While the picture quality of the best TVs seems to get better year by year, the internal speakers in these impressive and ever-thinner panels don’t really do those vivid images justice… which is why you want to hook up a Sound bar. And it’s no surprise that sound bars, which can complement those metallic tones with near-theater-level audio, seem to grow in popularity every year. If you’re planning to upgrade your home theater, you want to make sure you get all the thrills you paid for, so here’s our guide on how to connect a soundbar to a TV and what to know when choosing HDMI vs optical cables. p>
Move on to the ‘bar
So you have a new smart TV with built-in Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. Or you’re going to connect an Apple TV and a PlayStation 5 to your TV. Regardless of your sources, you’ll want to get the most sound from the fewest cables connecting a soundbar to a TV.
An entry-level soundbar can be had for less than $ 100, and there are plenty of options under $300, or even under $500, etc. By contrast, the best soundbar for a TV (for example, Sennheiser AMBEO, which has the newer HDMI 2.1 port) will set you back over $2,000. Regardless of the price, there can be some confusion about how to connect a soundbar to a TV. Do you only need High Definition Multimedia Interface (also known as HDMI) cables or do you also need an optical audio cable? If you only need one HDMI cable, can it be any HDMI cable? Well, we’ve got your answers.
Those answers largely depend on the age of your equipment and the level of HDMI technology built into both your soundbar and TV. Many devices made before 2009, as well as some after, require an HDMI cable and an optical audio cable. Newer TVs and sound bars can be connected with a single HDMI cable. And the latest multi-dimensional audio formats, such as hot-object-based Dolby Atmos and DTS:X standards, require a single HDTV cable of a certain bandwidth, but are worth considering.
A Once you take a little time to learn how to connect a soundbar to a TV for maximum effect, you’ll find that it’s pretty easy despite a few technological details. And when you hear the results, whether it’s just enhanced stereo or totally futuristic spatial audio, you’ll be glad you did.
HDMI ARC vs. optical cables
All HDMI cables carry audio and video. However, from around 2003 to 2009, HDMI cables only carried A/V data in one direction. So when connecting a TV to a sound bar or A/V receiver, you’d use one HDMI cable for video and a second connection, such as an optical digital audio cable, to send sound “downstream.”
When the Audio Return Channel (ARC) standard was introduced to HDMI cables in 2009, it enabled convenient two-way communication over a single HDMI cable between a compatible TV and an equally equipped sound bar or A/V receiver . ARC has a higher maximum audio bandwidth than optical connections, and ARC is also Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) compliant, which means a TV remote can also control power, volume, and mute functions. from the sound bar. ARC also allowed TV manufacturers to correct lip sync issues between TV video and soundbar audio.
Not all electronics manufacturers have embraced the full capabilities of ARC, however. ARC in general. With the introduction of the much higher-bandwidth Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC) HDMI protocol in 2017, lip-sync correction became mandatory, CEC setup was often simplified, and full codec support for audio became much more widespread.
What does HDMI eARC mean vs. ARC for cables?
The original 2009 HDMI ARC standard can be used with almost any HDMI cable and, with CEC enabled, allows the TV controls the sound bar. However, ARC does not support the latest surround sound audio formats, such as uncompressed 7.1 channel audio and the exciting formats of the day (Dolby Atmos and DTS:X), as well as other high-bitrate audio. , such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio (supporting resolutions up to 24-bit/192kHz). So those 4K Netflix streams and Blu-ray discs aren’t going to sound their best, unless…
All of the best soundbars for TVs in 2022 tout compatibility with Dolby Atmos and/or DTS:X, so to experience those spatial audio formats from your soundbar, you’ll need a TV with an eARC HDMI port. Fortunately, many TVs as of 2018 support it, so if you’re investing in one of the best OLED TVs or one of the best QLED TVs on the market right now, you’re all set for that end.
However, not just any HDMI cable will do.To connect eARC TVs to eARC soundbars, you’ll need to look for cables with designations HDMI with Ethernet, High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet, or the next generation Ultra High Speed HDMI cable (the future-proof option). If you buy a new eARC soundbar, it will most likely come with a compatible HDMI cable to connect to your TV, but that’s what to look for if you need to check.
In the scenario where your TV has eARC but the soundbar only has ARC, or vice versa, the connection between the devices will most likely work, but you won’t be able to take advantage of the high-bitrate audio formats that eARC can provide unless they both have the same standard.
How to Connect a Soundbar to a TV: HDMI ARC vs Optical
So that’s what you need to connect a soundbar to a TV. TV. As for how to connect a sound bar to a TV, just follow these steps (for simplicity, this example is between two eARC devices):
1. Turn off both the TV and the sound bar. Also, for added safety, unplug the power cords from both the TV and the sound bar.
2. Connect the TV’s HDMI eARC port to the soundbar’s eARC port with an Ultra High Speed HDMI cable. In the rare case that your TV does not have an HDMI port labeled eARC or ARC, connect the HDMI cable from the soundbar’s HDMI TV port to any HDMI port on the TV. That connection will handle the video (and possibly basic audio). Also, you’ll need to connect an optical digital audio cable to both devices to handle sound. Connect an optical audio cable (no longer than 5 meters) from the optical output (or OPTIONAL OUT) of the TV to the optical input (or OPTIONAL IN) of the sound bar.
3. Connect any of your other video devices with HDMI outputs, such as Blu-ray players or game consoles, to the other ports on the TV. Alternatively, connect them to the other HDMI inputs on the soundbar. If you are using ARC/eARC, the TV and soundbar can act as the hub/source selection for all external devices and pass the audio and video signals through. Ultimately it depends on where you have the most ports available and want to select the inputs.
4. Reconnect the power cords to the TV and sound bar and turn on both devices.
5. Access the TV menu settings to enable full operation with the sound bar. In many cases, you will need to adjust one or more settings in your TV’s menu to ensure full compatibility with your soundbar. Instructions for adjusting the audio settings vary depending on the make and model of your TV.
In general, you’ll need to go to Sound Settings or Audio Settings from the TV’s menu and set the Audio Out HDMI. , Optical Out, or Digital Audio setting to Auto/Bypass/Pass-Through, PCM, or Digital/Bitstream.
You may also need to go into your TV’s System, Sound, or Expert settings and enable the HDMI function. eARC, ARC and/or CEC modes. For more specific instructions for your exact TV model, check your TV manual or TV manufacturer’s website to find the exact menu settings needed to connect a sound bar to your TV.
How To TV remotes and sound bar work once connected
When an eARC sound bar and a compatible TV are connected with all TV menu settings in order, the TV remote and the integrated controls will be able to turn both devices on and off. And the TV’s volume controls will control the soundbar’s volume, while the TV’s internal speakers will be bypassed. The soundbar remote should also be able to turn both devices on and off. Both remotes will have device-specific controls that the other can’t, so you’ll still want to keep them handy or replace them with a universal remote.
Which is the best soundbar TV? connection called?
Depending on the brand of your soundbar, the HDMI port that provides full functionality with an eARC TV may display somewhat differently. The following list shows how popular soundbar brands label their HDMI eARC ports:
- JBL Soundbar: HDMI OUT (TV ARC/TV eARC)
- Soundbar Klipsch Sound Bar: HDMI-ARC
- LG Sound Bar: (TV eARC/ARC) HDMI OUTPUT
- Samsung Sound Bar: HDMI TO TV (eARC/ARC)
- Sennheiser Soundbar: HDMI TV (eARC) OUTPUT
- Sony Soundbar: HDMI TV OUTPUT (eARC/ARC)
- Vizio Soundbar: HDMI OUTPUT ( eARC)
- Yamaha Sound Bar: HDMI OUTPUT (ARC)
Related: How to fix that annoying audio lag on your soundbar sound
Ultimately, connecting a sound bar to a TV is easy once you choose HDMI ARC vs optical
Now that you know how to connect a sound bar sound to a television, you should be sure that making the basic connections is quite simple.Whether your TV and soundbar support eARC HDMI, ARC HDMI, or HDMI only depends largely on the age of the devices. For ARC and eARC connections, you can connect the sound bar to a TV with a single HDMI cable; otherwise, you just need to connect an optical audio cable in addition to an HDMI cable. Regardless of where you land in HDMI ARC vs. optical cables, there’s nothing too intimidating to stop you from enjoying the enhanced audio experience a sound bar offers.
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