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Question

Will TV pass 5.1 to Soundbar from Blu-ray via HDMI-ARC?

Mar 27, 2015 7:48AM PDT

I have a Samsung UN65H7150 TV, a Samsung HW-H750 soundbar and a Samsung BD-H5900 Blu-ray player.

Via HDMI-ARCI, I understand the TV itself will provide 5.1 to the soundbar , but will it passthrough 5.1 from an external device (namely the Blu-ray player)? I understand some TV's will and others won't.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Under some conditions.
Mar 27, 2015 7:52AM PDT
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Apps are not external devices
Mar 27, 2015 8:48AM PDT

As I said in my original post, "I understand the TV itself [apps, OTA] will provide 5.1 to the soundbar, but will it passthrough 5.1 from an external device?"

The link you provided is older than my TV and, thus, doesn't include my model.

Would appreciate an answer from a Samsung rep on this.

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So far, it's been no pass if the source is HDMI.
Mar 27, 2015 9:12AM PDT

In the USA you can get an answer in minutes at 1800SAMSUNG. If yours works, it would be the first I've heard of.
Good luck,
Bob

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Answer
Second hurdle. That soundbar is 4.1 not 5.1
Mar 27, 2015 9:15AM PDT
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I'm aware
Mar 27, 2015 12:22PM PDT

Re: 4.1, that's irrelevant. 4.1 is not even a real format. It just means there's not a dedicated center speaker. What's important is that the soundbar can decode 5.1, so I want to see if it's getting 5.1. I'm mostly interested to find out if the LFE channel is being passed through.

Re: running BR player through the soundbar, I'd prefer all sources to go through the TV for convenience of switching. (Wife acceptance factor!)

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Since the Ambassador
Mar 27, 2015 10:33PM PDT

Only shows from time to time, why not call it in? You'll have a Samsung answer in minutes. If your TV passes 5.1 with HDMI sources, this would be good news for Samsungs. About time.
Bob

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I called
Mar 28, 2015 5:00AM PDT

Samsung rep on the phone claimed my TV will indeed pass 5.1 from my Blu-ray to my soundbar via HDMI. Not sure I really believe him, though! When I did the Disney WOW calibration disc, all channels came through except the LFE. That's what prompted my question.

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Back to Sam.
Mar 28, 2015 5:03AM PDT
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Yep
Mar 28, 2015 9:37AM PDT

Hence the question.

Now, the sub itself works fine, I can hear it when playing music and watching movies. However, it's possible that in those cases the sub is playing low frequencies from the left / right / center channels and not from the discrete ".1" LFE channel.

Trying to determine if there's a problem with the calibration disc, my BD player settings, or if 5.1 is just not getting passed through.

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You can test this. Use the HDMI in on that sound bar.
Mar 28, 2015 10:19AM PDT

But it's an odd bar with 4.1 so who knows what it's processing capability is.

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Manual says it processes 5.1
Mar 28, 2015 12:26PM PDT

It may be an "odd bar", but it's Samsung's top-of-the-line "straight" model. (The 7500 is the curved model to match curved TVs.) As I said before, 4.1 only means there's no dedicated center speaker. Center can easily be emulated by L & R channels. Specs clearly show that it processes Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1 surround formats.

On the test disc, all 5 channels tested fine, the only question is the ".1." I plan on testing it with direct connection, once I get another cable. (Existing cables are routed to the TV through the wall.)

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Emulation isn't the same as the real deal
Mar 28, 2015 12:48PM PDT

Therein lies the rub. What good is a calibration disc when you aren't utilizing proper 5.1 kit?

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(NT) DFTT
Mar 28, 2015 2:10PM PDT
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Lately the newbies here are full of...
Mar 29, 2015 1:32AM PDT

...snark. And usually after asking silly questions that have answers found elsewhere.

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One test to answer the passing 5.1 question.
Mar 29, 2015 1:43AM PDT

It's really good to read that newer Samsungs pass 5.1, but here we are in the rough (golf lingo) where it's not a sure thing that the .1 is getting out. One test to see where it is then you can get back to Samsung with your findings to ask for a fix.
Bob

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Answer
In theory it should.
Mar 28, 2015 3:51AM PDT

I believed that's the whole idea of ARC. As long as the component/s are ARC compatible, that's my understanding about ARC.

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Not always
Mar 28, 2015 5:05AM PDT

Apparently many TV's won't:

<div>"Some TVs will send 5.1 if the TV is the source of the audio (either from a streaming app or the built-in over-the-air tuner), but won't pass 5.1 from other sources, like a Blu-ray player."
</div>

Source: http://www.cnet.com/news/what-is-audio-return-channel-arc/


Re: the link that R. Proffitt previously posted on the subject:

"And in case you're wondering about CNET's test of 20 TVs last year, it's not necessarily a good indicator of a TV's ARC implementation. We tested only the ability of the TV to pass surround sound via the optical output; we didn't test ARC or HDMI audio capabilities at all."

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You have never read my rants concerning ARC here yet?
Mar 28, 2015 12:46PM PDT

My latest utterance: ARC is a fARCe (e.g. it rarely works as it is intended)

Wink cheers