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Ethernet Over HDMI is used by newer AV receivers to support eARC (extended audio return channel). The older ARC spec would work with any HDMI cable, but bandwid
by tjohns 5y ago
Ethernet Over HDMI is used by newer AV receivers to support eARC (extended audio return channel). The older ARC spec would work with any HDMI cable, but bandwidth limitations only allowed compressed 5.1 surround sound. eARC uses the higher bandwidth from Ethernet Over HDMI, allowing uncompressed 7.1 surround and Dolby Atomos streams.
(If you're not familiar with ARC/eARC, this lets the TV send audio from its native inputs back to the AV receiver over an HDMI cable. Without ARC, you need to plug everything directly into the AV receiver.)
- josteink 5y agoeARC is neat in theory, but my experience with it has been that’s too unreliable and unstable to actually use in practice. I even bought new cables to make sure there wouldn’t be issues, but eARC audio regularly falls out in ways other sources (including regular ARC) doesn’t. And when it fails there’s literally zero tools for diagnosing it either. Maybe around the time of eARC2 we’ll have something working as well as Bluetooth does today. (Yes, that’s me being snarky)
- ApolIllo 5y agoThat's unfortunate. I've been hoping to simplify my HT setup and eARC was something I wanted to target in an upgrade
- isatty 5y agoI’ve had no problems with eARC when used together with my Appletv and LG C1 TV - which I’m happy about because the appletv does not offer any other wired audio ports.
- toast0 5y agoI've had good luck with eARC without any intermittent issues. Of course, I'm only using it because my tv has two EDIDs, one that allows 4K video for my streaming box, and one that allows audio for my Blu-Ray player. So I have the streaming player connected directly to the TV and audio over eARC to the reciever instead of going through the reciever. I was pleasantly surprised that this works fine, but not surprised that it doesn't work for everyone.
- simplyaccont 5y agoactually, if i understand correctly, earc doesn't use HEC. it just re-purposes hec wiring for something useful
- tzs 5y ago> The older ARC spec would work with any HDMI cable, but bandwidth limitations only allowed compressed 5.1 surround sound. My 2012 Denon AVR-1913 won't do ARC with just any HDMI cable. According to the manual it must be an HDMI with ethernet cable and experiment has shown that the manual is correct.
- Unklejoe 5y agoIt uses the same pins, but it doesn't actually use Ethernet. I'm pretty sure it's IEC 60958/61937, like SPDIF.