Behind
every
good
home
cinema
setup,
there
is
an
HDMI
cable
–
or
so
the
saying
goes
(sort
of).
While
HDMI
cables
might
not
be
the
most
exciting
things
in
an
AV
system,
it’s
hard
to
overstate
how
essential
they
are
to
its
proper
operation.
Besides
iPhone
chargers,
HDMI,
which
was
introduced
in
2002,
may
well
be
the
most
common
cable
that
the
world
owns,
transferring
up
to
8K
video
and
multichannel
audio
to
the
best
TVs
of
any
size
or
type.
Today,
we’re
taking
a
look
at
two
innovations
in
the
HDMI
cable
connection
standard:
HDMI
ARC
and
HDMI
eARC.
ARC
stands
for
Audio
Return
Channel,
and
eARC
stands
for
Enhanced
Audio
Return
Channel.
ARC
was
introduced
as
part
of
the
HDMI
1.4b
Specification,
and
allows
for
the
two-way
travel
of
audio
data
over
an
HDMI
cable
to
and
from
a
TV.
A
standard,
pre-ARC
HDMI
port,
in
contrast,
only
supports
video
and
audio
transmitted
from
a
source
device
directly
to
a
TV
or
another
type
of
display.
The
biggest
practical
application
of
ARC
is
to
have
just
one
cable
that
connects
a
smart
TV
and
one
of
the
best
soundbars
or
another
external
sound
system,
which
would
have
previously
required
multiple
cables.
In
2024,
the
best
TVs
across
all
price
ranges
will
come
with
HDMI
ARC
or
eARC
ports.
(Image
credit:
Future)
How
HDMI
ARC
and
eARC
differ
from
regular
HDMI
ports
As
just
discussed,
HDMI
ARC
–
or
Audio
Return
Channel
–
offers
one
huge
benefit:
as
well
as
receiving
audio
and
video
like
normal,
your
TV
can
send
audio
back
over
the
same
HDMI
cable.
That
means
audio
from
the
TV’s
built-in
streaming
apps
like
Netflix,
as
well
as
source
devices
connected
to
the
TV
via
its
other
HDMI
ports
such
as
a
gaming
console
or
one
of
the
best
4K
Blu-ray
players,
can
be
routed
to
an
external
speaker
system
like
a
soundbar
or
AV
receiver.
The
result:
fewer
cables
(or
even
just
one
cable
connecting
the
TV
and
a
soundbar)
in
your
home
theatre
setup.
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(Image
credit:
bomg
/
A_R_Uzzal
/
Shutterstock)
The
difference
between
HDMI
ARC
and
HDMI
eARC
So,
what’s
the
new
thing
that
the
“e”
in
eARC
introduces?
What
does
“enhanced”
mean
for
an
HDMI
connection?
The
answer
is
that
eARC,
introduced
as
part
of
the
HDMI
2.1
standard,
brings
several
important
improvements,
most
notably
in
the
quality
and
type
of
audio
formats
it
can
handle.
While
HDMI
ARC
is
limited
to
compressed
audio
formats
like
Dolby
Digital,
Dolby
Digital
Plus,
and
DTS,
HDMI
eARC
is
a
significantly
higher-bandwidth
connection
that
allows
for
the
transmission
of
lossless,
high-quality
audio,
including
Dolby
Atmos
and
DTS:X,
providing
a
richer
and
more
immersive
listening
experience.
Briefly,
Dolby
Atmos
–
a
technology
you
might
have
seen
more
and
more
about
in
recent
years
–
adds
a
3D
element
to
surround
sound
by
producing
sounds
above
the
listener,
as
well
as
sounds
that
come
from
front
and
behind
in
a
traditional
5.1
or
7.1
setup.
Given
that
you’re
reading
this
article,
we
imagine
you
care
about
these
somewhat
small
details,
so
eARC
is
definitely
a
benefit
if
you
want
to
harness
the
full
power
of
your
home
theatre
rig.
(Image
credit:
Sonos)
TV
and
cable
requirements
Let’s
get
into
the
nuts
and
bolts.
In
terms
of
TVs,
HDMI
ARC
is
supported
on
most
modern
models,
but
only
one
HDMI
port
is
typically
designated
as
ARC-compatible.
If
you’re
using
a
soundbar
or
AV
receiver,
you’ll
need
to
make
a
connection
from
its
ARC
port
to
the
ARC
port
on
your
TV.
For
eARC,
you’ll
need
a
TV
with
an
HDMI
2.1
port,
which
is
found
on
newer
models.
For
making
ARC
connections,
a
high-speed
HDMI
cable
is
recommended.
For
eARC,
both
a
standard
HDMI
Cable
with
Ethernet
and
a
high-speed
HDMI
Cable
with
Ethernet
will
work,
according
to
HDMI
Licensing.
Even
though
many
existing
high-speed
HDMI
cables
will
work
fine
with
both
connection
types,
ultra-high-speed
HDMI
cables
offer
more
robust
performance
for
higher
bandwidth
needs,
such
as
8K
and
4K
120Hz
video
and
uncompressed
Dolby
Atmos
audio.
(Image
credit:
Bose)
So
do
I
need
HDMI
ARC
or
eARC?
Good
question!
The
answer
is
most
probably
yes,
given
the
upsides
of
two-way
audio
transfers,
better
audio
quality,
and
generally
keeping
up
with
technological
trends.
Of
course,
if
your
current
AV
setup
is
working,
and
you’re
happy
with
it,
ripping
everything
apart
to
fit
in
a
new
ultra-high
speed
HDMIcable
probably
doesn’t
make
sense.
But
for
your
next
TV
purchase,
definitely
keep
these
standards
in
mind.
The
convenience
of
only
having
to
run
a
single
cable
from
your
smart
TV
to
your
soundbar
makes
the
dream
of
a
“cable-less”
setup
from
a
viewer’s
perspective
much
easier
than
it
was
before.
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