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HDMI ARC or HDMI Audio Return Channel was introduced into the HDMI specification (in this case HDMI 1.4) in 2009 with a specific purpose: simplifying and improving the experience of getting audio from your TV to a speaker. Historically, soundbars and other audio equipment have used optical cables to transfer digital audio, which meant introducing yet another cable to your TV or routing everything through a dedicated, expensive home theater receiver. ARC lets an HDMI port do the heavy lifting, eliminating the need for a separate audio cable and giving you access to the sort of high-quality audi

While some soundbars, such as Sonos' Beam and Arc Ultra, default to HDMI ARC or HDMI eARC connections to offer crisper, more immersive audio, that doesn't mean you have to switch. If you're happy with what you get from your TV's built-in speakers, a soundbar might not be for you at all. And if you already have a soundbar that only offers optical audio out (also known as a TOSLINK port), the vast majority of TVs made today still offer that connection. The only disadvantage is that optical audio cables can't handle as much data as HDMI cables can. TOSLINK has been around since the '80s, after al

Billy Steele for Engadget HDMI eARC, or HDMI Enhanced Audio Return Channel, is an even more capable version of HDMI ARC that was formally introduced with the HDMI 2.1 specification in 2017. HDMI eARC has begun to replace HDMI ARC on some newer TVs because of the expanded number of audio formats it supports. In comparison to ARC audio, which is bandwidth-limited and in many cases still sends compressed audio to your speakers, eARC has the bandwidth to handle completely uncompressed, lossless audio, even when dealing with complex multi-speaker standards. The HDMI Forum says that HDMI eARC "suppo

At least so far, HDMI eARC is the cutting edge when it comes to using an HDMI cable to transfer audio from your TV to a speaker. The newest HDMI specification, HDMI 2.2, includes HDMI eARC, but unchanged from its previous iteration. The rest of HDMI 2.2 is concerned with improving bandwidth, and offering higher resolution and higher framerate video, rather than expanding the audio capabilities of the standard. HDMI eARC seems like it will be the go-to for the foreseeable future.