ARC, eARC and AVR compatibility

JohnB352

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My first post here. I'm about to replace my 10 year old LG TV with something new. I have a Denon AVR-E400. It does not support eARC. I have read TV reviews about compatibility issues. Current setup is HDMI from ARC on the TV to ARC HDMI on the Denon. For streaming apps I have a Roku connected to an HDMI port on the Denon. I'm guessing I'm going to lose the ability to use that setup with a new TV that has an eARC 2.1 HDMI. Getting a new receiver at the same time is not an option, unfortunately. I can use the streaming apps that come with the new TV. But to use the audio of the Denon, how would I connect things? For example, watching a movie on the TV and having the sound come out the speakers connected to the Denon?
 
An eARC TV should function correctly with your ARC receiver. eARC will act as ARC in this case.

Not having eARC means you will require CEC to be enabled, and that you will not get the higher resolution audio that no streaming service is using.

Use the same connections between your receiver and new TV and then select TV Audio on your receiver.
 
In order to get eARC funtionality then both the AV receiver and the TV need to be eARC enabled. If the TV is eARC enabled, but the AVR is only ARC enabled then you'd only attain ARC associated capabilities.

No streaming services encodedes their content with anything that would require eARC. The highest audio format they use is DD+ and even Atmos metadata can be packaged with this. DD+ can be conveyed using conventional ARC and doesn't require eARC.

If the TV is eARC enaled or ARC enabled, this wouldn't prevent you from accessing audio sourced via devices connected directly to the AV receiver's HDMI inputs.

The AV receiver will be able to access the highest format audio currently used by streaming services using just ARC. Such services do not use HD formatted audio and the highest format they use will be DD+. DD+ can be readilly conveyed using conventional ARC and eARC is not required.

Simply ensure that you connect the AV receiver's ARC enabled output to the TV's ARC enabled input and then turn on both HDMI Control and ARC from within the AV receiver's HDMI configurations. Ensure that ARC is selected as the output option on the TV and that the TV's implementation of HDMI CEC is engaged. Also set the digital audio output setting on the TV to AUTO or PASS THROUGH. Power down both the TV and the AV receiver and ARC should be fully functional when you power them back up.
 
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Not having eARC means you will require CEC to be enabled, and that you will not get the higher resolution audio that no streaming service is using.


Incorrect. Streaming services do not use HD formats and use DD+. DD+ can be conveyed using conventional ARC and DD+ doesn't require eARC.
 
As others have said ARC ‘should’ work - though as ever with HDMI and CEC nothing is ever guaranteed once you start to introduce new hardware onto a system.

Usually Optical Digital audio from the TV to the AVR with CEC disabled is your fall back if you hit any issues.

Joe
 
If I understand the answers in this thread correctly, my situation similar to the question posted by JohnB352 and I'm good to go. I can accept a lossy surround 7.1 format from my streaming services, and although the HDMI standard for eARC allows for a lossless Dolby Atmos stream, no services are yet providing it.

My goal is to get the highest possible audio quality from my new Samsung QN75QN90AAFXZA (QN90A 75" Samsung Neo QLED 4K Smart TV 2021) streaming apps on my home theater system?

I understand that today most (if not all?) streaming services deliver, at best, lossy Dolby Digital Plus and possibly some Atmos metadata. So today, the highest possible audio quality wont' be lossless Dolby TrueHD or DTS Master Audio, or lossless Dolby Atmos. For lossless, I need UHD Blu-Ray. But that is not the question here.

The Samsung QN90A has 4 HDMI ports: #1 labeled "HDMI", #2 labeled "HDMI", #3 labeled "HDMI/eARC", #4 labeled "HDMI/Game". The owners' manual is not very precise on what each of these ports can or cannot do. The new Samsung television is a Smart TV, and so it has the usual plethora of Apps, including, for example, Netflix. I've updated my Netflix account to 4K/UHD. Many of the Netflix titles available for streaming provide a Dolby Amos streaming audio sound track.

I use a Denon AVR-A100 receiver. According to the manual, "You can connect up to seven HDMI-compatible devices to the unit.
This unit supports the following HDMI functions:
• 3D
• Deep Color
• Auto Lip Sync
• x.v.Color, sYCC601 color, Adobe RGB color, Adobe YCC601 color
• High definition digital audio format
• ARC (Audio Return Channel)
• Content Type
• CEC (HDMI control)"
And later in the manual, it goes on, "About ARC (Audio Return Channel) function
The Audio Return Channel in HDMI 1.4a enables a TV, via a single HDMI cable, to send audio data 'upstream' to this unit.
NOTE
• To enable the ARC function, set 'HDMI Control' – 'Control' to 'ON'
• The ARC function cannot use the HDMI MONITOR 1 and HDMI MONITOR 2 terminals simultaneously.
Perform the 'HDMI Control' – 'Control Monitor' setting in accordance with a TV that supports the ARC function and HDMI MONITOR terminal in this unit.
• When connecting a TV that does not support the ARC function, a separate connection using an audio cable is required. In this case, refer to 'Connecting a TV' for the connection method."

I've setup a 9.2 speaker arrangement and am very satisfied with the sound. I would love to get 7.1 Dolby Digital Plus from my streaming services. It isn't lossless, but when I want lossless, I will play a physical disc.

The AVR-A100 also has an optical SPDIF input. My previous television (monitor) only had SPDIF output, and I used that whenever I watched the DTV tuner. But now I'm ready to use ARC and eARC.

Is the eARC output from the Samsung QN90A compatible with the ARC input on the Denon AVR-A100? By "compatible" I mean, will the AVR "understand" Dolby Digital Plus and ignore the Atmos metadata? Or stated a different way, the AVR-A100 HDMI Monitor #1 and #2 ports on the AVR-A100 are labeled ARC and the manual says one or the other, not both, will use ARC. I'm satisfied with that, I only have one Samsung QN90A. But the AVR-A100 was manufactured prior to eARC. Can it decode an eARC stream from the television?
 
Your avr is not eARC compatible

However arc supports Dolby digital plus and with that you can get a lossy soundtrack with Atmos metadata over that.

Netflix app built into your TV for example supports this.

Assuming you amp supports Atmos, you would need to reconfig your 9.1 setup to 7.1.2
 
The ‘expectation’ when you connect an ARC device to an eARC device is that the system will revert to the capabilities of the ARC device.

ARC relies on CEC and some folk find certain kit combinations are not stable with CEC enabled so have to disable CEC which in turn will usually disable CEC.

Experiment with your kit and settings is the only way to know for sure what is going to work best for you and remember that many folk will forgo the ‘Smart’ TV features and find an external Streaming device, such as an ATV 4K, is a more user friendly/flexible option.

Joe
 

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