Hey guys can just explain to me how should by soundbar be connected ti my TV. So i have a LG 65 4k snart TV a sound bar android box, unifi and astro. Right now the tv is connected to the soundbar via optical. And other sources to the tv via hdmi. Should i do it this way or connect everything to the soundbar via hdmi and the soundbar to the tv via hdmi arc?

my lg tv to my lg soundbar using ARC

the your other source like astro all you connect to the TV or the soundbar?

astro/bluray/player > (hdmi) > soundbar > (hdmi) > tv

Thanks. I dont need to use the optical fibre of my soundbar is it?

You don't need to use digital optical cable. All you need are HDMI cables. Connect your TV (HDMI ARC) to soundbar (HMDI Out/ARC). Then connect your Astro/blu-ray/TV box to soundbar (HDMI In).

You do not need optical anymore.

Connect the TV's HDMI (ARC) to soundbar (HDMI), by doing so TV sound will be sent to soundbar automatically when u use ARC - Audio Return Channel.

For the rest of devices, you have 2 options
1. Connect them to soundbar (HDMI), video will be sent to TV via the existing HDMI ARC connection.
2. Connect them to TV's HDMI, TV will output the sound if you do not turn on soundbar.

HDMI can send video and audio signal.

my astro to the soundbar

Thanks for the clarification

Off topic, does the hdmi arc (2) any different with hdmi 1 and 3?

1 & 3 no ARC

this is the correct setup

I thought the main reason why people use ARC because they don't have enough HDMI -IN ports in the soundbar/ avr / HTIB

So they depends on their TV multiple HDMI in and return output audio channel to the audio system (soundbar/avr /HTIB) via only 1 HDMI Out

It should be like this instead

astro/bluray player/PS4/HyppTv/android box/AppleTV > (ARC hdmi in) > tv > (ARC hdmi out) > soundbar (HDMI in)

This post has been edited by chokia: May 20 2017, 05:44 PM

Yes except, ARC doesn't always work.

Also, not all TVs can passthrough DTS and DD with ARC either.

ARC is a stupid piece of technology that on paper should have rectified complexity in connections. Too bad it didn't and never will.

Exactly, TS uses soundbar btw, so can forget about those lossless or even surround sound.

There are soundbars that can decode lossless codecs. Surround sound may not be possible (TS didn't state what soundbar he/she using), but using a lossless source can lead to an improvement in sound quality, generally speaking.

and there's only 1 ARC connection...how to connect few devices to it ?

Some ways to connect...

Option 1
astro/bluray player/PS4/HyppTv/android box/AppleTV (hdmi out) > tv (hdmi in)...tv (spdif out) > soundbar (spdif in)

Option 2
astro/bluray player/PS4/HyppTv/android box/AppleTV (hdmi out) > tv (hdmi in)... tv (hdmi out) > soundbar (hdmi in)

Option 3 (may not work)
astro/bluray player/PS4/HyppTv/android box/AppleTV (hdmi out) > tv (hdmi in)... tv (hdmi in ARC) > soundbar (hdmi in)

Option 4 (may not work)
astro/bluray player/PS4/HyppTv/android box/AppleTV (hdmi out) > tv (hdmi in)... tv (hdmi in ARC) > soundbar (hdmi out ARC)

Option 5 (tv cannot play to soundbar)
astro/bluray player/PS4/HyppTv/android box/AppleTV (hdmi out) > soundbar (hdmi in)... soundbar (hdmi out) > tv (hdmi in)

Option 5a
astro/bluray player/PS4/HyppTv/android box/AppleTV (hdmi out) > soundbar (hdmi in)... soundbar (hdmi out) > tv (hdmi in). Tv (spdif out) > soundbar (spdif in)

Option 5b
astro/bluray player/PS4/HyppTv/android box/AppleTV (hdmi out) > soundbar (hdmi in)... soundbar (hdmi out) > tv (hdmi in). Tv (hdmi out) > soundbar (hdmi in)

Option 6
astro/bluray player/PS4/HyppTv/android box/AppleTV (hdmi out) > soundbar (hdmi in)... soundbar (hdmi out ARC) > tv (hdmi in ARC)

...then there's mix of source hdmi connections to both tv & soundbar...

Hi, Yes this is an old thread but I could use some help.

I'm going to get a soundbar with HDMI ARC. What I want is to only use the my Astro remote. Nothing else. I've programmed my Astro remote to link to my Panasonic TV, so I can change sources and control the volume.

My Panasonic TV has 3 HDMI ports. I'm only using 2. One for chromecast and the other for Astro.
Now - Do I connect the unused HDMI port to the soundbar? Will sound always travel to the soundbar even though that input is not selected? And can I still use the same astro remote to set the volume?

Don't fully get how this ARC works.

Thanks in advance!