6 ms·
Firmware updates may resolve HDMI compatibilities, though, and in my mind it's always worth the risk even if there's a 10% chance of improvement because HDMI re
by sgtnoodle 4y ago
Firmware updates may resolve HDMI compatibilities, though, and in my mind it's always worth the risk even if there's a 10% chance of improvement because HDMI reliability is terrible.
When I mounted my TV, I embedded a single HDMI cable, a single cat5e cable, and a single optical cable in the wall. Conduit wasn't an option due to the age and construction of the wall, so changing it would require power tools and drywall mud.
I have a sound bar rather than a receiver because it makes my wife happy. The sound bar works best with ARC. Optical works too, but power and volume isn't synchronized.
I have an NVIDIA shield mounted behind the TV because the TV's software stack got too lethargic, and the TV's built-in decoder has silicon bugs that break video in Netflix, and break surround sound in everything but Netflix.
Surprisingly, everything works reliably about 95% of the time. It's unfortunate that I consider that a win. I just added a 4-1 HDMI splitter with ARC passthrough in order to get a Blu-ray player back in the mix, and it was boring!
- warble 4y agoWow, never once ever had an issue with HDMI, although I only go 4K at most. I never even considered it a possibility.
- sgtnoodle 4y agoThis thread has motivated me to try and tackle my current audio drop out problem. Every 5-10 minutes, the audio drops out for a second. I'm currently updating the firmware on my soundbar as a shot in the dark...
- sgtnoodle 4y agoWell, I tried a new HDMI topology and that didn't improve things. I tried intentionally mis-configuring the TV to break ARC but still have CEC power and volume control of my sound bar, but the sound bar still defaults to ARC on power up rather than SPDIF. I've given up on ARC completely in my setup. The Nvidia Shield remote can control sound bar volume via IR. I just successfully watched a full movie without any drop outs. Also, I may be imagining it, but the Shield feels more responsive. It seems like it must be the TV's fault. Don't buy a Sony I guess.
- owenwil 4y agoI wish I was in your shoes! I also had no issues with HDMI until recent years--but HDMI-eARC is so buggy on Samsung TVs, especially when being used with surround sound or a sound bar. I had no problems before I moved to a surround system/beyond ARC, but with eARC I need to reboot the TV at the wall once every two weeks or it will "forget" it's plugged into a sound system, it's very annoying. It was far worse when I first got the TV and updates have improved it somewhat, but it's still very annoying. I don't hold out hope for Samsung updating the TV for much longer, my last one from them they abandoned it after the first year. :/
- auggierose 4y agoWhy do you keep buying from them then?
- adastra22 4y agoWhy does your sound bar connect to the TV?
- sgtnoodle 4y agoSure, the "DVI" subset of HDMI generally works everywhere, although I've had signal integrity issues from cheap cables in the past. It's all the other stuff that's supposed to seamlessly integrate your components. Audio Return Channel so sound makes it to the speakers regardless of where a source is plugged in, Consumer Electronics Control so you can use one Bluetooth remote for everything, automatic power synchronization, etc. Even 4k is a little weird, with different HDMI versions supporting different frame rates. I have a Yamaha receiver from 2014 or so that doesn't support 4k, but claims to "support" it; all you have to do is turn off the receiver and it will pass the signal through!
- OJFord 4y agoBut if you're not experiencing a problem with it..? Fair enough if you have a compatibility bug it might fix maybe it's worth a shot, but until/unless that happens it's not that compelling is it?