Does My LG TV Have an HDMI ARC/eARC?
By Trae Jacobs,
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If your LG TV has an HDMI ARC or eARC port, it is extremely useful in allowing you to send audio from your TV to your receiver or sound bar from a single HDMI cable. But how do you know if you have one or not?
If your LG television was purchased after 2009, you most likely have an HDMI ARC. Anything bought within the last few years is equipped with HDMI ARC as it now comes standard in all LG TVs. You will need to separately purchase an HDMI cable to use this feature.
HDMI ARC and eArc both deliver audio, eARC is just “enhanced” audio present in most TV’s 2018 and newer.
Where is the HDMI ARC or eARC on LG TV?
Finding the HDMI ARC or eARC input might seem tricky at first but to locate it, look at the back of your LG TV. One of the ports will be labeled HDMI and the other will be labeled ARC or eARC. You should see one or the other if your TV is new enough.
I have an LG OLED from 2020 and this is what mine looks like.
If you bought your LG TV after 2018, it will most likely have an HDMI eARC input.
Any device that works with the standard HDMI 1.4 should have an ARC. You may also find information on where and how to identify the HDMI ARC ports in the TV’s instruction manual or online on the LG site.
What’s an HDMI ARC?
An HDMI cord was very popular before smart TVs and the current ease of streaming as it was used to hook up a laptop directly to a TV and watch the content on the TV. HDMI stands for High-Definition Multimedia Interface and the aforementioned HDMI cord was used to send both audio and video through a single cable.
ARC stands for Audio Return Channel and a built-in HDMI ARC is used to send audio from the television itself to another device such as a receiver or sound bar. The biggest benefit to using your TV’s HDMI ARC is being able to control all the devices from the same remote. It basically allows the television to communicate with the soundbar, receiver or additional audio device you’re using.
This is an older Samsung TV I have, just to illustrate what you may be looking for. It will be similar to this.
Many entertainment setups have a separate remote for the soundbar or receiver from the one used to control the television so the HDMI ARC, when implemented properly, can eliminate this, and make overall use and enjoyment of your LG TV easier and better.
What is HDMI eARC?
HDMI eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel) is an advanced version of HDMI ARC that supports higher-quality audio formats via an HDMI 2.1 cable. I have my SONOS Arc soundbar connected to my eARC as I want the best sound quality possible watching TV and movies.
Examples of sound formats HDMI eARC supports are:
- Dolby Atmos
- Dolby TrueHD
- DTS:X
HDMI eARC also supports higher bandwidths, which allows for more data to be transmitted over a single cable.
- Up to 192kHz
- 24-bit
- Uncompressed 5.1 and 7.1
- 32-channel uncompressed audio
How Do I Connect My Sound Bar or Receiver to The ARC?
Once you’ve located the HDMI ARC ports you will need an HDMI cable, unless one was included depending on the model of your LG TV. Both the television and the sound bar, receiver or audio device must support ARC to take advantage of it. If the device does not, it won’t be able to pair with the TV even though it has an HDMI ARC.
- After locating the HDMI ARC and attaching the cable, press the Home button on the LG’s “magic remote.”
- Click “settings” in the launch bar and navigate to the sound menu
- Page down to the sound setting and press “enter”
- ARC mode will be the first option but its default is off
- Navigate right or left to turn it on
- Turn off the TV’s internal speaker
- Page down and left or right to turn off the internal speaker
- Press enter when done and the X to leave the setup menu
After enabling the ARC on your LG TV, the audio device you’re connecting it to may also need its ARC option to be enabled. On the sound bar or receiver, switch to the correct audio input so it can receive the audio signal from the LG TV.
(Supported audio formats are Dolby Digital and PCM but not DTS.) The volume can now be controlled by the LG “magic remote” or the remote that accompanies the soundbar or receiver.
Which LG TV Models have ARC or eARC?
Below is a list of all the recent LG TV models that have HDMI ARC/eARC.
2022 LG Models with eARC
- LG Z2 8K OLED TV (2022)
- LG G2 OLED Evo TV
- LG C2 OLED Evo TV
- LG B2 4K OLED TV
- LG A2 OLED TV
- LG QNED NanoCell 8K and 4K TVs
2021 LG Models with eARC
- LG OLED A1 Series 4K Smart TV
- LG OLED C1 Series 4K Smart TV
- LG OLED G1 Series Smart OLED evo TV
2020 LG Models with eARC
- LG NanoCell 85 Series Smart TV
- LG NanoCell 90 Series Smart TV
- LG NanoCell 99 8K Smart TV
2020 LG Models with eARC
- LG C9 OLED TV (I have this one)
- LG SM9500 Smart LED TV
- LG E9 OLED TV
- LG B9 OLED TV
- LG SM9970 8K TV
- LG BX OLED 4K TV
- LG CX OLED TV
- LG GX OLED 4K TV
Most LG TVs models after 2018 will have HDMI eARC.
Once you find and connect with the ARC/eARC, you’ll be able to enjoy the added audio experience of a soundbar or receiver and control both the audio device and the TV with the same remote.
FAQS
How Do I Turn On HDMI ARC or eARC on my LG TV?
You do not need to turn anything on. Simply plug in your HDMI cable but make sure you are using an HDMI 2.1 cable for HDMI eARC input.
Why is my HDMI ARC or eARC not working?
There are many reasons why your HDMI ARC or eARC may not be working. You may have a faulty HDMI cable, not using the correct HDMI 2.1 cable, or your TV port could be broken. The easiest solution is to unplug and plug it back in first to test it.
Can I switch HDMI to HDMI ARC?
A standard HDMI cable will work in an HDMI ARC. You cannot switch back and forth, only enable the ARC feature if its plugged into a usable source.
Why am I getting No Signal to my HDMI?
You may have a faulty HDMI cable. Test it with another device to confirm if the cable needs to be replaced or not. You can also try resetting your TV. If that doesn’t work, your TV may need to be repaired.
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