Audio Return Channel, often referred to as ARC, is a very practical feature that has become popular since the evolution of the HDMI v1.4 (also known as high speed cable with Ethernet). Essentially ARC allows the audio signal to be transferred from your television back up to your receiver at the same time a signal is being sent from your receiver to your television. This means a separate audio cable is not necessary from your television to your receiver. Typically a digital optical or digital coaxial would be used to transfer the audio signal from your tv to the receiver.
To be able to take advantage of ARC, your television and receiver both need to be ARC compatible. Although not every manufacturer has jumped aboard this technology yet, it is widely available and worth considering when purchasing new equipment. A couple of obvious benefits include one less cable to clutter up your space and an easier way to set up your system. Check out the manufacturers specifications or ask if this feature is included.
Most televisions which are ARC compatible will have the HDMI input clearly marked, so you can simply plug it in and away you go. Receivers should also have one of the HDMI inputs clearly marked ARC for easy identification. When first setting up your television, the components should recognise each other. If they don’t you may find it necessary to manually set your televisions audio output to ARC by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
