#Cnet switch audio converter how to
#Cnet switch audio converter tv

#Cnet switch audio converter tv

You'll only use your TV's remote to turn the TV on, and access any apps built into the TV. You will switch between your sources and adjust the volume using your receiver/soundbar's remote. In this setup, your receiver/soundbar is the central hub of the entertainment system. Some budget soundbars might not have enough HDMI inputs for all your sources, in which case you'll have to use Setup 1. Using a receiver or soundbar as an HDMI switch: Connect the Blu-ray player or game console to the receiver or soundbar, then a single cable to the TV. We'll discuss this more in the 'Issues with 5.1' section.Ģ. This is more of a problem if you are using a surround receiver instead of most soundbars (which typically can't playback 5.1). The potential downside of this setup is you might not be able to get 5.1 or higher surround sound. This setup lets you use your TV's remote to switch between the Blu-ray player and game console sources, and in most cases, you can use your TV's remote to control the volume. The TV becomes the central hub of your entertainment system. Using the TV as an HDMI switch: Connect the Blu-ray player and game console to the TV, then connect a single HDMI cable from the TV to the soundbar. In the first option below, you'd connect all your sources to the soundbar, and just run the one cable to the TV.ġ. For our purposes, we'll assume you have: a TV, a receiver or soundbar, a Blu-ray player and a game console (Xbox or PlayStation).Īgain, note the ARC label on the HDMI connection that would connect to the TV. There are basically two main ways to connect a system using ARC. Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the ARC-capable HDMI input in your TV and the other into the ARC-capable output on your soundbar or receiver. N.B.: In order 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'll simply get no signal. But chances are your current cables have Ethernet and you didn't even know it, so they'll probably work, too. The new Ultra High Speed cables will work as well, of course. Older cables with Ethernet, either Standard or High Speed, will work. You probably don't need new HDMI cables for eARC. Even though most new TVs don't need the other features of HDMI 2.1, manufacturers can implement most useful portions of HDMI 2.1, such as eARC. The format is backward-compatible with ARC, but don't expect to stream Atmos through an older TV. From 2019 onward, compatible devices include the Sonos Beam, the Yamaha RX-V6A and the Sony X950. Fortunately, eARC is available in far more gear than just high-end 8K TVs. To take advantage of the new features, both pieces of gear must be eARC compatible. This lets you more easily line up the sound with the visuals, something that has always been an issue in the modern TV era. This feature was optional in ARC but is now required. The new format also has lip-sync compensation built-in. While Dolby Atmos can be passed over regular ARC today (via Dolby Digital Plus) eARC offers improved bandwidth for higher-quality Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio streams, including Dolby Atmos. Relevant to us in the context of this article is eARC, or enhanced Audio Return Channel. The latest version of the HDMI interface is HDMI 2.1, and it offers numerous important changes including support for higher resolutions. An HDMI-equipped soundbar would look similar. Note the tiny ARC label on the HDMI Out of this receiver. Both your TV and the soundbar or receiver must have ARC for it to work. If the HDMI port has ARC, it should be marked as such. A two-way street, if you will.Ĭheck the HDMI connections on the back of your TV, soundbar, or receiver. With ARC, the HDMI cable connected to the TV can send the TV audio back to the audio system. On the left is a traditional non-ARC setup, requiring an HDMI cable from an Xbox to be connected to the audio system, another to send the video to the TV, and an optical cable to send the TV apps audio back to the audio system. If you have a soundbar or receiver of fairly recent vintage that has HDMI, it probably has ARC, too.

#Cnet switch audio converter how to

Check out our how to buy a soundbar guide and soundbar vs. The point of ARC is to send audio created by or switched through your TV to an external audio device, namely a soundbar or receiver.Īnd because the sound on most TVs is terrible, we strongly recommend getting at least a soundbar to improve the TV experience. If you only listen to audio using your TV's speakers and don't have a receiver or soundbar, then the feature is superfluous. The eARC standard, which is a part of HDMI 2.1, improves on the original in a few key ways including supporting Dolby Atmos, and we'll discuss this in more depth shortly.