Have you ever read the word HDMI ARC or eARC at the back of your TV while connecting it to Soundbar? Many of you might have read or heard this word many times. Today we are going to discuss HDMI ARC and eARC.
ARC means Audio return channel, while eARC stands for Enhanced Audio Return Channel.
By the end of this article, you will get the answers to common questions like what is HDMI ARC and eARC? What are the types of HDMI ARC and eARC? How to use and what are the applications of HDMI ARC and eARC?Let's know more in detail.
What is HDMI?
HDMI means High definition Multimedia interface most frequently used HD signal to transmit HD audio and video. It combines High definition Audio and video into a single digital interface. Nowadays, they are commonly used with DVD players, Set-top boxes and many other AV devices.
In 2002 The first HDMI specification was released. According to allied market research, the global HDMI cable market was valued at almost $2.47 billion in 2018, which is expected to grow to $3.87 billion in 2026. The most common reason for such a massive growth is the increasing use of higher-quality audio and video devices such as 4k UHD televisions.
What are the types of HDMI cables?
There are three types of HDMI cables each of them has subcategories.
- Standard HDMI cable
- High-speed HDMI cable
- Ultra High-speed HDMI cable
Standard HDMI cable is the most basic cable that has 5 Gbps bandwidth. Though it's not recommended for 4k and later videos, It supports 1080i or 720p resolution. It's used for satellite TV, Screen projectors, and DVD players. Standard HDMI cable has the subtype called standard automotive HDMI cable used in vehicles.
High-speed HDMI cables can transmit 4k and later videos, which isn't possible with standard HDMI cables. They have more than double the bandwidth of standard HDMI cables. With 10.2 Gbps bandwidth, they support 3D and deep color technologies.
After HD-ready TV, we moved to full HD and 4k TV, but 4k isn't the end. 8K TVs are already in the market that needs something better than high-speed HDMI cables. Here Ultra high-speed HDMI cable came into the picture. With a refresh rate of 120 Hz and 240 Hz, they can transmit 8k and 10k videos with a bandwidth of 48 Gbps. from version 1.0 for a standard HDMI cable to 2.1 for the ultra high-speed HDMI cable, massive data can be transferred smoothly.
HDMI 2.0 vs 1.4 which one is better?
There are many HDMI versions like 1.0,1.1,1.2,1.3,1.4,2.0,2.1. Increasing numbers denote an increase in bandwidth. In short, they can handle higher resolutions and faster data transfer. But the most common question people ask is about HDMI 1.4 Vs HDMI 2.0.
Before knowing more about HDMI 1.4 and 2.0, you need to understand Frame per second (FPS). It's a unit of measurement of the display device's performance. When discussing the video quality of your TV, you might have heard the term FPS. It means the number of images displayed each second. The more the number better is the quality.
Many times people ask a question. Does it matter using 2.0 HDMI instead of 1.4? Yes! It matters a lot. HDMI 1.4 has 10.2 Gbps bandwidth, while 2.0 has 18 Gbps bandwidth. This significant difference makes 2.0 more powerful, faster, and efficient than HDMI 1.4.
What is the HDMI Audio return channel (ARC)?
For the first time, Audio Return Channel came into the picture in 2009. Before that, you had to use an optical cable to carry digital Audio data. This cable management was a tedious activity. Thanks to ARC, that made things easy.
With the help of an Audio return channel and HDMI cable, you can transfer Video and Audio information between your TV and Soundbar or amplifier.
The significant difference between HDMI and HDMI ARC is that HDMI ARC allows two-way data transfer. With the older HDMI, you could transfer the content from the source to the receiver end only, but with the help of HDMI arc, transmitting the audio signal in two ways is possible. It requires a 1.4 or higher HDMI version cable to work as an HDMI ARC.
HDMI Arc makes your life easy by avoiding complicated cables but make sure that your TV and external speaker or soundbar are compatible with the ARC. HDMI ARC supports Dolby Digital, DTS digital surround, and PCM.
PCM means pulse code modulation. It's a method of converting analog audio into digital audio. If so, why do we need an enhanced version of ARC, called HDMI eARC?
Let me tell you that if you are not using any external Speaker or Soundbar you don't need HDMI ARC.
HDMI ARC VS Optical cable which one is better?
HDMI ARC and optical cable perform the same function. They send multi-channel audio from one device to another.
HDMI ARC is better than optical cable due to higher bandwidth compared to optical cable. Higher bandwidth means HDMI ARC can carry and send high quality Video and Audio.
If you are having a 5.1 surround sound then the optical cable is enough. but if you have a higher version like a 7.1 channel surround sound system you need HDMI ARC
- The bandwidth of the fiber-optical cable is 384 kbps
- The bandwidth of HDMI ARC is 1 Mbps
- The Bandwidth of HDMI eARC is 37 Mbps
What is HDMI eARC?
As we discussed, the Audio return channel allows audio and video data transfer through an HDMI cable. If so, why do we need eARC?
because improvement in audio and video technologies need more data transfer. Carrying more information needs improved ARC technology.
Why eARC is better than ARC? because eARC has higher bandwidth and speed than ARC. Higher Bandwidth means more data can be transferred and it does not need to compress the digital audio signal which means you get better and rich Audio, Video quality. You don't need any special HDMI cable to work it as an eARC. For the eARC, you need the HDMI 2.1 or above version of the HDMI cable.
Which audio format does HDMI eARC support?
HDMI enhanced audio return channel supports the following audio formats.
- high-bitrate audio formats up to 192kHz
- 24-bit, and uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1
- DTS-HD Master Audio
- DTS X
- Dolby TrueHD
- Dolby Atmos
Which cable is used for HDMI eArc?
A high-Speed HDMI cable 2.1 and above with Ethernet is suitable for eARC.
Is eARC backwards compatible with ARC?
The important question is, is HDMI eARC backward compatible with the arc?
No, they aren't compatible with HDMI ARC. you will get the sound by joining these 2 but no guarantee that you will get the high-quality audio for which you buy the sound system.
While searching for an HDMI cable on AMAZON, I read the terms single-way HDMI cable and, double-way HDMI cable. make sure that you are buying the cable which allows two-way transmission, because, one-direction cables are designed only to carry the signals from the source to display.
Summary:
In simple words, HDMI eARC has the highest bandwidth among these 3.
Definitely, it can carry a higher amount of data. Hence no need for compression of data. No compression means better audio and video quality.
The main question is do you need eARC? If you are happy with your TV speaker and don't need an external speaker then you don't need HDMI ARC.
But one thing is for sure. If you want to avoid tedious cable management then HDMI ARC is a good choice. But make sure you have an ARC-compatible audio and video system.