Does My LG TV Have an HDMI ARC?

With smart televisions having replaced the older models across the market, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by just how “smart” they are. Current TVs come with many bells and whistles, and it can be difficult to figure out what everything is and how to use it.

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.

So, now that you know your LG TV has an HDMI ARC, what does that mean to you? Perhaps you weren’t even aware of this feature or how and why to use it.

Where Is The HDMI ARC?

Finding and implementing the HDMI ARC might seem tricky at first but once the proper port is identified setup is only a few steps. To locate the HDMI ARC, look at the back of your LG TV. One of the ports will be labeled HDMI and the other will be labeled ARC.

 Any device that works with the standard HDMI 14 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.

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.

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.  

LG TVs

LG has a wide breadth of smart TVs equipped with HDMI ARC. One example is the LG NanoCell 90 series 2021 55-inch 4K Smart UHD TV.  It features:

• Real 4K NanoCell Display
• Full Array Dimming
• A7 Gen4 AI Processor
• AI Picture
• AI Sound
• Dolby Vision IQ
• Dolby Atmos
• Built-in access to streaming apps such as Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+ and LG Channels
• LG ThinQ AI with Magic Remote
• HDR technology to automatically adjust picture settings

Conclusion

If you’re wondering if your LG TV has HDMI ARC, chances are that if you purchased it after 2009, it does. If you’re unsure, you simply need to look at the ports on the back of your TV.

Once you find and connect with the ARC, 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.