Don't have eARC? Get Atmos w/ HD Fury "Arcana" - Pre-orders now LIVE!

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melvimbe

 

Expanding on this a little more. I think we would be much better off if we had never had the ARC and eARC standards.  As you stated, people want simply, and ARC/eARC just are not simple.  it would have better if the TV standard was 4 inputs and 1 output for audio.   They people would clearly understand how it works. Audio/video data flows in one direction only and you would have plenty of options to pick the setup that makes the most sense for you.   

The Sonos Arc can work the same way, except it has a standard HDMI input rather than an HDMI output that’s actually in ARC/eARC input, that no one understands. If your TV can’t pass through the audio format properly, then all you would need is a HDMI splitter or matrix which are readily available today.  Arcana would not need to be invented.  

 

 

 

Danny
H
Userlevel 6
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Interesting update! Another of the Arcana beta testers informed me that if you have Dolby Atmos / E-AC3 content on a Plex server, it will actually play as Atmos on an Apple TV 4K via Arcana and the Plex app IF you are using the “Old Player” (buried within the Plex app settings). 

I’ve tried this and can confirm that it’s true and works! I don’t have much in the way of Atmos / E-AC3 content (the Leaf and Amaze trailers, some test tones, a handful of other material I’ve downloaded), but it’s pretty awesome to know that this works!

Arc + Sub 3 + One SLs = Awesome and Loving It!
B
Userlevel 2
Badge +1

I’ve found that zip ties and a label maker have become essential materials in my setups lately.  

Cable management has NEVER been my strong suit. Worse, those few times I actually DO take the time and effort to actually make things nice and clean, inevitably I completely end up ripping it all back out a couple of months later because I changed equipment. So, it all just gets hidden away behind the TV and we do. not. speak. about. it. ;-) 

 

Lol.  when  I got my current TV installed over the fireplace, I let Best Buy do the install.  At the time all my sources, power supply, playbar, ethernet switch, etc were sitting on the mantel.  The installers though it best to connect one line to the TV, then zip tie to existing lines.  The result was that I had a bundle of cables, about as thick as my wrist, with around 10 zip ties holding different sets of wires together.  Took me quite some time to get cut those ties, without cutting wires, when I wanted to change things.  Big mess.

 

But some Arcana news:

HDfury confirms they start shipping tomorrow.    User manual will be available online as will current firmware.

 

Only one know issue at the time, as the CEC/ARC functionality on some Vizio TVs isn’t working.  This DOES NOT mean you can’t use Arcana with your Vizio TV, @Airgetlam.  It means that CEC controls between Arc and TV won’t work, so you won’t be able to use the TV remote to control volume via CEC control (use direct IR) or use voice commands to turn on/off the TV.   The ARC part of this essentially means you won’t be able to use your TV internal smart apps.

 

the Hell of being at the forefront of technology ! 

Welcome to the “Rats Nest Club” ! my wife hates all the wires and struggles if things don’t come on first time using our harmony Elite

H
Userlevel 6
Badge +7

 

Expanding on this a little more. I think we would be much better off if we had never had the ARC and eARC standards.  As you stated, people want simply, and ARC/eARC just are not simple.  it would have better if the TV standard was 4 inputs and 1 output for audio.   They people would clearly understand how it works. Audio/video data flows in one direction only and you would have plenty of options to pick the setup that makes the most sense for you.   

The Sonos Arc can work the same way, except it has a standard HDMI input rather than an HDMI output that’s actually in ARC/eARC input, that no one understands. If your TV can’t pass through the audio format properly, then all you would need is a HDMI splitter or matrix which are readily available today.  Arcana would not need to be invented.  

I don’t know if it’s really as bad as all that. Totally, 100% agreed that ARC/eARC are, conceptually, ridiculously difficult to grasp if you’re trying to understand how it actually works (my head is still spinning from learning on HD Fury’s Discord channel that the HDMI port on the Sonos Arc is actually an OUTPUT port).

FUNCTIONALLY, however, the beauty is that it’s fairly plug and play and to the user it just kind of works. Which is also the beauty of the Sonos Arc - you plug a single cable from the Arc to the TV and, voila, you’ve got audio. Now, granted, you may run into issues with what KIND of audio you’re getting (which is what’s led to so much gnashing of teeth - much of it from me - on these boards and to the creation of the Arcana). But for most people, they’re just going to know that they plugged it in and it worked. And that’s a powerful incentive, especially when, for most people, this stuff is all magic in the forest. I'm here to tell you that if I remove myself from the equation, I can think of exactly five total people I know who truly understand how their AV gear works. Everyone else just wants to watch TV which is why my phone rings when they can’t. 

 

 No disagreement here.  My point was that I don’t think many other soundbars are going to go the single HDMI eARC connection route that Sonos is going.  They will all have ARC/eARC capability, but I think they will still have inputs too.

Time will tell, for sure. It will be interesting to see where it goes. 

 

I might actually be a bit worse than that.  My teenage kids don’t even really care about TV much at all.  They are happy with their small screen.  But that could be something they ‘grow out of’.  But I digress. Point is, i agree with you.

THIS is an excellent point. I’ve got two boys, one 12 and one 9. Up until the pandemic we pretty fairly limited their screen time, but since we’ve been stuck at home more we’ve been letting them play their devices a bit more. And you’re right - their iPhone or iPad is their preferred consumption device, even when the TV is right there. The TV has become for either family viewing or for my wife and me when the kids are in bed. I don’t think that’s something that’s going away. 

 

As far as TV smart apps go, that felt like a gimic to sell TVs when it first came out, and it still kind of does. They are nice, yes, but feels like it’s going to be out of date before your TV is.  But that’s the nature of any all-in-one device.  They may do one thing really well, but the rest of it likely to be subpar.  

Though they’re not my cup of tea (you can pry my Apple TV from my cold dead hands), I don’t get the feeling that Smart TVs are a gimmick, at least not anymore. They may have started out that way, but I’m betting that most people are going to get their TV / movies this way from here on out - if they’re not already. They won’t understand why they would bother buying another box to do what their TV already does. 

Arc + Sub 3 + One SLs = Awesome and Loving It!
P

I got mine Hdfury arcana Now pre ordered on https://www.hdfury.eu
but it will be delivered around November 🙏
mostly in Europe they are super fast with delivery.. so hopefully they ship sooner.  

 

will you be exempt from tax if you do not order on hdfury.com but on hdfury.eu? I didn't know anything about hdfury.eu and so I ordered on.com

E
Userlevel 3
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@DuranDoranMartell 

I am from Sydney, Australia. The beta Arcana arrived 3 days after shipment. Did not need to pay any taxes. 

D
Userlevel 2
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Got the Arcana today and I am presently testing it out.

It appears to do the trick. I can now pass Dolby Atmos from my Xbox One X into Sonos.

I popped the Blade Runner 4K blu ray in to test it out. Sonos app says Atmos, as desired.

Impressions are that it sounds absolutely  IMMENSE, but I still don't quite get the 3D effect that Atmos promises to provide. I mean, maybe a little, but I have never really be able to differentiate the up-firing speakers from everything else going on. I would really like a demo that is very "location specific" so I could pinpoint the effect.

 

What I can say is that the sound is definitely much bigger and more robust through the HD Fury, which is probably down to the power of TrueHD audio, more than Atmos specifically.

Now here is my only REAL issue: as long as I have the Atmos output settings turned on on my Xbox One X, ANYTHING playing from it appears as Dolby Atmos on the Sonos app, even if its obviously not an Atmos signal, such as a low res YouTube video. This makes it's impossible to know FOR SURE if what I am hearing is really optimised for Atmos.

Interesting experiment: I haven't been able to get Atmos output from my  Android TV's Disney+ app for months even though I read that Disney+ re-implemented Atmos quality streaming back in July. I was curious if I could get Atmos from the Xb1X Disney+ app, so I downloaded the Disney+ app for Xb1X and compared the audio between the TV app and the Xb1X app by watching the new Mulan film on both. I was able to toggle between both with a single button. As explained above, the Sonos App indicated that I was getting Dolby Atmos via Xb1X, but the Atmos logo disappeared from the Sonos app whenever I switched to the Android TV app. Now, I can't say for certain whether the Xb1X app was actually giving me Mulan in Atmos, but I can say that the sound quality was MUCH MUCH MUCH BETTER off Xb1X than the android TV Disney+ app. 

So, all in all, the HD Fury has improved my surround sound system audio output. My verdict is still out on whether Atmos lives up to the hype though. 

Was HD Fury Arcana worth the cost? Depends how much 170$ means to you, really. I think anyone who is willing to spend top dollar to buy Sonos speakers will probably appreciate the enhanced output that the Arcana produces. So if you've got the money I say go for it.

 

 

 

E
Userlevel 3
Badge +5

Quick question is Arcana with the current update works great and sounds awesome. The only thing I find is on the Apple 4K TV the Netflixs, Prime Apps and Apples Movies purchased are all UHD but only in 5.1 sound. But the Disney+ App plays lots of Atmos True HD within it’s movies etc. Disney+ sounds great!!

Why are the Netflixs(I have the UHD/top paid version), Primes and Apple Movies/most UHD only in 5.1 sound?  

You know not all Netflix contents are Atmos, right?

What contents did you try in Prime? Only very few shows are Atmos there. 

R

I got mine Hdfury arcana Now pre ordered on https://www.hdfury.eu
but it will be delivered around November 🙏
mostly in Europe they are super fast with delivery.. so hopefully they ship sooner.  

 

will you be exempt from tax if you do not order on hdfury.com but on hdfury.eu? I didn't know anything about hdfury.eu and so I ordered on.com

That depends .. if you live in Europe then it is cheaper .. if you live outside of Europe you have the chance that you have to pay tax and import duties ..

melvimbe


The website also states: “Our Dev Team has a roadmap and a specific approach to make this a reality; there is no guarantee that it will work, but the outlook is VERY promising.”. Well that does sound promising, but I think I’ll just wait until the product is released and tested. I’d rather pay 199 USD instead of 155 USD with the guarantee of a working product.

 

This is an entirely reasonable approach and nobody could blame you for it.  But i shall just point out that if everyone takes the same approach then failure becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy - pre-orders never hit 800 and so the extra features never get built.

 

I can’t say I agree.  In my opinion, the critical feature for this is the ability to bypass having your TV’s ARC/eARC feature send audio to the Sonos Arc.  There is no other work around in existence today, and nothing else planned to be released in the near future.  Getting audio from smart apps and CEC control functionality can be worked around.  I see these extra feature is just a bonus.

That said, I can see where people really might really like their TV apps, and are unwilling to switch to an ATV/Roku/FireTV for preference or budget just to get  improved audio.  It’s also possible that some other device could come around a year from now that has better functionality and price than the Arcana.

Danny
J

I got mine Hdfury arcana Now pre ordered on https://www.hdfury.eu
but it will be delivered around November 🙏
mostly in Europe they are super fast with delivery.. so hopefully they ship sooner.  

 

will you be exempt from tax if you do not order on hdfury.com but on hdfury.eu? I didn't know anything about hdfury.eu and so I ordered on.com

That depends .. if you live in Europe then it is cheaper .. if you live outside of Europe you have the chance that you have to pay tax and import duties ..

For EU residents I would have thought it depends on whether EU VAT is charged on the products and therefore HDFury hands over that VAT to an EU country’s tax authorities.  I could not immediately see any evidence that the products would be dispatched from within Europe or that VAT was being charged (but i didn’t look very hard).  So my guess is that import duties would still be payable, but I am not at all confident about that.

melvimbe

If you chose not to pre-order though, your price will be $199, instead of the current $175.  That’s $24 right there.  If buying from the US, I don’t think there’s a scenario where you’re going to pay less by waiting. That said however, the hdfury.eu price is 155 euros, which converts to around $182 if my math is right.  Not sure what VAT and other fees would apply.

One other consideration is the product availability.  This is a smaller outfit and appears to be making the product in batches of 1000.  So even if you buy today, you’re going to be in the second batch.   After preorder, HDFury will surely keep some for themselves to sell, and then split the rest between a handful of distributors.  It’s entirely possible that hdfury.eu, and monoprice in the US, don’t have enough stock to meet demand for very long when it’s first release.  Particularly hdfury.eu, yes they have pre-orders open, but they are not authorized to do a pre-order and it does not mean they will be given enough stock to meet the demand.  I wouldn’t be too surprised if it’s a couple more months before they fulfill those pre-orders.

Danny
H
Userlevel 6
Badge +7

Quick question is Arcana with the current update works great and sounds awesome. The only thing I find is on the Apple 4K TV the Netflixs, Prime Apps and Apples Movies purchased are all UHD but only in 5.1 sound. But the Disney+ App plays lots of Atmos True HD within it’s movies etc. Disney+ sounds great!!

Why are the Netflixs(I have the UHD/top paid version), Primes and Apple Movies/most UHD only in 5.1 sound?  

You know not all Netflix contents are Atmos, right?

What contents did you try in Prime? Only very few shows are Atmos there. 

Yeah, like one. Jack Ryan is the only one that I’m immediately aware of. Maybe Mrs. Maisel? Not much. 

Arc + Sub 3 + One SLs = Awesome and Loving It!
J
Badge +1

Apologies, for my lack of technical knowledge.

I have a Samsung 55” Q9FN with only ARC (not E-ARC)  ,  Sonos Arc/Sub/Surrounds ,  Sky Q with UHD and with Disney Plus  and Sony UBP - X700 4K UHD Blu Ray Player.

I can get DD+ Atmos from Sky Q films/programmes (if they are in Atmos) but not through the Disney Plus App or through the 4K Blu-ray.  Will the HD Fury Arcana help me getting more Atmos Content from  Disney Plus and the 4K Blu-ray ?

Many Thanks.

 

It will definitely help for the 4K blu-ray.  That will be using TrueHD for atmos audio, which requires eARC that your TV can’t handle.  Regarding Disney+, that’s hard to say.  You should be able to get that now given that it uses DD+ the same your Sky Q. If your TV passes thorugh DD+ for SkyQ, not sure why it does not for Disney+.  Perhaps your Sky Q boxes doesn’t allow for DD+ Atmos on apps or something like that?  

 

I did see something sort of similar with my setup, which is also an Samsung ARC TV. I was getting DD+ Atmos for Amazon Prime, but not for netflix or disney +.  That was the case on internal apps and for fire TV cube.  I then got an Nvidia Shield and I am getting DD+ atmos on everything now.  I don’t know if Nvidia Shield is just better, or if the Fire TV and internal apps where just set to not play atmos before I installed Sonos Arc, and never adjusted properly.  I considered reinstalling the apps, but I haven’t really bothered sine I like Nvidia Shield better anyway.

Thanks @melvimbe  - very helpful. Would I be right in saying that it would also help the SkyQ give full lossless Atmos as currently I only get DD+ Atmos  ? as my TV is limited to DD+ pass through. 

N

Simple question; Will Apple TV 4K stream Atmos from all the major providers (Netflix, Apple TV+, Prime and Disney+)? I read somewhere a while ago that there were issues with one of them.

Reason I ask is I have an older non eArc TV which the apps are starting to become buggy on. So looking at updating my streaming media device and getting an Arcana. 

R
Userlevel 1

Hi - sorry for the really basic question but I want to check before I bite the bullet on a pre-order and I get lost when talking about all these things!

I have the Sky Q/Arc lip sync issue where the video is ahead of the audio (so audio delay doesn’t help me).  This can be resolved by plugging the Sky Q direct into the Arc via optical but then I lose the DD+ signal.  Will the Arcana help with this issue?  Does the Arcana essentially enable me to directly plug into the Arc via HDMI but also into the TV?

H
Userlevel 6
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Good catch @Highfalutintodd.  Found that this was reaffirmed in the Discord channel. Sounds like they plan on shipping around mid September, but that’s not firm yet.

 

Nothing stated on why they are boosting the batch size.  I’m sure it’s to accommodate all pre-orders and distributor orders, as well as some for direct sale after it’s released.  Just curious if Sonos, installers, or some other source is interested in this, more than the other HD Fury products.

They’d said a few days ago on Discord that this is turning out to be their biggest product launch by far so I’m guessing they are definitely getting interest from their reseller partners. I think they know they’ve probably got a hit on their hands. 

Arc + Sub 3 + One SLs = Awesome and Loving It!
melvimbe

Good catch @Highfalutintodd.  Found that this was reaffirmed in the Discord channel. Sounds like they plan on shipping around mid September, but that’s not firm yet.

 

Nothing stated on why they are boosting the batch size.  I’m sure it’s to accommodate all pre-orders and distributor orders, as well as some for direct sale after it’s released.  Just curious if Sonos, installers, or some other source is interested in this, more than the other HD Fury products.

They’d said a few days ago on Discord that this is turning out to be their biggest product launch by far so I’m guessing they are definitely getting interest from their reseller partners. I think they know they’ve probably got a hit on their hands. 

 

I don’t doubt that at all. I wouldn’t be too surprised if they are selling more of their vertex2 and diva products that you can get as package with Arcana now than at their product launch.  I’m just wondering, being that many of the Arcana customers are not their typical customers, and likely never even heard of Arcana before, just how many doors are going to open for them.   

Danny
Skellionz
Badge +1

The xbox one x probably isn't the best device to test the arcana out on. I have one myself and a u say it never changes output. If you have a shield tv or that other box from that fruit company... :s  might be better.  I'm using it through a hdmi switch and it's working perfectly with all sources.  Truehd through plex no more sync or weird audio issues with Netflix dd+ atmos.  All happy  

 

And to the above ive read people having issues with tv apps, not sure if its the way they have it setup or not. I havent actually checked my tv for that yet

Turn it up.
melvimbe

Right place right time. Find a void in the market and fill it. Doesn’t hurt that it’s directly in their wheelhouse. 

And they’re moving fast to take advantage of the opportunity. 

Got to hand it to them. I wasn’t familiar with them before this, but if Arcana does what it’s supposed to, they’ll have a fan (and a vocal supporter) in me for the foreseeable future. 

 

I had not heard of HD Fury either, and already am a fan based on what others are saying about them, their support, and how open they are about their process and decision making. They are taking advantage of the opportunity, but I hope they take advantage of the name recognition they are gaining are start putting out more basic HD switches and splitters, etc,  as I image many people would be happy to pay a premium for HD Fury protects they know they can trust rather than take chances on a cheaper unknown product off Amazon.  I mean, if you’re spending $800 on Arc, and $200 on Arcana, why not spend $75 on a solid HDMI switch, rather than a $30 switch that might not work?

Danny
Airgetlam

The thing that fascinates me is that I’ve not seen a single other company trying to jump in to this space. I’m delighted a HDFury did, and have my preorder, of course, but I wonder why we’ve not heard of any other potential options. It might be that these guys are just more agile than others, and capable of quickly filling this void, and maybe we’ll see others have a product in a year or two...

Bruce
B
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Just wanted to say I have received my Arcana and have attached it to my Vertex two.

At first was not getting sound from the Tv but I switched to earc only and then it was ok.

Have now updated firmware to .71 without any issue

Watched Transformers  via the OPPO and got full fat Dolby Atmos -absolutely awesome!!

I have noticed that if I try a downloaded movie (ac3 5.1) from a hdd via the OPPO the Sonos doesn't like it and seems to only play the background music and speech, all the main speech etc is missing even if it is 5.1. I didn't get this before. so will keep trying it out.It did happen once when watching Punisher on Netflix but it was ok after turning everything off and then back on. 

Has anyone else had this issue at all ? I am still getting it on either 4k players and I don’t seem to be able to rectify it. Any help would be appreciated.

Have to thank all the People at HD Fury for there help and advice also the superb bit of kit that will no doubt improve with time that has stopped me needing to buy a new TV. I am sure you are all shattered from all your hard work but it is very much appreciated by a lot of people.

melvimbe

To add to what @Highfalutintodd already stated, you can also factor in that Arcana is still relatively unknown at this point.  It’s mentioned here and a few other forums, as well as their own website, but that’s it.  It’s not been written about in tech articles nor available for sale on Amazon or any other place people would typically look for this sort of thing.  I would also guess that pro installers would want to get their hands on this as well.

 

I actually guess their initial batch of devices made is going to be much larger than 800, when factoring in installers and reselllers, as well as stock for their own inventory.  800 seems sort of like an arbitrary number as threshold for deciding to do additional development work. But I’m just guessing.

 

Also, I think I’ve said the before, but I fully expect there to be a second product made that incorporates Arcana with an HDMI switch.  A device that takes 4 HDMI inputs, 1 output for a TV or projector, 1 port for audio over normal HDMI, and 1 port for audio over ARC/eARC.  Such a device would allow for clean setup where your TV and audio system each has a single input, neither system requiring pass through of audio or video, so no chance your TV limits your audio capabilities or vice versa.  A true component setup.  Also makes it easier to locate your sources, TV/projector, and audio system further apart with less issues.

Danny
N

What have those of you in the UK ended up paying in taxes when your Arcana is delivered? 

J

What have those of you in the UK ended up paying in taxes when your Arcana is delivered? 

I am waiting for confirmation from UPS, but if my understanding of the rules is correct it will be UK VAT at 20% of cost, including postage charges, plus maybe a few £ of additional import duty.  I’ll post back when I hear.

I was surprised that it was delivered without my being charged at that point.  I think UPS were surprised too, because they telephoned me a couple of days after delivery saying that they were holding the item awaiting payment of duties!

 

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