HDMI ARC vs Optical - Which Connection is Better?

Рет қаралды 47,953

Жыл бұрын

Looking to elevate your home theater experience but stuck on whether to choose HDMI ARC or Optical for your audio connection? You're not alone! In today's video, we break down the nitty-gritty details of HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) and Optical (Toslink) connections to help you make the best choice for your setup. We'll discuss audio quality, compatibility, ease of installation, and even delve into some technical aspects like Dolby Atmos support and CEC functionality. If you're looking for a comprehensive, in-depth guide, don't forget to visit our article at hifiaudios.com/cables/hdmi-ar... for all the information you'll ever need. Whether you're setting up a simple soundbar or a full-fledged home theater system, knowing the ins and outs of these two popular audio connection options can significantly enhance your viewing and listening experience. So, don't miss out! Hit that play button, subscribe for more tech insights, and let's unravel the mysteries of HDMI ARC and Optical connections together!

Пікірлер: 22

@johnstiles7709 Жыл бұрын

Here's one for ya: LG OLED TV, Pioneer AV receiver and Roku Ultra for some reason prompted an HDCP screen pop up that would then disappear (and sometimes not). Performed every connect and disconnect /power down/ unplug scenario recommended solutions. The fix? FIBER OPTIC HDMI cable. It's directional- one end labeled IN and the other OUT (won't work in reverse). It seemingly derives power from one or more of the HDMI pins to generate an optical signal sending it down the cable to its other connector. Still working ! (fingers crossed). 15 bucks on Amazon.

@bloodz4933 Жыл бұрын

If optical does not transfer uncompressed data then why samsung t45E soundbar has only optical port while it supports LPCM

@davidbaron6647 Жыл бұрын

I am so confused I am assuming not doing something right my 4k tv and my 4k player. if i use hdmi arc from sound bar to tv i get tv sound but not 4k player i have to use optical from sound bar to tv and a hdmi in tv from 4k [ not arc, I am 63 years old not up on all this and refuse to pay best buy hundreds of dollars to set this up i have tried different ways still cant figural it out

@stanslam7570 Жыл бұрын

I've switched from a Yamaha Av system to a JBL 9.1 soundbar on an oldish TV with HDMI2.0 which has ARC so my question is do I need a new TV with EArc or just the enhanced Arc cable to get Dolby Atmos, so confusing?

@hifiaudios8101 Жыл бұрын

eARC vs ARC is really all about bandwith. eARC will enable you to carry the uncompressed codecs like Dolby TrueHD and DTS:MA whereas ARC can't. ARC can handle Atmos but only with the compressed format - Dolby Digital Plus. This is typically what you will find used on streaming services as I don't think any offer uncompressed as of yet.

@petar_d488 4 ай бұрын

So I got a soundbar, and I cant decide which audio connection to use with my LG tv, HDMI or optical, with optical I can have tv speakers also on so I get more mid range, with HDMI I get good quality but no tv speakers, any suggestions ?

@hifiaudios8101 4 ай бұрын

Oh, I see what you're getting at! Tough choice there. 🤔 If you're liking the extra mid-range from the TV speakers, sticking with optical might be the way to go for you. But yeah, HDMI ARC gives you better quality and control, just without the TV speakers. Maybe try both for a bit, see which setup you vibe with more based on what you watch or play? Sometimes it's all about what sounds best to you. Hope that helps a bit!

@alicat1059 Ай бұрын

HELP ! I have a 2019 LG webOS TV SJ8500. I connected the Roku stick to an HDMI port but my sound is not great on streaming apps (AppleTV & Max) and I can barely hear the dialogue from the background music on the show. So should I connect the Roku stick to the HDMI ARC port ? Will that give me better sound ? Or is the ARC port ONLY for soundbars and external devices ? The Sound Out setting on the TV is currently on "Internal TV Speaker + Audio Out (Optical)". This is TOO MUCH for me to understand !!

@hifiaudios8101 Ай бұрын

For better sound, definitely try connecting your Roku stick to the HDMI ARC port. ARC stands for Audio Return Channel, which helps send sound from your TV to a soundbar or receiver, but it can also improve how audio is handled from any device connected to it. Since your current setting splits the audio output, switching to ARC might centralize and enhance the sound processing, especially for your streaming apps. Give it a shot and see if that helps clear up the dialogue! If it’s still not great, adjusting the audio settings in your TV’s menu might also help.

@alicat1059 Ай бұрын

@@hifiaudios8101 THANK YOU SO MUCH !! It's still not great but maybe a tiny bit better. Just trying to decide if I really need a soundbar, or if that 'bass effect' will drown out the voice dialogue even worse (?) Network TV dialogue sounds fine, it's just on the streaming apps. I'll try adjusting the tv sound settings some more as well. For reference, we had a 20y/o Bose SS system attached to it when we had cable TV (pre-roku stick) and it connected to tv by Audio Out Op/Dig/audio. But with only one speaker now and Subwfr tower I can't get receiver to work anymore (?) Anything to add about that ? Again, I really appreciate your insight !!

@dennisw8263 Жыл бұрын

I keep thinking about buying a sound bar, but until I know for sure that I will not need another remote for Volume, I'm not doing it! So, does ARC require it's own remote for power/volume or not?

@hifiaudios8101 Жыл бұрын

All you need is a TV remote to control the soundbar's volume and power

@caramon1972able Жыл бұрын

Las barras de sonido traen su propio control remoto, pero si la barra es de la misma marca que la pantalla, con el control de la pantalla puedes utilizarlo para ambos, o puedes utilizar un teléfono celular con la aplicación de la marca para manipular ambos. ARC es una salida digital, el cual podrás conectar mediante un cable HDMI 2.0 o 2.1 una pantalla a una barra de sonido, un teatro en casa etc, mejor que el óptico, porque te da mejor ciudad de sonido e imágen,

@rrb6818 10 ай бұрын

@@hifiaudios8101my yamaha yas 209 only included optical cable in the box but is has an HDMI (ARC) so as with my TV. My question is, do I have to buy an HDMI ARC cable to fully maximize the potential of my soundbar? Plus, when using optical I can't use the tv remote coz it doesn't function only the soundbar remote

@thomasmoreno3602 Жыл бұрын

I'll have a issue here maybe you can help me out I have Xbox series x plug in my HDMI cord in to arc than to my sound bar And I lose my HDR Pic but when disconnect it Pic is good is it because I'm using to different HDMI cords

@hifiaudios8101 Жыл бұрын

Try this Disconnect all HDMI cables from the TV, soundbar, and Xbox after turning everything on. Power off all devices. Unplug all devices from their power sources. Wait a few moments before reconnecting the power to the TV and soundbar. Turn all of the devices on. Wait a few minutes before reconnecting the HDMI cables to the TV and soundbar. If it still doesn't work, make sure the CEC setting on your TV is turned on.

@buschg7106 Жыл бұрын

ARC is HORRIBLY unreliable. eARC is EXCELLENT and an upgrade to optical.

@caramon1972able Жыл бұрын

Es que dependiendo de tus equipos utilizarás el ARC o el eARC, si los aparatos que tienen no son compatibles aunque sea mejor eARC, no podrás escucharlo de esa manera

@fredbrad Жыл бұрын

why so many audio if I have only 2 ears, stereo audio is enough for me

@ThWind81 Жыл бұрын

When you walk around in the world, are you able to tell if sounds are coming from in front of you vs behind you? What about above vs below you? The world around you creates sounds from sources all around you and you should be able to locate the sources of those sounds. There are subtle nuances about how sound waves pass by our ears and reflect off of things in our environment that help us locate sound sources with more precision than just left and right. There are headphones that have microphones on the outside that pump the outside sounds into the headphones but keep the volume attenuated for safe listening. Useful for being able to hear conversations between gun shots while target shooting. While wearing these, the world of sounds becomes simply left and right, and it's disorienting.