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Arc, Projector, HDMI Matrix and Volume Control

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I’m sold on the Arc + One SL setup for my home theatre but I have an issue.

My projector is up high at the back of the room (obviously) so routing the devices at the front of the room into it is impractical.

So they’ll need to go into an HDMI matrix, 4 in, 2 out. Then one HDMI out to the projector, the other to the Arc. I don’t want to use Optical for audio due to its limitations.

Does anyone know if or how I’d be able to control volume in this setup? My display has no speakers or volume control, so I couldn’t use that in the way a TV normally would.

Would my only option be the Sonos app? That’s a bit clunky and slow for that moment you want to grab the remote and change the volume.

Does HomeKit and AirPlay compatibility mean that the playback status and volume would show on the lock screen of my iPhone whenever the Arc was playing audio?

Or are there any other options?

Thanks in advance

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melvimbeAnswer

I’m sure someone would have suggested this by now if possible, but just to confirm there’s no way I can use my existing 6in/2out AV Receiver with eARC (Sony STR-DN1080 7.2ch Home Theatre AV Receiver) in place of the proposed HDMI switcher and achieve what I originally wanted, right? For the same reason - it doesn’t mimic a TV’s ARC functionality?

Correct. Your AVR’s role in eARC is essentially the same as what the Sonos Arc is going, receiving audio from the TV via eARC.

Danny

ratty

Firstly, as far as I know, no-one has yet found an HDMI switch which is able to strip audio from an input and export it as HDMI-ARC or -eARC, which is what would be required. If you discover one, please let the community know.

A straightforward HDMI out from a matrix switch is not compatible with Beam/Arc. They’re designed to work off the ARC/eARC signal from a TV.

As far as controlling the volume is concerned, Sonos home theatre products can be trained to accept infra-red codes. Basically you could use any standard TV-compatible IR remote.

T

tomwhitakerAuthor

Avid Contributor I

Ah ok. So the bit I thought was hard (volume) is easy but the bit I thought was easy (the switch) is hard!

I was looking at this.
https://www.port-ta.com/uk/matrix/hdmi-matrix/porttar-4x2-hdmitm-matrix-with-audio-4kat60hz.html

The 7th image on here references audio and ARC (if not eARC).

So any thoughts on that are appreciated!

ratty

That device, like others which have been referenced here, outputs digital audio over coax/optical. The audio can originate from any of the inputs, or the ARC received on either of its two outputs. As it can only extract the audio onto S/PDIF, that’s limited to DD/PCM (or DTS).

The missing piece is another input (like on a TV) onto which an ARC/eARC signal could be generated, such that the device emulates a TV’s port. Plus of course the necessary smarts to extract the full DD+ or TrueHD off whatever signal is passing through the box.

melvimbe

Ah ok. So the bit I thought was hard (volume) is easy but the bit I thought was easy (the switch) is hard!

I was looking at this.
https://www.port-ta.com/uk/matrix/hdmi-matrix/porttar-4x2-hdmitm-matrix-with-audio-4kat60hz.html

The 7th image on here references audio and ARC (if not eARC).

So any thoughts on that are appreciated!

Devices like this that reference ARC (Audio Return Channel) mean that they can take the ARC signal coming off a TV (through the HDMI output port) and convert it over to one of the audio outputs, sometimes also send it to one of the HDMI inputs. That also seems to be the case for this device, based on it’s description and pictures.

What is needed is a device that essentially mimics what an ARC/eARC TV is supposed to do, which is extract the audio from an HDMI input and send over the ARC pins on a different designated HDMI-ARC input.

Danny

T

tomwhitakerAuthor

Avid Contributor I

Right thanks both.

So there’s basically no way whatsoever to use the Arc with a projector unless you’re happy with optical audio?

melvimbe

Right thanks both.

So there’s basically no way whatsoever to use the Arc with a projector unless you’re happy with optical audio?

There isn’t a practical way. You could use an HDMI matrix like the one you found with one output going to the project and another to an ARC/eARC capable TV that can pass through Atmos, with Sonos Arc connected to it. Watch the video from the projector, and the TV just gets you the audio. As I said before, we need a device that mimics what a TV does, so of course, you actually use a TV instead. I have seen ARC capable TVs for $100 or less, not sure if they pass Atmos though.

Danny

T

tomwhitakerAuthor

Avid Contributor I

Damn, that’s such a shame. Was excited for my new setup but that’s just not practical.

ratty

You could go ahead with the Sonos kit, but for the time being ‘make do’ with DD5.1. HDMI extractors which output DD audio as optical are very common and relatively cheap. Arc comes with an optical/HDMI adaptor.

Then, when a suitable TV-mimicking device appears which outputs audio over ARC/eARC, use that instead. I have to believe that there’s a market for such a gadget, assuming it’s technically feasible, even if it ends up priced for a relatively low sales volume.

Airgetlam

Exactly what my plan is. Partially due to failures in my TV set to provide eARC, and partially due to failures in Apple TV to send a Atmos signal on anything other than MAT, which requires eARC.

Bruce

T

tomwhitakerAuthor

Avid Contributor I

Ok thanks. But if no one has ever made a device that can do this with the old sound bars and ARC, I’m not confident an eARC-compatible one is going to emerge :(

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