What Are HDMI EARC And ARC? A Quick Guide

So this Black Friday you bought a new big screen TV and want to buy some accessories. One of those accessories will likely be an HDMI cable so you can connect it to your Xbox, Playstation 5, Blu-Ray player, or other device. But what is HDMI eARC and HDMI ARC on my new TV? And which one should I use?

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

If you're familiar with any kind of consumer technology, you know that it's evolving and moving fast. For some devices, such as smartphones, technology is generally incremental, but for other technologies, it can move very quickly. HDMI technology has evolved rapidly and there are several different types to choose from, two of which are HDMI eARC and HDMI ARC.

We know that an HDMI cable is used to carry the signal from your device to the TV, but what are HDMI, eARC and ARC?

Summary:

• HDMI ARC:
  • Audio formats supported by ARC
• ARC HDMI:
  • Comparison between ARC and eARC
• Closing

HDMI ARC:

Samsung 55″ BU8100 Crystal UHD 4K TV

HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) was developed to eliminate the need for consumers to have separate audio cables, such as RCA cables or optical cables. These ARC cables are high speed cables that can carry audio and video from your source to your TV. Audio signals can flow to and from the speakers, improving sound quality and signal latency.

Most TVs manufactured in recent years support HDMI ARC, which is widely used. To use ARC, you must use an HDMI 1.4 or higher cable. An example of a compatible cable is the Best Buy Essentials Cable or Amazon's StarTech Cable.

It is important to note that ARC functionality can only be used through specific ports on the TV and that external speakers or soundbars must be ARC compatible. Depending on the make and model, you may need to adjust the speaker settings. So don't forget to check your system first.

So the simple explanation is that ARC allows you to connect everything to your TV and connect one HDMI cable to your sound system. This eliminates any other audio cables you may be using.

Audio formats supported by ARC

• PCM (2 channels)
• Dolby Digital (up to 5.1 channel)
• DTS Digital Surround (up to 5.1 ch)
• DTS is only available on pre-2018 models

ARC HDMI:

Samsung Neo QLED 8K 55 inch TV

As mentioned above, technology moves fast but remains the same. This is why you can watch your TV with an ARC connection, but with the new HDMI eARC connection, eARC is very new and may not be available on your TV or audio system. Or you may have it in one and not the other. They're backwards compatible, but you won't benefit from eARC if both devices don't support it

Samsung describes HDMI EARC as: “eARC allows audio from cable, satellite, streaming or source devices to be sent to a TV via a single HDMI cable from an AVR or soundbar. This ensures the simplicity of the connection and the ability to experience native sound.”

So yes, eARC does exactly what it does, but it does it better. HDMI eARC uses the latest HDMI 2.1 technology, increasing bandwidth and speed by leaps and bounds. eARC lets you stream HQ audio from your TV to a soundbar or AV receiver and is compatible with high bitrate formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS. An example of a compatible eARC cable is Best Buy's Rocketfish cable or Amazon's StarTech HDMI 2.1 cable.

Comparison between ARC and eARC

function	HDMI ARC:	ARC HDMI:
Compact 5.1	yes	yes
Compact 5.1	no	yes
Compressed 7.1	no	yes
Object-oriented and high bitrate 192kHz, 23bit (eg Dolby Atmos, DTS:X)	no	yes

Closing

To find out if your devices are ARC or eARC compatible, check the HDMI connections on the ARC or eARC label. I hope this simple guide was enough to help you decide which one to use.

If you have two ARC-compatible devices, use an ARC-compatible cable. If you have an ARC compatible device and an eARC compatible device, you can use an ARC 1.4 or eARC 2.1 cable, but you will only be able to use the ARC functions. If you have two eARC-compatible devices, use a 2.1 cable to take advantage of advanced eARC features.

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Last updated on November 27, 2022.

What is HDMI eARC and ARC? Quick Start Guide appeared first on Techaeris.

Choosing The Right Home Theater Projector Screen

Home theater projectors are becoming more and more popular. More affordable and versatile than any giant TV above 90 inches, it's no wonder it's changing the tide for large-scale home entertainment.

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Gone are the problems of primitive home projection screens, from screen brightness and viewing angle to overall image quality. For the most part, they were designed for home design installation.

But the current generation of projection screens is as important and advanced as the projection technology itself. As it becomes a more viable option for home entertainment, you need to know what to look for when choosing the perfect display.

What you need to know when buying a projection screen

BenQ Android TV smart projectors

Here are the key things to keep in mind as you begin to explore your options.

screen size

The dimensions and layout of the room will determine to some extent the optimal size of your screen. Measure the size of the room itself, as well as the distance between the screen and your seat.

Given these two values, we can use a mathematical relationship to determine the optimal size.

A typical example. a seating area of ​​13 to 16 feet from the screen is optimal if the screen is 120 inches. Since no one wants to mess with math, there are quick and easy calculators online to help you figure it out.

viewing angle

Sure, if you look straight ahead, you'll see a spectacular view, but how far does that unique view extend to the sides? No one wants to sit on the sidelines trying to figure out what excites everyone else. Different projection screens offer different viewing angles, and this should take into account the design of both the screen and the room itself.

Fixed frame or retractable screen

A fixed frame projection screen is exactly what the name suggests. It's a permanent display in your home theater that provides a narrow, flat surface for perfect image projection.

A retractable screen, on the other hand, is designed to hide away when not in use. Here are the two main types.

management

These are screens that you pull down with a handle and pull back after use. Since they are usually suspended from the ceiling, they maintain a flat surface due to the weight of the screen itself. However, the downside is that it can be affected by internal designs, which can lead to unstable image distortion.

with engine

Motorized projection screens are often preferred because of their versatility, moving up and down with the push of a button. Although they are easier to use and more reliable, they still need to be connected to your home's electrical system.

If you choose a retractable screen, make sure it is extended. This eliminates distortion or ripples on the projection screen.

border and frame

A narrower bezel or bezel around the screen is usually the most elegant solution, and the screen can be slightly lighter.

However, selecting a black frame of 2 and 3 can significantly improve visibility by absorbing areas of the image that are not precisely in focus, as well as improving contrast with deeper blacks. This creates a cleaner overall projection and greater enjoyment.

ambient light pressure

At first it was very important to watch the projector in a completely dark room. But thanks to advancements and technology, ambient light in a room can be neutralized to an incredible degree.

Ambient light screens (sometimes called CLR screens) use nearly microscopic ridges on the surface to allow only the light from the projector to pass through the audience, while rejecting the glare of room light. In addition to a clearer and brighter picture, you can watch horror movies with the lights on; This is a great choice for shy movie lovers.

Additional features

Along with our top considerations, make sure you understand all the other options to consider when choosing a quality projector screen.

screen resolution

Cinematic quality is often a goal when shopping for projectors and screens, and the first thing you should look for is a 4K projector. However, this projector needs a high quality screen to create the smooth surface needed to not lose the small pixels in the image. This can distort the image and cause unnecessary quality loss.

The 4K projection screen does a great job with the resolution. These screens are completely free of texture, creating a perfect projection surface. You will now see UHD images as intended.

It's always good to have a screen that provides a higher resolution than the projector can display. This makes it easy to purchase more advanced projectors later on without having to replace the screen.

screen color

Traditionally, projection screens are always considered white. But recently, great progress has been made in modern grayscale projection screens. Gray screens produce deeper blacks and, when combined with a black background, can block light that can pass through the screen. It also has the ability to reflect ambient light, as we mentioned earlier.

victory on the screen

Surface area refers to the amount of light reflected from a surface and plays an important role in image quality. A gain of 1 is the amount of light that reflects off the screen when projected onto it.

So a gain of 1.5 gives a screen that reflects 150% of the light that hits it. If the screen has a higher gain, it can conflict with a lot of ambient light in the room. In this case, try to find 1 as low as possible.

Higher gain screens usually achieved this by creating a narrower viewing angle for a more compressed and focused image.

If you want a wider field of view, choose a lower gain. But for a typical home theater, you may benefit from choosing a brighter screen with higher gain.

Acoustic transparency

The house is a wonderful place where theater meets. Acoustic transparency is the amount of sound that is allowed to pass through the screen. This means you can place the speakers directly behind the screen for a cleaner and more independent look. Both types of acoustically transparent screens are woven and perforated.

Woven screens allow sound to pass through a porous surface. As you read above, this comes with an inherent loss of resolution to the detriment of 4K images. Light reflection is also an issue, but this can be reduced by not holding the screen in front of a TV or reflective surface.

Perforated screens are the most convenient option, because they have very small holes through which sound passes. They emit less light than woven fabrics and can handle 4K resolution.

Sum it all up

The most important criterion when choosing a screen will be your personal movie theater. Every room has its own unique needs and considerations when it comes to lighting, furniture, speakers, and more. Look at the overall design scheme to make sure everything is taken into account in relation to the available space.

Consider the ambient lighting and ask yourself if you want it to be a living room TV for casual viewing and a more cinematic feel for games or movies. If you're putting a skylight in the living room, you'll probably want to block some of the light in that room.

There are so many monitors to choose from that making an informed decision can seem overwhelming. But if you stick with what's best for your cinema, you'll find the screen of your dreams.

If you want to know more about buying a projection screen, be sure to read this detailed guide.

Ready to find a home theater projection screen? Check out our friends at ProjectorScreen.com. They offer the lowest prices on the high quality cinema screens you want to use to create a fully immersive cinema experience in your home. With expert sales and support unmatched anywhere else online, they're the best place to buy a home theater display. buy now

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Last updated on November 10, 2022.

The post Choosing the right projection screen for your home theater appeared first on Techaeris.