Why a great soundbar can sound ordinary on the wrong TV and how to avoid that mistake

Buying a TV and soundbar together? Check ARC, eARC, Dolby Atmos support and remote control before you pay, so the two work well as a proper pair at home.

Planning to buy a TV and soundbar together? Check these compatibility features

By Sparsh Sharma

Sparsh Sharma is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital Streams, where he covers consumer technology, gadgets, artificial intelligence and the latest trends shaping the digital world. His work focuses on creating research-driven, accessible digital content that helps readers make informed buying decisions and understand how technology is changing their everyday lives.

Before joining Hindustan Times, Sparsh spent over two and a half years at Times Network, where he worked across Times Now Tech and covered a wide range of technology stories, from features, news and product reviews to smartphones, gadgets, apps, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and emerging tech trends. During his time there, he closely followed the fast-moving consumer technology landscape and worked on making the latest developments easy to understand for everyday users.

Over the years, Sparsh has tested and reviewed multiple smartphones, televisions, audio products, wearables and a wide range of consumer gadgets. His approach to technology coverage goes beyond specifications and benchmark numbers. He is particularly interested in how products perform in real-world situations, how useful they actually are and whether they deliver on the promises made by manufacturers.

He is also fascinated by the growing world of artificial intelligence and loves experimenting with the latest AI tools to find new ways of making technology content more engaging. From creating visuals and charts to building diagrams and experimenting with new formats, he enjoys using AI to add a little more fun and context to his stories while keeping the information accurate and useful.

A graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sparsh believes good technology journalism should make complicated things feel simple, relatable and useful.

Beyond the newsroom, Sparsh is a massive cricket fan and has been a Virat Kohli fanboy since his childhood.

Got an exciting technology story idea, product tip, or something you think deserves attention? Reach out to Sparsh at sparsh.sharma@htdigital.in.

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A cousin of mine bought a lovely new TV last year, then added a well-reviewed soundbar a few weeks later and spent the next weekend wondering why the movie nights sounded no better than before. The culprit was a single port and a single setting. If you are planning to buy a TV and a soundbar together, or one after the other, this is the part of the spec sheet that deserves more of your attention than the wattage figure on the box. Here is what to check, in plain language, so the two devices cooperate instead of just sharing a shelf.

Start with the port: ARC versus eARC

Look at the back of your TV and you will find several HDMI sockets, but usually only one of them is labelled ARC or eARC. That is the one meant for sending audio from the TV to the soundbar. ARC stands for Audio Return Channel and it lets a single HDMI cable carry sound back out of the TV, so you do not need a separate audio cable. eARC, the enhanced version, has far more bandwidth. That matters because it can carry uncompressed, lossless audio formats, which plain ARC cannot. If your soundbar supports those formats and your TV only has ARC, you will still get decent sound, just not the best version of it. If both sides support eARC, you are set for the next several years.

Major differences

Feature	HDMI eARC	HDMI ARC	Optical	Bluetooth
Audio quality	Highest, supports lossless formats	Good, compressed formats	Good, compressed or basic stereo	Lowest, compressed
Dolby Atmos	Yes, including lossless versions	Usually in compressed form only	No	No
Remote control (CEC)	Yes	Yes	No	Usually not
Lag risk	Very low	Very low	Low	Noticeable on some pairs
Cable needed	HDMI (high speed or better)	HDMI	Optical cable	None
Best for	Movie fans, Atmos users	Everyday TV and streaming	Older TVs without ARC	Quick, casual listening
Main drawback	Both devices need to support it	Cannot carry lossless audio	No Atmos, no remote link	Compression and delay

Check the cable, not just the sockets

This sounds trivial, but it catches people out. The cable that came free with an old set-top box may not have enough capacity for eARC. A modern high speed or ultra high speed HDMI cable is the safer choice and it costs very little compared with the equipment on either end of it.

Dolby Atmos and DTS: does the signal actually reach the soundbar?

Many soundbars advertise Dolby Atmos, which adds height to the sound so effects seem to come from above you. But a soundbar can only play what it receives. The TV has to pass the Atmos signal on from whichever app or device is playing it and that depends on the TV's own HDMI implementation and settings. Before paying extra for Atmos, check that the TV you are buying can send it through its ARC or eARC port and that the soundbar lists the same formats. If you mostly watch regular broadcast TV and YouTube, none of this will change much. Atmos and similar formats show up on certain streaming films, shows and discs, so think about what you actually watch.

Remote control and HDMI-CEC

HDMI-CEC is the feature that lets one remote control more than one device. With it switched on, your TV remote can change the soundbar's volume and turn it on and off with the TV. Every brand gives it a different marketing name, which makes it harder to spot on a spec sheet, so look for it in the manual or the settings menu. Without it, you end up juggling two remotes, which gets old quickly in a living room.

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Passing video through the soundbar

Some soundbars have their own HDMI input sockets, so you can plug a console or streaming stick into the soundbar and send video on to the TV. Convenient, but this is where gamers can run into trouble. If the soundbar's HDMI ports do not support the same video features as your TV, such as certain HDR formats or high refresh rates, they can quietly strip them out. If you game on a console, plug it into the TV directly and send only the audio to the soundbar.

Lip sync and the Bluetooth temptation

Connecting over Bluetooth is easy, but it compresses audio and can introduce a small delay, so dialogue may land a fraction of a second after the actor's lips move. Most TVs and soundbars offer a delay adjustment, which helps, but a wired HDMI connection avoids the problem entirely. An optical cable is a solid fallback if your TV lacks ARC, though it cannot carry Atmos or lossless formats.

Size, placement and the wall

Measure before you buy: a soundbar that is wider than the TV stand will look awkward and one that sits in front of the screen's bottom edge can block part of the picture on a low unit. If you plan to wall-mount the TV, check where the soundbar will sit and whether its wireless subwoofer has a sensible spot nearby. Rear speakers need a power socket as well, which is easy to forget until the sofa is already in place.

Same brand or mixed?

Pairing a TV and soundbar from the same maker can unlock extras, such as the TV's own speakers working alongside the soundbar as a centre channel, or tighter control through one menu. It is a nice bonus, but it should not override the basics above. A well-matched mixed pair, with the right ports and formats, will usually beat a same-brand pair where one device lacks something you need.

If you watch a lot of films or streaming content with immersive audio, make eARC support on both devices a priority. If your viewing is mostly news, sport and YouTube, a TV with ARC and a soundbar that supports CEC will serve you perfectly well, and you can save the money you would have spent on premium format support. Gamers should keep consoles plugged into the TV and check passthrough rules. Whatever you choose, match the ports, formats and measurements first, and the price comparison second.

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FAQs

What is the difference between ARC and eARC?

ARC sends audio from the TV to a soundbar over HDMI. eARC does the same with much more bandwidth, allowing uncompressed, lossless audio formats.

Do I need an eARC TV to use a soundbar?

No. Any TV with ARC, optical or Bluetooth output can drive a soundbar, though you will not get lossless formats without eARC on both devices.

Can I use any HDMI cable for ARC or eARC?

Use a modern high speed or ultra high speed HDMI cable. Very old or low-quality cables can cause dropouts or limit eARC features.

Why is my soundbar volume not controlled by the TV remote?

HDMI-CEC may be switched off. Enable it in the TV settings, which brands label differently, and make sure the soundbar is on the ARC or eARC port.

Is optical or HDMI better for a soundbar?

HDMI ARC or eARC is generally better because it supports richer formats and remote control. Optical is a reliable fallback for older TVs.

Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.