While the picture quality of most high-end TVs seems to be improving every year, the internal speakers on these thinner, special panels can never achieve a clear picture. so you want to connect a sound bar. And it's no surprise that sound bars that add blind tones with almost the same level of sound in the cinema seem to be gaining in popularity every year. If you're planning to improve your home theater, you want to make sure you get all the excitement you paid for, so here's our guide on how to connect your sound bar to your TV and what not. You need to know to choose HDMI vs optical. power line.

Enter the Bar

That there is a new smart TV with built-in Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and more. Or you can connect Apple TV and PlayStation 5 to your TV. Regardless of your source, you want to get as much sound as possible with as few cables as possible connecting the audio panel to the TV.

These answers depend on how old the device is and what level of HDMI technology is included with both the sound bar and the TV. Many devices made in 2009, as well as some later, require an HDMI cable and an optical audio cable. New TVs and audio bars can be connected with an HDMI cable. And the latest multidimensional audio formats, such as the hot Dolby Atoms and DTS: X object standards, require a bandwidth HDTV cable, but it's worth considering. Once you take some time to figure out how to connect a sound bar to a TV for maximum effect, you'll find it's easy despite a few technological details. And if you hear results, whether it's enhanced stereo or completely futuristic surround sound, you'll love it.

HDMI ARC vs. optical cables

All HDMI cables transmit audio and video. However, since almost 2003-2009, HDMI cables have transmitted A / V data in only one direction. Therefore, when connecting the TV to an audio bar or A / V receiver, use an HDMI cable for video and secondary connections, such as an optical digital audio cable, to send an audio "stream".

When the Audio Return Channel (ARC) standard in HDMI cables was introduced in 2009, convenient two-way communication of the HDMI cable between a compatible TV and a similar audio bar was possible. as an A / V receiver. ARC has a larger maximum audio bandwidth than optical connections, and ARC also supports Consumer Electronics Control (CEC), which means that the TV remote control can also control power, volume, and soundbar functions. ARC also allows TV manufacturers to fix lip-sync issues between the TV and the video and sound bar.

However, not all electronics manufacturers generally accept all ARC options. With the introduction of the HDMI Enhanced Audio Return Channel (EARC) protocol with higher bandwidth in 2017, lip sync correction was mandatory, CEC setup was significantly simplified, and the supported full audio codec expanded.

What is HDMI EARC vs. ARC definition for cables?

The original 2009 ARC HDMI standard can be used with almost any HDMI cable, and with CEC turned on, it allows the TV to control the volume bar. However, ARC does not support newer surround sound formats such as uncompressed 7.1 channel audio and today's exciting Dolby Atoms and DTS: X formats. Other high bit rate audio such as Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio (which support resolutions up to 24 bits / 192 kHz). That's why Netflix 4K streams and Blu-ray discs don't sound best if.

The best sound bar for TVs in 2022 offers Dolby Atoms and / or DTS: X compatibility To enjoy surround sound formats from your sound bar, you need a TV with an EARC HDMI port. Fortunately, many TVs are from 2018 and continue to support it, so whether you're investing in one of the best OLED TVs or one of the best QLED TVs on the market today, you're at the end. However, no HDMI cable is possible. To connect EARC TVs to EARC audio bars, look for cables called HDMI with Ethernet, HDMI with Ethernet, or next-generation Ultra High-Speed   HDMI cable (an unreliable option in the future). If you buy a new EARC audio bar, it will probably include a capable HDMI cable to connect to your TV, but this is what you will need to look for when checking.

In a scenario where your TV has EARC but the sound bar only has ARC, or vice versa, the connection between the devices will probably work, but you will not be able to use the high bit rate audio formats provided by EARC, unless both are available. default.

How to connect a sound bar to a TV.

That's all you need to connect the sound bar to the TV. To connect the sound bar to a TV, follow these steps (for simplicity, this is an example between two EARC devices):

1. Turn on the TV and sound panel. For added safety, also disconnect the power cords from the TV and sound bar.

2. Connect the HDMI EARC port on the TV to the EARC port on the audio bar using an Ultra-High-Speed   HDMI cable. In the rare case that your TV does not have an HDMI port named EARC or ARC, connect the HDMI TV port of the HDMI TV audio bar to each HDMI port on the TV. This connection can handle video (and possibly standard audio). In addition, an optical digital audio cable must be connected to both devices to control the sound. Connect an optical audio cable (no more than 5 meters) from the optical output (or OPT OUT) of the TV to the optical input (or OPT IN) of the audio bar.

3. Connect one of your other video devices with HDMI output, such as Blu-ray players or game consoles, to the other TV ports. Alternatively, connect them to other HDMI inputs on the sound bar. If you use ARC / EARC, the TV and audio panel can serve as a hub / source selection for all external devices and send audio and video signals. In the end, it depends on where you have the most available ports and choose the inputs.

4. Reconnect the power cords to the TV and sound bar, and turn on both devices.

5. Go to the TV menu settings and activate full sound bar operation. In many cases, you need to adjust one or more menu settings on your TV to ensure perfect compatibility with your sound bar. Instructions for adjusting the sound settings vary depending on the make and model of your TV. In general, you need to enter the audio or audio settings from the TV menu and set the HDMI audio output, optical output or digital audio to Auto output.

You can also access the System, Audio or Expert TV settings and activate the HDMI EARC, ARC and / or CEC modes. For more detailed instructions for your specific TV model, refer to the TV's manual or the TV manufacturer's website, where you will find the exact menu settings needed to connect the TV's audio panel.

How the TV remote control and sound panel work when connected

When the EARC sound bar and compatible TV are connected to all the settings in the TV menu one after the other, the remote control and the built-in controls of the TV can turn both devices on and off. And the TV's volume controls control the volume of the volume bar while the TV's internal speakers are redirected. The sound bar remote control should also be on and off on both devices. Both remote controls have device-specific controls that the other cannot, so you want to have both available or otherwise replace them with one universal remote control.

How do you say the best TV connection on the sound bar?

Depending on the brand of your sound bar, the HDMI port, which provides the full functionality of EARC TV, may look very different. The following list shows how popular sound bar brands label their HDMI EARC ports:

JBL sound bar: HDMI OUT (TV ARC / TV EARC)

Sound bar Klipsch: HDMI-ARC

LG sound bar: (TV EARC / ARC) HDMI OUT

Sound bar Sennheiser: HDMI TV (EARC) OUT

Sony sound bar: HDMI OUT TV (EARC / ARC)

Sound bar display: HDMI OUT (EARC)

Yamaha Sound bar: HDMI OUT (ARC)

Finally, connecting the sound bar to a TV is easy once you select HDMI ARC vs Optical

Now that you know how to connect an audio panel to your TV, you need to make sure that a basic connection is easy. Whether your TV and sound bar only support EARC HDMI, ARC HDMI or HDMI depends to a large extent on how old the devices are. To connect ARC and EARC, you can connect the sound bar to the TV with an HDMI cable; otherwise, you will need to connect an optical audio cable next to the HDMI cable. Wherever you go with HDMI ARC vs. fiber optic cables, nothing is afraid to stop you from enjoying the enhanced sound experience provided by the sound bar.