HDfury Arcana: eARC Adaptor: Things you should know


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By now everyone has heard about the HDfury Arcana: eARC Adapter that is now available for pre-order.  It’s touted to relieve lip-sync issues associated with the Sonos Arc among other things. Read about the proposed benefits of the HDfury Arcana: eArc Adapter here.

This information is not intended to deter anyone from ordering the Arcana (I’m contemplating ordering it for testing).  However, my expectations are not that it will be a “cure-all” for every situation regarding Sonos. Below are two things regarding the HDfury Arcana: eARC Adapter you should know:

  1. The Arcana may negate Alexa/Google voice assistance between your TV and the Arc (as well as the Beam). Things such as on/off, volume and input switching via voice. Note: The Stretch Goal for the Arcana claims it may not :thinking:
  2. The Arcana will not bring Dolby Atmos to the Beam; although it may improve DD5.1 interoperability with some sources and reduce lip-sync issues

While the above may seem obvious...experience here in the community has taught me not to assume that everything is logically understood (crystal clear). :slight_smile:

If I do decide to order the Arcana I’ll report back with testing results.

Edit: I ordered it. I’m just a Tech Junkie...someone help me...please:fearful:

Cheers!


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33 replies

@MrChrisD With the Arcana you can still use the native apps on your TV. The Arcana is only used for external media devices. 

 

That’s not 100% accurate, or perhaps should be clarified.  If you want to get audio from native TV apps to the Sonos Arc, Arcana would still be used in the process. The TV side of Arcana will connect to your HDMI-ARC port on your TV, and your TV will send audio (when playing native apps) back along that connect to Arcana.  Arcana will then pass the audio on to the Sonos Arc.  I have not used this feature myself, as I find it easier just to use an external streaming box, but others have used it without issue.

One way to look at it is that Arcana will take audio from external sources or your TV via HDMI-ARC, and pass it via HDMI-eARC to Sonos Arc.  At the same time, it will take video from external sources and pass that on to your TV.

THANK YOU! That’s exactly what I needed to know. 

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I have Roku Ultra stick which supplies most apps.  I have this plugged into my Arcana.  My TV is a 4K Samsung.  Sound is from Sonos ARC, AMP, Sub and ceiling rears

I have set the TV audio out to “receiver” but it is unpredicatable whether the sound does come out the Sonos.  Mostly it does but sometimes it reverts to the TV, sometimes it seems to be coming out the Sonos but the TV remote increases the TV sound.  I am not how to make it always come out the Sonos

Other than that, I am happy with picture and sound coming from Roku to Arcana to Sonos

 

@Tudor . How do you have everything wired? The TV audio settings should be irrelevant here.

You have tbe Roku in the Arcana's HDMI in. You should have tbe eARC out going to the Arc and the HDMI out going to an HDMI port on the TV. I suggest you don't use the HDMI-ARC port,  although it should not matter.

Edit: I suggest you mute the TV's own speakers.

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I need to connect to the eARC HDMI on the TV in order to get sound when watching terrestrial TV/Freeview (I am in the UK)

 

If I connect the MHL-HDMI, the TV does not send sound to the Sonos ARC

 

 

In which case, the Roku should be connected to any other HDMI input on the TV. The TV is the “switching” device, and creates and sends the audio signal via ARC/eARC to the Sonos Arc. Not quite sure why you’re using an Arcana at all….unless your TV is unable to pass a Dolby Digital Plus or MAT signal to the Arc. 

There’s a good example on the HD Fury website detailing how to get output from a TV’s internal apps back to the Arcana.  Requires a bunch of cabling and a HDMI matrix device. But the thing to remember is that the Arcana removes the TV as the output for the Sonos Arc. Essentially, it pulls the audio before it reaches the TV set. If you’re watching something on the TV set like a “smart app” built in to the TV, it needs to feed backwards in the loop in order to reach the Arcana, and be passed to the Arc. 

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I am using the Arcana so that I can watch streaming channels NEtflix, Amazon and Apple TV with best sound.  It has cured sync problems with Netfkix that I used to have.  I can watch Apple TV with Atmos as well

 

Are you using an hdmi splitter?

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I have no need for a splitter.  I have the Roku going in to the Arcana.  I have HDMI out to the TV and to the Sonos.  I have no other external devices.  When I watch terrestrial TV, it is on the TV itself.