Projector Connections: Sonos and AV Sources

AjTrek1 wrote:

 

Projectors in Home Theater are becoming very popular for those with enough wall space or retractable screen. Often questions appear in this community on how to best connect the following Sonos components:

• Playbar (Optical)
• Playbase (Optical)
• Beam (HDMI-ARC/Optical hybrid)
• Sonos Amp using 3rd party or Sonos Architectural speakers (HDMI-ARC/Optical hybrid)

I’ve yet to come across a projector with HDMI-ARC; although they may exist. Digital-out (Optical) is typically not in the traditional output format as one might find on a TV.  Additionally, projectors are limited to one; maybe two AV sources.

Households today (to name a few) may have one or more of the following AV sources:

• Cable Box
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• AppleTV
• Amazon Fire TV Stick
• Chromecast

The good news is that all the above AV sources use HDMI as the primary output connection. TV’s with multiple HDMI ports (including HDMI-ARC) have less of a problem accommodating multiple AV sources. Projectors on the other hand have limited HDMI connection options.

Here is my recommendation on how to best connect AV sources along with one of the Sonos devices mentioned above to a projector.

Purchase a HDMI Optical Extractor similar to the one in the link:

https://www.amazon.com/iArkPower-Optical-Extractor-Splitter-Supports/dp/B01K7BZ1XC/ref=sr_1_14?crid=31FEKT7GMTO8S&keywords=hdmi+optical+extractor&qid=1583328177&sprefix=hdmi+optical+e%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-14

The device in the link; or one like it can accommodate three (3) AV sources. There are more expensive ones on the market with more ports; so let your budget be your guide.

Connections

• Connect your AV source via its HDMI-Out to an available HDMI-In on the extractor. From the extractor’s HDMI-Out connect to the projectors HDMI-In.
• Connecting to a Sonos Playbar or Playbase use the extractors Optical Out to the Optical-in of the Sonos component.
• Connecting to a Sonos Beam or AMP connect the Optical/HDMI adapter to one end of a HDMI cable. Attach it to the Optical-Out of the extractor. The other end of the HDMI cable connects to the HDMI-ARC port of the Beam or AMP. *
• Follow the same instructions in the Sonos app to add Sonos surrounds, sub or 3rd party speakers as surrounds (if employing a Sonos Amp) to complete the setup; the same as if you were connecting to a traditional TV. **

That’s it! Enjoy your projector with Sonos sound!

* The HDMI/Optical adapter is supplied with the Sonos Beam. It is an optional purchase when used with the Sonos Amp. Click the link for more information: https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/optical-audio-adapter.html

** The Sonos Amp used to drive 3rd party or Sonos Architectural speakers as surrounds is an additional purchase when used with a Playbar, Playbase or Beam. A second Sonos Amp (optional purchase) is required if using a Sonos Amp to drive front speakers in a HT setup.

if i take amp connect my third party speakers, can i also connect 2 play 1?

@serravalc 

You can use the Play 1’s as surrounds. Follow the instructions in the Sonos app for the room that has the Sonos Amp to add surrounds wirelessly. Note: Both speakers must be Play 1’s you cannot mix a Play 1 with a Sonos One or Sonos One SL.

can I also use a pair to play 3? e sub?

thanks

 can I also use a pair to play 3? e sub?

Yes. The same rules apply as for the Play 1’s. They both must be Play 3’s.

Thanks for the suggestion.

I have a Mibox S (one HDMI out, one mini-Toslink out) and a BenQ W2000 projector. I am planning to buy a Sonos Amp to pair with my floorstanders and use two existing Play One as rear channels.

I am thinking of two configurations:

(i) Purchase a 1 to 2 HDMI splitter. Connect Mibox’s HDMI port to the splitter, then connect two HDMI cables to projector and Sonos Amp respectively. I read somewhere that normal HDMI output signal cannot be fed to HDMI-Arc input, is that true?

(ii) Purchase the Sonos optical to HDMI adapter and a Toslink/mini-Toslink adapter to feed audio signal from Mibox to Amp’s HDMI Arc port. Another HDMI cable for Mibox-projector connection.

Do you think this will work?

Many thanks.

HD fury is now taking preorders for a device that adds eArc to projectors and older tvs!

https://www.hdfury.com/product/4k-arcana-18gbps/

Has anyone solved for using the volume controls on an Amazon Fire TV and/or Apple TV when using a projector and splitting the HDMI audio for optical into the Arc/Playbar/Playbase?  I don’t want to be forced to using the Sonos app for adjusting volume if I can help it.

This should help for ATV...

https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3403?language=en_US

Not sure on Fire TV.  I believe that remote is bluetooth based, and Sonos sensors are IR based.  I think you could do it with a FireTV Cube, but not sure on regular fire TV stick.

Thanks for a great and timely article on connecting Sonos home theater equipment with a projector!  I am confused because I don’t see the Sonos Arc soundbar mentioned in the list of Sonos components I’ve quoted above.

I would like to set up a home theater consisting of the Sonos Arc surround set (Sonos Arc soundbar, Sonos Sub, and pair of the Sonos One SL as rears); an Epson Home Cinema 5050UB projector; and, for the source, the Nvidia Shield. 

I would like to take advantage of the best possible surround sound quality that the Sonos Arc soundbar set can produce; therefore, I’ve selected the Nvidia Shield as my source, because it is capable of transmitting Dolby Atmos over the lossless Dolby TrueHD surround signal, unlike the Apple TV 4K which can only transmit Dolby Atmos over the lower-quality, lossy, Dolby Digital Plus surround signal (source).

Option One appears to be purchasing an HDMI splitter, such as the HD Fury 4K Arcana (link).  With this setup, I would go from the HDMI output of my Nvidia Shield source, to the HDMI IN on the HD Fury 4K Arcana.  Then, I would connect audio by going from the HD Fury 4K Arcana’s eARC Out to the HDMI Input on the Sonos Arc soundbar.  Finally, I would connect video by going from the HD Fury 4K Arcana’s HDMI Out to my projector’s HDMI Input.

From aforementioned article, my Option Two is to use an HDMI Optical Extractor, such as the iArkPower “3x1 HDMI Switch with TOSLINK Optical SPDIF & RCA L/R Audio Out”.  But as I understand it, the TOSLINK fiber optic audio connection is not able to support the bandwidth of the Dolby TrueHD lossless surround signal -- only HDMI can support this bandwidth -- and therfore the Sonos Arc soundbar would see the lesser-quality Dolby Atmos over a lossy Dolby Digital Plus surround signal, instead of the higher-quality Dolby Atmos over lossless Dolby TrueHD surround signal that is achieved in Option One.

Do I understand this correctly?  It is particularly useful for me to know these subtle details, because I have my home theater room torn down to the studs and I’m about to run cable.  I want to ensure I have the best possible audio quality for this setup before I start drywalling everything up.

Thank you for your help!

But as I understand it, the TOSLINK fiber optic audio connection is not able to support the bandwidth of the Dolby TrueHD lossless surround signal -- only HDMI can support this bandwidth -- and therfore the Sonos Arc soundbar would see the lesser-quality Dolby Atmos over a lossy Dolby Digital Plus surround signal, instead of the higher-quality Dolby Atmos over lossless Dolby TrueHD surround signal that is achieved in Option One.

@Goffredo… did you ever figure this out ^^^?

I have the *exact* question… I honestly don’t know that my ears will hear, but if I am going to invest so much money into a Sonos system, I’d at least like to get the future-proof option. 

I am considering getting the beam instead of the arc because I feel like there is no point to running an Arc if it can’t work with an Apple TV/projector setup. 

Thanks!

I believe the weak link in the chain for your audio quality would be your source:  The Apple TV 4K can only output lossy (compressed) Dolby Digital Plus.  If you want a device that can output lossless (uncompressed) Dolby TrueHD, you would need an Nvidia Shield, for example.  You’d also need the software you use to be able to recognize and pass TrueHD through, such as Plex.

Furthermore, lossless Dolby TrueHD can only transmit over HDMI.  TOSLINK (fiber optic) doesn’t have the bandwidth.  So, a TOSLINK connection would also limit you to lossy Dolby Digital Plus and preclude you from utilizing Dolby TrueHD.

I went ahead and ordered the Sonos Arc soundbar, and a HDFury Arcana which is a fancy HDMI splitter for people who use projectors.  Note that both items are backordered til like December.  This combination will enable me to send Dolby TrueHD from the Nvidia Shield to the Sonos Arc soundbar over HDMI.  (And also allow me to send HDMI to my Projector).

I usually purchase home theater gear once every 10 years, so when I do, I try to get the highest bandwidth between components, to future-proof myself as much as possible.  It tends to be worth it, not right away (like, can I really hear the difference between compressed and uncompressed Dolby digital sound? Probably not very well), but like 3-5 years down the road when new formats emerge but only work if you have the bandwidth for it.

Ok, new to sonos and been trawling the forum now to figure out how to set up my projector so this is really helpful but i still have a question. So, I have a beam and two symfonisk for 5.1 and its connected via arc on my TV and is working brilliantly. I watch most content through a 4k firestick. This all works great until movie night and I get the projector out (its a cheap no name one but actually pretty good picture) and I still want surround. I now see that I need a splitter to get this to work but I dont want to disturb my TV arc setup which is 99% or my viewing. If I have the SPDIF plugged into the beam at the same time as the TV arc does it get confused, I.e can the beam work with both inputs (not working at the same time obvs :)

Sorry if I wasnt clear, I mean If I get a splitter and switch between the tv and the projector, will the beam still work as it already does with CEC etc through ARC when I switch back on the TV from the projector through said switch?