Avid Contributor I

Arcana first impressions.

Forum|Forum|6 years ago
September 22, 2020
16 replies
1817 views

TLDR - Arcana is an awesome device that fixed a major sound issue, as well as Atmos TrueHD.

My previous setup - Nvidia Shield TV → Samsung Q9FN TV standard HDMI input. Sonos Arc to Q9FN HDMI ARC port.

I had been having continual issues with no sound playing when I switched apps on the Shield. I had to force quit and restart the app to get sound again.

My current setup: Nvidia Shield TV → Arcana input. eARC from Arcana to Sonos Arc, HDMI from Arcana to Q9FN.

Arcana setup consisted of connecting the cables and power cycling devices a couple of times. TrueHD Atmos from Kodi works fine, as well as DD+ Atmos from the streaming apps. My Shield remote continues to control both the TV and the Sonos Arc, no reconfiguration needed.

After 2 days, the sound problem never appeared once. Under the hood, the whole HDMI / CEC / HDCP / eARC world is a huge Charlie Foxtrot. It’s a wonder any of it works reliably :)

I believe that the HDFury folks know more about that world than any other major company. Kudos to them for an awesome product !!!!

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John B

I am also very impressed. It would be worth the money for just sorting out the maddening lip sync issues with my 2016 LG OLED TV, but ARCANA does much more than that. TrueHD and Atmos sounding great from Blu-ray.

Airgetlam

I’m anxious to get mine, and get home to install it. You two have me salivating,

Bruce

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juicesaint

Lyricist III

I currently only use apps native to my Samsung Nu8000 (netflix, amazon, disney), I have no additional external devices. The tv is currently connected via ARC (no earc) to the sonos arc.

To get Atmos capability would I simply connect my tv to the Arcana and then to the Sonos arc? Would this work? Or would I require a switch or some other device?

D

Dave_OAuthor

Avid Contributor I

I currently only use apps native to my Samsung Nu8000 (netflix, amazon, disney), I have no additional external devices. The tv is currently connected via ARC (no earc) to the sonos arc.

To get Atmos capability would I simply connect my tv to the Arcana and then to the Sonos arc? Would this work? Or would I require a switch or some other device?

I would refer you to HDFury’s Arcana channel on Discord for a definitive answer.

E

ekwok

Prominent Collaborator I

I currently only use apps native to my Samsung Nu8000 (netflix, amazon, disney), I have no additional external devices. The tv is currently connected via ARC (no earc) to the sonos arc.

To get Atmos capability would I simply connect my tv to the Arcana and then to the Sonos arc? Would this work? Or would I require a switch or some other device?

It won’t work that way. You will need an external source, e.g. AppleTV 4K or Nvidia Shield and play them through the Arcana.

J

juicesaint

Lyricist III

I currently only use apps native to my Samsung Nu8000 (netflix, amazon, disney), I have no additional external devices. The tv is currently connected via ARC (no earc) to the sonos arc.

To get Atmos capability would I simply connect my tv to the Arcana and then to the Sonos arc? Would this work? Or would I require a switch or some other device?

It won’t work that way. You will need an external source, e.g. AppleTV 4K or Nvidia Shield and play them through the Arcana.

Thank you. Makes sense otherwise how would you split the signal.

J

juicesaint

Lyricist III

Hey folks, couple follow up questions.

1-I’ve ordered the Arcana and before I buy an Apple 4k tv does anyone know if the ATV apps for Netflix, Prime video, Disney + all deliver Atmos (with the right subscription)?

2-My current TV doesn't have earc, yet I just tried playing Jack Ryan on my TV’s native prime video app and am seeing audio in Dolby Atmos (DD+). Does this mean I’m actually getting Atmos? I’m not getting Atmos on Netflix/Disney/Apple app. Is this a glitch?

thanks!

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Dave_OAuthor

Avid Contributor I

To clarify one point, Atmos is not an audio codec. It is a metadata stream within existing Dolby Codecs. DD+ is used for Atmos by all main streaming services, so for those an HDMI ARC connection is fine. If you wanted to play a 4K Blue Ray at best quality, that would require Atmos over TrueHD or MAT which requires eARC.

As to which content on which streaming services over which streaming device will have Atmos, that is an evolving matrix.

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ekwok

Prominent Collaborator I

Yes, ATV4K apps including ATV+, Disney+ and Netflix provide ATMOS through the Arcana. The codec is Dolby MAT.

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juicesaint

Lyricist III

Thank you both for the reply. Order placed for ATV. Looking forward to seeing it all in action when the Arcana arrives.