What is the Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature?

IMPORTANT: This article applies only to specific products and/or operating systems. Check Applicable Products and Categories for details.

The Audio Return Channel (ARC) connects your TV and audio system with a single High Speed HDMI® cable and eliminates the need for an additional composite audio or optical cable.

You can view the video that covers ARC and enhanced ARC (eARC) features or skip to the detailed information.

ARC features

Connecting an ARC-compatible audio system to an ARC-compatible TV allows the following:

• Send audio from the TV to the audio system.
• View and listen to movies and other content sent from the audio system and viewed on the TV.
• Control functions that allow features such as using one remote for multiple devices.

To connect an ARC-compatible audio system to an ARC-compatible TV, a high-speed HDMI cable must be connected from the TV HDMI (ARC) IN port on the TV to the HDMI (ARC) OUT port on the A/V Receiver or Soundbar:

An additional optical or analog audio cable is required to send sound to the audio system if either the TV or audio system isn't ARC-compatible: