Why Your TV's Sound Isn't as Good as It Should Be

Have you ever felt like your TV's sound is lacking? You might be using the wrong HDMI port. The HDMI eARC port is designed to give you the best audio experience, especially if you have a soundbar or a home theater setup. eARC, which stands for enhanced Audio Return Channel, has a higher data transfer rate than regular HDMI ports. This means it can handle advanced audio formats like DTS:X and Dolby Atmos without any issues. However, for this to work, your audio device must also support eARC. If it only supports the older ARC port, you won't get the best sound quality.Introduced in 2017 with the HDMI 2. 1 standard, eARC is an upgrade from the original ARC feature. The older version couldn't handle high-quality uncompressed audio, but eARC can, making it possible to enjoy formats like Dolby TrueHD. Not all devices will benefit from eARC. For example, Blu-Ray players, gaming consoles, PCs, and streaming sticks won't see much of a difference. This is because eARC is mainly designed to send audio out from the TV. However, if you're using a gaming console like the PS5, HDMI 2. 1 is still the best choice for 4K resolution and reduced lag. If you're not sure which HDMI port to use, check your user manual. The ports should be labeled, but if they're not, the manual will have the information you need.