everything you need to get the most out of it

Smart TVs are unparalleled devices in terms of the entertainment alternatives and experience they offer.. These are not only devices for watching streaming platforms, but in Spain they also offer the possibility of playing games using cloud services.

Thanks to its USB connections, it is also very versatile when it comes to connecting peripherals and accessories. It is not the only useful connection that these devices usually have, since others such as ethernet or optical are capable of considerably improve their performance.

Its HDMI connection also has quite interesting advantages, beyond being able to connect computers and consoles, that some users are not aware of. However, not all HDMI ports are the sameThere are different classes depending on what each one offers.

Types of HDMI

Although the connection is the same, two HDMI ports may not have much to do with each other. Like other technologies, it has a version number that will determine the advances it integrates. HDMI has seven different versions, although it is difficult to find cables or devices that have remained in the first seven versions.

HDMI 2.0 is the most widespread today and its maximum resolution is 4K at 60 Hz and supports high-resolution audio formats, such as Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD. The latest, HDMI 2.1, which has a fairly wide bandwidth, allowing playback in 8K resolution with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz and with eARC support and object-based audio formats.

The differences between each of the versions make it quite important to know which one our TV has in order to choose a cable of higher or lower quality. On the other hand, there are HDMI ports that have special features for the audioand that allow you to get the most out of some sound systems.

These are the HDMI ARC ports. Their particularity is that these have a higher bandwidth dedicated to the audio to deliver a better experience. This superior audio performance makes it compatible with surround sound technologies such as Dolby Atmos. Also noteworthy is the HDMI eARC technology, which is basically an ARC enhancement that increases this bandwidth from 1 Mbps to 38 Mbps for added compatibility.

Advantages of EARC

Some TVs have this type of technology built into some of their HDMI ports. This is usually indicated next to the HDMI connection itself, or in the TV manual, and it is important to know if you have one of these ports. Their main advantage is that we will be able to use them to connect our TV to a sound bar. and that this one offers the best possible experience.

It will make it more convenient to use than with optical, Bluetooth or auxiliary connection. To begin with, using an HDMI ARC or eARC will allow us to be able to control the device directly using the TV remote control.. Each time the soundbar is turned off or on it will do the same, and the same will happen when changing the volume.

This makes the experience you get from using a separate sound system on your TV much better, avoiding the need to use multiple remotes and making the connection much simpler. However, it is important to note that in order to use this connection to take advantage of all its features, you will have to go to the settings to activate the special functions of this connection.

Being a connection with better sound than conventional HDMI, this is the field in which you can take advantage of it, and this requires that the audio device to which it is connected is compatible.regardless of whether it is a soundbar or a more complex system.

How to activate ARC

When buying any audio accessory, you should verify that it has this functionality. However, this is not the only requirement for using this technology, as the TV must have an ARC-compatible output, and the TV must also have an ARC-compatible output. the cable must also be compatible.

Another important point before using it is that we will have to activate it on the TV. The ARC technology technology is usually only available on one or two of the HDMI ports. so we will have to plug the cable into it and also go to the TV options.

In this lack of we will find the possibility to enable support for ARC devices. On Android TV, this option will be found in the settings, within the Display and Sound section. Here, we will have to look for the Audio output option then choose the HDMI ARC or eARC option depending on what the TV detects. Both devices will need to be turned on at this time.