack cable. It has worked very well. I have now bought a 'Smart' (hate that word!) Samsung TV and there is no 3·5 jack but it has an optical port as well as three HDMI ports. My intention is to connect the TV to the Mac with the HDMI cable; and the Hi-Fi to the TV via an optical cable. This means that I can access a lot of music and TV shows on the iMac - ones that are not directly available on the TV - and still watch and listen to them in true Hi-Fi quality audio. 👍🏻 I also connect my Mac directly to the Hi-Fi via a 3·5mm jack cable. The Mac has just one HDMI port but the Hi-Fi doesn't have one, so a 3·5mm jack to a double analogue phono (RCA) input on the Hi-Fi has to suffice.

[@rogergadgetguy]

Hi Alan Thanks for posting. Others can get ideas from your creative use of the Mac TV and Hi Fi system.

[@emptythepain]

Hi Roger. Thank you for your video. My issue is I have a smart tv and a dvd surround sound..I connected the optical digital cable to each. Went through the setting on tv to change the sound to out put to receiver. Awesome it worked then boom it goes off and it says it is not compatible without HDMI arc. What can I do to take it off hdmi arc to optical. Very frustrating. Thank you for your help

[@rogergadgetguy]

Hi, I'm guessing that the problem is that your TV detects the DVD surround sound setup through the HDMI cable. It rightly detects that ARC is not available, but then throws up an error message. It shouldn't do that of course, but this is one of those "What were the dsigners thinking?" situations. You can fix this by turning off HDMI CEC in your TV settings. Just for good measure you may be able to turn it it off in the DVD settings too. This will return contol of the audio to you.

[@emptythepain]

Thank you so much. It worked. You are brilliant 🎉

[@sharonmorton473]

Hi Roger Please advise me if possible… I’m no expert but want a good sound as the tv isn’t the best sound in my opinion. I have an LG OLED 55” tv with both optical and ARC/eARC connections at the back. I’m getting a BOSE TV soundbar this week (£269 from John Lewis) which has an optical cable supplied in the box but can connect via HDMI also. It has a remote control too but believe it’s very small. Would it be better for me to connect using optical or HDMI? If HDMI is better, can you explain why, and what HDMI cable should I buy or doesn’t it matter? It seems from what I’ve read, that using hdmi to connect soundbar simply means I can use my normal tv or SKY remote control to adjust volume and don’t need to use soundbar remote - is that why hdmi is better, or is sound better if connected via HDMI? It’s all getting confusing 🫤 Maybe I should try the optical cable first and see how it sounds before spending more money on expensive JL hdmi cables. Ps. Would I need 4k or 8k quality HDMI? All advice appreciated and thank you 🙏

[@rogergadgetguy]

Optical sounds exactly the same as HDMI for most systems including a Bose soundbar. In most cases the only advantage to HDMI is the ability to use the TV remote to control the audio. That being said the Bose systems that I have set up for friends and neighbors had excellent remotes that also controlled their TVs and other components. You can decide if HDMI will be more convenient, after you have tried setting the system up and followed the normally very good Bose instructions. Cheap generic HDMI cables are fine for connecting to a soundbar as there are no super high speed video signals to be transmitted and the audio is reletively undemanding.

[@franciscofernandes4527]

Thanks for the videos, what do you recommend for hdmi splitter,I have tried a fews ones but didn't work,I got android TV box and soundbar which I would like to use the hdmi to connect to TV and soundbar from android TV box for a better sound quality

[@rogergadgetguy]

Hi Francisco. Most soundbars have only one HDMI connector and that is designed for connecting to a TV HDMI ARC port. It will not get the audio from an Android TV box whether connected directly or through a splitter. Your splitters are not the problem. The best solution for you is to connect the soundbar to the ARC port on your TV and connect the Android TV box to one of the other HDMI ports. If your TV does not support ARC or if it does not work for you for some reason, or if you have used all the HDMI ports on your TV and don't have enough for the Android TV and the Soundbar together, then you can use an HDMI audio extractor. Connect the extractor between the android TV and the TV with HDMI and run an OPTICAL cable from the extractor to the soundbar. The audio quality over optical is identical to that over HDMI.

[@illputindry7578]

I recommend a universal remote called one for all. You can map buttons with it using an existing remote. This way I'm able to control my tv and the receiver without switching inputs I didn't have a remote for my receiver, and I only really needed it for the power/volume buttons. so I set the universal remote to control my receiver, then I mapped my roku tv remote buttons to the corresponding buttons on the universal remote, the only thing was I had to use alternative buttons like channel up and down for the tv volume and tv power But this allows me to just use one remote while not using hdmi arc

[@rogergadgetguy]

Thanks for the suggestion, It really helps others when people share their successes in the comments Really appreciated.

[@mrhobs]

Thinking about using an old Denon 3806 AVR and one 3.1 or 5.1 speaker set up for everything; including record player (phono), CD player (optical), maybe cassette (RCA)… And then the confusion begins because I want to hook up a 4K UHD player (and Apple TV) to a Dolby Vision TV (prob they LG G4). I can’t go HDMI out to the AVR (maybe), but I can go directly into the TV, then (I think) optical out to the AVR… even though I’d be missing some Atmos/higher res audio… and since the AVR doesn’t have HDMI ARC (just old HDMI 1.1 or something) I probably can’t send it audio from the TV via HDMI… wonder if I could do that directly from the 4K player. Convolution. Guess I’ll have to settle for lower quality optical audio over like… a 12-14 ft run, unless I want to shell out for a new receiver, huh? Unless I can still somehow output better audio through an older HDMI port. Yeah I didn’t explain this stuff very well, too much to keep in my head all at once. 😪

[@rogergadgetguy]

It's a widely held misconception that sound quality is better through HDMI than optical. For any 5.1 surround format or for Stereo the sound quality is actually identical. You only need eARC for Dolby Atmos. The Denon 3806 does not have a decoder for Atmos so there is no advantage to using HDMI. Just use an optical connection and enjoy!

[@jaylock901]

How can I hook up 4 TV's through a receiver, to get the sound on external speakers? The goal is to have 4 TV's on at once with sound from only 1 TV at a time. Using the receiver controller, I want to be able to switch the sound from TV to TV at the touch of a button. Thanks in advance!

[@rogergadgetguy]

Hi Jay The best way is to use a 4 input optical switch like this one : www.amazon.com/LiNKFOR-Digital-Aluminum-Switcher-Blue-Ray/dp/B07MLQ6YH4?crid=25XLJOPDPE929&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DE77dNgXvTdkPeaGZETDhzGha_SPm1iuOVFgpKxNDcsxpkge1o5BAYy_9tb0UfAmIJarOoeLmGrC5KyJGU2_PsgJJVkuprV0yla_2juxi8wbKaPQjqTnOYfJ6TDBxtBdfNGEchoz8ZajBHVFxkvrNB8c9j2-0hkpwRKv1-cr81xP-AcPl64_lgsXWFk6NX919jpTNXGZIdonv_aIxVIH5KdSxWpqLzCQW_cUG6kkjFw.ErNWtrKlv06H1Xq0fMMrYblvHSbz-zO1WSB5t2YJDes&dib_tag=se&keywords=4%2Bway%2Btoslink%2Bswitch&qid=1709331266&sprefix=4%2Bway%2Btoslink%2Bswitch%2Caps%2C165&sr=8-1&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=rogergadgetgu-20&linkId=f7765b3be1cf833d03ec3f4f26bbebe4&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl Just connect each of the TV's to the inputs on the switch and the output to the receiver. The switch has its own remote control. if you want to use only one remote for the switch and the receiver use the universal learning remote thats shown in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWmQpKilmN6aoKM I do not recommend trying to switch HDMI signals for this particular application due to the high risk of contention and lockups.

[@jaylock901]

@@rogergadgetguy wow, thank you so much for responding and helping! I have looked and searched online extensively and had found no answers. I'm gonna go with this and hopefully I can make it work! Thank you!

[@franciscofernandes4527]

​@rogergadgetguy thanks for the explanation,I had connected via Bluetooth and now I bought optical cable to connect direct, works fine the only thing is I have to turn on the soundbar

[@rogergadgetguy]

Hi Francisco Some people use a smart power strip which senses when the TV is turned on an switches on other outlets and turns them off when the TV is turned off. I tried this one and it works well. www.amazon.com/Certified-Lightning-Digital-Adapter-Converter/dp/B0CPJJ1DZ5?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=ybjiQ&content-id=amzn1.sym.d0ebfbb2-6761-494f-8e2f-95743b37c35c%3Aamzn1.symc.50e00d6c-ec8b-42ef-bb15-298531ab4497&pf_rd_p=d0ebfbb2-6761-494f-8e2f-95743b37c35c&pf_rd_r=DWZRRN6BQG67QQV5XAJ4&pd_rd_wg=ZSAZ0&pd_rd_r=b449f1b2-71f6-4344-8211-e3ef2502a94a&linkCode=ll1&tag=rogergadgetgu-20&linkId=b1e995595127a8cf3cd65a460a604905&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl Before trying this though. plug in the soundbar to a regular outlet and make sure it powers up ready to receive audio if it powers up in a standby mode then the smart power strip doesn't help.

[@lifezgr8t]

I have a VS2 controller on my Bose stereo about 12 yrs old. It also has the DVD player in it. Trying to figure out which cable goes where from the TV and stereo is confusing. I have an ARC connection on 4k HD TV but stereo doesn’t support Dolby digital plus. I saved your other how to videos . Any recommendations?

[@rogergadgetguy]

The connections on this Bose system are confusing because the video and audio go to different Boxes. The video from the DVD can go to the Aux video intput on the VS2 and the audio to the Aux audio input on the Stereo. The Audio system does not support ARC so use the optical output on the TV connected to the optical input on the Stereo. Change the digital audio out mode to PCM in the TV settings so that Dolby digital programming will play on your stereo.

[@sagarsway7768]

My audio system has optical audio & RCA output And TV is new , it has HDMI arc also has bluetooth Which one will give better output 1.Connect Audio system RCA to Bluetooth receiver and connect to tv via bluetooth 2. Buy additional converter for wired connection between audio system & tv

[@rogergadgetguy]

Best to go wired for TV. That way you'll avoid lip sync problems, caused by bluetooth audio delay.

[@DavidHilton-qd8ol]

Hi - great video! A question! Got an LG tv and want to connect Sonos sound bar (HDMI only) and a transmitter for hearing aids that uses optical out. problem is tv can't do both HDMI and optical out at same time! is it best to: 1. Use an optical out splitter, one channel to hearing device and connect an optical toHDMI converter to the sound bar? or: 2: Use a hdmi splitter, one channel to sound bar and connect a HDMI to optical converter to the hearing device? or: 3. use separate hdmi channels, one to sound bar and one to hdmi to optical converter to hearing device? help much appreciated!

[@rogergadgetguy]

Hi David I'm so glad you asked before you bought splitters and cables. The problem is complicated because HDMI Audio, and HDMI ARC are two different things. Even though the connecters will plug together none of the options you list will work. You need something that passes through HDMI ARC (and CEC) and splits off optical. I did a search and found this, which has exactly the functionallity you need. I haven't tested it, so if you try it please post a comment to let everyone know how well it works. www.amazon.com/stores/page/86FB8A72-4042-4B0C-838B-90525A4C777E?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&pd_rd_i=B09N8YLY2W&store_ref=SBV_A0267927RNNGI3RPDQEJ-A0367689345YOZKRYY30G&lp_asins=B09N8YLY2W&pd_rd_w=2e5NK&content-id=amzn1.sym.417820b0-80f2-4084-adb3-fb612550f30b%3Aamzn1.sym.417820b0-80f2-4084-adb3-fb612550f30b&pf_rd_p=417820b0-80f2-4084-adb3-fb612550f30b&pf_rd_r=D992H74DPQNKB0ZD8439&pd_rd_wg=6ADjN&pd_rd_r=d1a537d2-13ae-4d11-80ae-074c2a549e12&linkCode=ll2&tag=rogergadgetgu-20&linkId=291843ec8882fd03a7ea3ba483562e20&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

[@DavidHilton-qd8ol]

@@rogergadgetguy Hi Roger, thanks for your quick response! Link takes me to Avantree site but not to the specific bit of kit I need - could you give me the name of the item please? cheers David

[@rogergadgetguy]

Hi David it;s the Avantree HAX05, this link should take you to the right page www.amazon.com/Avantree-Adapter-Soundbar-Converter-Support/dp/B09N8YLY2W?crid=37YX8TAQLB8P9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VBT4Wp0xupdsQar2sUe9wUNf8ekrq9LIrwEAZNpceWIRk32paG2nePc8w21-tHWG3v4XiKOuA617qIrvMypcEOSVwk8ZWpCfoFCXeFqfxuAak8B_1YCTOOR2iGbFyURM2WfZx_2LepI9ceJwpeBO3VCVFUMLmrVTdCiZeW0mR3zD3zzCWrnLyb1bMtMXw5s0IuI4PEe2anmdpyUMH8dMrFZaJHubnsy63_-SVueMtdo.CiV6KxA5hc5zmigoyxmNEZEoDoQkmLoHC9hrwE7QyOU&dib_tag=se&keywords=avantree+hdmi+audio+extractor+hax03&qid=1714671182&sprefix=avantree+audio+extractor%2Caps%2C164&sr=8-4&linkCode=ll1&tag=rogergadgetgu-20&linkId=7450ba14309d0a4280e4237a1b9356b1&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

[@DavidHilton-qd8ol]

@@rogergadgetguy

[@DavidHilton-qd8ol]

@@rogergadgetguy Hi Roger Got the Avantree HAX05 and set it up. Initial problem of no through transition resolved by replacing the short HDMI cable from TV to HAX05 - so I've got the Sonos Beam soundbar working ok. The optical split off seems to work ok but Widex hearing aid app says streaming but no sound to hearing aids! Ive also tried the optical to HDMI adapter that comes with the Sonos bar and connected straight to TV optical out and that works fine - but as soon as I put an optical splitter in the sounder doesn't work but putting the hearing aid transmitter (Widex TV Play) through the splitter works fine! Ive emailed Avantree to see if they can figure out what's happening but any ideas much appreciated!

[@Dkv8983]

This is such an excellent video that I've been looking for. my Soundbar 900 has both optical cable and EARC but my TV does not have both of them. It just has HDMI and the regular audio input. I hope this PROZOR 192KHz Digital to Analog Audio Converter DAC Digital SPDIF Optical to Analog L/R RCA Converter one works.

[@rogergadgetguy]

Hi Tne Prozor DAC converts a digital audio out signal from a TV you don't say which type of audio output that your TV has, but your soundbar doesn't have an analog audio input so it looks like the Prozor is not the right device for you .

[@Dkv8983]

@@rogergadgetguy Thanks for the response. My TV has Digital Audio Out, AV in ( R and L), USB, Ypbpr. My soundbar has optical cable and HDMI eARC. Could you please suggest any device so I can use the audio instead of bluetooth. My TV Is Panasonic TH-43D350DX Full Hd Led tv. Any help would really be appreciated as I have an issue listening to sound expect bluetooth but bluetooth does not connect all time. Only option is to exchange TV until I saw your video

[@rogergadgetguy]

I'm guessing that the port labelled digital audio out on your TV looks like a regular RCA audio jack, these are usually color coded orange for digital. If that is the case then tthe following link shows the right adapter for you. It is not a Digital to Analog Converter but just converts from one digital connection type ( coaxial or coax ) to another ( optical ) Both these two types are sometimes labelled "digital audio out" or "SPDIF" which is quite confusing sometimes. Use the coaxial input on the adapter for the cable from your TV (ensure the switch is set to the coaxial side) use the optical output (labelled "Toslink")for the connection to the soundbar. Here's the link to the adapter; www.amazon.com/PROZOR-Optical-Converter-Dolby-AC3-Bi-Directional/dp/B07BSBMZT7?crid=1IUAWPAFLJ191&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.oozKJMOhO00TIrrE4IcI2M6e-P2EhhK7Y5SzuO0vYff7bBL1nLaG1E1kd5FmyPYeK0wyJ8hW28VgeLgZjQHsq_L05nk0jiBYus8EsWn5RexQV3ZlpdvekNd1STWH6o9gTCS6Gq0ZKo-YkboGcpf3TwuLPqMQot5MXahi-cOorEkaiN4_FvNLKPp0p-kZi-9nfFtcJ-baDDGhncE25yKIZOK9Y77i9tKMbqJ-hXHPRK0.uhXDMU_nYTBDQpKP-N0dQPFtw45KfTaowqfJnsxm8Bk&dib_tag=se&keywords=coax+to+spdif+cable&qid=1712937583&sprefix=coax+to+SPDIF%2Caps%2C201&sr=8-6&linkCode=ll1&tag=rogergadgetgu-20&linkId=644879850fda67843e1946773c5ad028&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

[@bayuseptian6264]

I plan to use a converter optical to AV RCA for jbl soundbar to my stb android...is it good?

[@rogergadgetguy]

An android stb will normally have an HDMI output,. to connect it to a JBL soundbar you will need an HDMI audio extractor like this one: www.amazon.com/J-Tech-Digital-Extractor-Passthrough-JTD18G-H5CH/dp/B074HHSJVN?crid=2IFSXQBW7X89J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dtaOPU65zJJ8O_xzw5lfFF_GYcjt-hsf_lLZFMJaMUMuYtBChJVeQqDYdkypSIe-uOi8fEeygW0SFXRdpx6m1_WsPOkAd1d40IzJcCCsX296m1RGZh6Rm47mWwLt1pwaiHCGm5hREuokdyQL8yu2k9fgFHnB6XxNI_Ko5N1hHu1BgEaWzGamQp0bspgcIEu5lvNcQcaAlvr2GzLvEHIYp0yI5DfKWaCLoKgEIfUHFGU.bWdvtqrrx_AG6al82oNDeGNorzcMxk6eAlAbiXaaDCU&dib_tag=se&keywords=hdmi%2Baudio%2Bextractor%2B4k%2B60hz&qid=1713891876&sprefix=HDMI%2Baudio%2Bextractor%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&smid=A2IX3RNQE846HA&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=rogergadgetgu-20&linkId=55322ca3d34d8bac31da61b9bd2ce834&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl You can connect either the optical SPDIF output to the optical input of the soundbar or the analog output to the Aux input of the soundbar. Note; an HDMI ARC adapter will not work for this application.

[@christopherprior7979]

Hiy roger brill video wonderd if yuve had this before.. i brought a new fire tv and have a bose soundbar withe optical and coaxial. The tv onley one hdmi imput for a tv ariel and this new imput called s/pdif tried different cables and so forth no joy any clue roger👍😜

[@rogergadgetguy]

SPDIF is a digital audio output on a TV and is a generic name for coaxial and optical. Since your Bose soundbar has both, just use the one that has the same type of connector as the one on your TV and the audio should work. The fire TV can then plug into the HDMI port.

[@christopherprior7979]

@@rogergadgetguy thanks so much Roger hava good day 👍

[@christopherprior7979]

@@rogergadgetguy can't believe it all up and running!! Yora✡️👍

[@craigmeredith7618]

Need a clue.... i have a Samsung 65UD7700 and it only has 3 HDMI ports. I want to connect it to my Panasonic DVD 5.1 System. I can get the DVD to play to the TV, but, i cant get sound from the TV to play through the DVD system (5.1 speaker system). The Panasonic has an HDMI out, but, it seems the input for sound is Optical, and the TV doesn't have Optical output. Can you tell me if i can do it....or are the 2 too far apart in tech ? SC-PT170 is the Panasonic model

[@rogergadgetguy]

Samsung recently decided to stop including an optical connecter on some of their smart TV models. I hope other manufacturers realize this was a bad thing to do because your situation is not uncommon, There are millions of surround sound systems out there which Samsung has rendered incompatible. Most HDMI ARC adapters are not capable of passing through the surround sound signal and need the TV to be set to stereo. What you need, is an adapter that has HDMI ARC as an input and an optical output encoded for 5.1 Surround sound. I did a search and came up with this one.www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNLQZVV9?&linkCode=ll1&tag=rogergadgetgu-20&linkId=d6e89bfaa3a4ce2b3619bd5efb557b24&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl I haven't tested it yet but it should do what you need.

[@craigmeredith7618]

@rogergadgetguy thanks a lot... yes, it is silly.... another 10 years and it might make sense as systems disappear from age...but not now

[@colleenmartin3625]

Does this work for signia hearing aids

[@rogergadgetguy]

I have not tested any hearing aids, but users have told me that bluetooth hearing aids do work with the bluetooth transmitter featured in this video, kzbin.info/www/bejne/iquZqIaEpNqroqc

[@dansimmonds9463]

I have Arc but 2-3x a week I get no sound I have to unplug my soundbar then replug it to get Arc to work

[@rogergadgetguy]

That is really annoying and unfortunately all too common. I wish I had a sure fire cure for you but clearly there is some kind intermittent glitch during the handshake between the TV and the soundbar which you may or may not be able to fix through trial and error but may be quite stubborn. One possible thing for you to try is one of these energy saving smart power strips amzn.to/3Uf08h5 Plug the TV into the control outlet which senses when the TV turns on and off. The soundbar is plugged into one of the green controlled outlets. That way it gets hard power cycled every time you turn off the TV. No Guarantees but it's worth a try.

[@lizmac21]

my sound bar has Optical, but the new tv i just bought doesn't. the new tv does have hdmi arc. but the sound bar doesn't. please help me!

[@rogergadgetguy]

This adapter will convert the HDMI ARC from the TV to an optical output for your soundbar. www.amazon.com/Extractor-Converter-Tendak-Digital-Optical/dp/B0C2CYZ6TP?crid=3LNWCYNEHRXR3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.w2prIX-R7oVvWUfiOaecLBl8AIsZqTWlpp1OzOZrG4ZVux9L_UoTkmTKuZ1McxXYbE7zW4s1QBOua65AagskcIYlBaNSugsD7Cgy-B5u0kMkxIrKnUfqy7WtnC0qQdza9-o66tSg0nWpYJ1rMfxA7-zXrKUGFOyQ4BjpI4rdOrG5-hnGxJC83psFtRnhLrCIeeAPnwjCC6l--W4PO0gqnxpRUSRt7TD_rEIndDQ-N5w.AmN39Gh1oX_7haJbhLQDSihixL1YpNSGz5RgZA-8-yo&dib_tag=se&keywords=hdmi+arc+adapter+tendak&qid=1722842382&sprefix=admi+arc+adapter+tendak%2Cspecialty-aps%2C147&sr=8-3&linkCode=ll1&tag=rogergadgetgu-20&linkId=7a6237601c2deb4c9b043eda64da0af9&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl

[@tracyrendel5488]

This has just happened to me too! 😢

[@rogergadgetguy]

Hi Tracy I'm guessing that your new TV is a Samsung. They have recently decided to delete the optical connector on some of their models. They apparently want you to buy one of their new soundbars. I hate sending perfectly good electronics to scrap. This adapter will work for a soundbar www.amazon.com/Extractor-Converter-Tendak-Digital-Optical/dp/B0C2CYZ6TP?crid=3LNWCYNEHRXR3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.w2prIX-R7oVvWUfiOaecLBl8AIsZqTWlpp1OzOZrG4ZVux9L_UoTkmTKuZ1McxXYbE7zW4s1QBOua65AagskcIYlBaNSugsD7Cgy-B5u0kMkxIrKnUfqy7WtnC0qQdza9-o66tSg0nWpYJ1rMfxA7-zXrKUGFOyQ4BjpI4rdOrG5-hnGxJC83psFtRnhLrCIeeAPnwjCC6l--W4PO0gqnxpRUSRt7TD_rEIndDQ-N5w.AmN39Gh1oX_7haJbhLQDSihixL1YpNSGz5RgZA-8-yo&dib_tag=se&keywords=hdmi+arc+adapter+tendak&qid=1722842382&sprefix=admi+arc+adapter+tendak%2Cspecialty-aps%2C147&sr=8-3&linkCode=ll1&tag=rogergadgetgu-20&linkId=7a6237601c2deb4c9b043eda64da0af9&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl The HDMI audio out should be set to PCM . This will work for a basic soundbar and subwoofer if you have a surround sound system you'll need a different solution.