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

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.

I agree with this. I don’t think this stuff is rocket science, but I do think it’s probably hard to implement well which is why we see so many eARC TVs from major manufacturers still having issues. 

I’m betting that Arcana and like products may have a fairly long life considering that 1) TVs tend to be major purchases that aren’t replaced that often, 2) TV manufacturers don’t seem to be super concerned about the audio features of their TVs or being diligent about making sure that features like eARC are implemented correctly, and 3) other soundbar manufacturers are surely looking at the success of the Sonos Arc (now backordered two months out!) and may come out with one cable solutions of their own. 

Regardless of how the future pans out, however, I am quite glad that HD Fury has our backs on this one. Sept. 15 will be here before we know it, and I’m really looking forward to seeing how well Arcana works in the real world. 

I think there’s a ton of inconsistency in how the built-in apps work across platforms. I’ve got a Vizio and only the Netflix and Plex apps seem capable of providing Atmos for me - Amazon Prime and Disney Plus seem to offer Atmos on Apple TV 4K, but not through the Vizio’s built-in apps. Hence why I’m really looking forward to Arcana unlocking the Atmos power of my Apple TV. ;-) 

I don’t know.  These are valid points, however, it’s not really a situation that we haven’t seen before. Technically, back when audio was essentially just 5.1, TVs had optical connections to handle passing through audio.  Yet the majority if AVRs and soundbars did not use that optical connection, instead they wanted you to use their equipment for HDMI switching and pass through the video.  Yes, they have add more functionality, but they can sell you a new AVR/soundbar every time audio or video standards change. Playbar was an exception, and part of the reason it stayed on the market for 7 years.  Not sure anything else stayed on the market for that long.  

Anyway, I don’t know that other companies are going to start limiting their AVR and soundbars so that they can’t be used as a switch or pass through video.  Yes, it can become a bottle neck for your video, but they are happy to sell you the latest AVR that isn’t a bottleneck.  Even if Sonos sales are great, people will look at HDMI inputs as advantage.  Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see a audio equipment and TVs be more component like with a HDMI switch/processing device component in the middle, just not sure it’s going to go that way.

Admittedly, I’m doing a lot of prognosticating here, but I’m guessing that what we consider “traditional” AV equipment is going to simply become more and more niche as the years go by. Will AVRs and regular 2 / 2.1 / 3.1 / 5.1 / 7.1 / ad nauseam speaker setups still be available? Without a doubt, just as there will be home theater enthusiasts eager to buy them (I would normally find myself in this category, but I unfortunately don’t have a room to dedicate to it). 

However, for most people (and I’m betting that number is 95% or higher), simplicity is king and everything is pointing in that direction from a media perspective. TV and movies are now streamed or rented on demand as opposed to being on physical media. Almost every new TV is a “smart” TV with streaming apps built in. You don’t have to go further than your local Best Buy to see this in action - the rows of DVDs/Blu-rays, receivers, and speaker systems have gone away to be, largely, replaced by smart TVs and soundbars. 

Sonos Arc leads the way here - a single cable connection that makes it exceptionally easy for the average consumer to hook up and start enjoying quality audio in no time flat. That’s a major selling point that can’t be overstated since most people don’t care anything about how their AV equipment works - they just want it to work. They don’t care about extra inputs because they’re watching everything from the apps on their smart tv. And if the TV has enough inputs and eARC, even enthusiasts can be happy. Which is also why I think other manufacturers will begin to take note. Most people SAY they want flexibility, but at the end of the day they really don’t - they just want to turn on the TV and hear great audio. 

Don’t get me wrong, I'm not particularly thrilled with the TV becoming both the switch and the limiting factor for audio. It's the piece in the chain that’s hardest and least likely to get replaced / upgraded and having it be a drag on audio performance is, well, a drag. Which, to bring it full circle, is why I’ve been so enthusiastically supporting the development of the Arcana to bypass the TV’s functionality. It provides a solution that’s the best of both worlds - the Arc gets to stay nice and simple for the majority of users while enthusiasts like us can truly unlock its sonic potential regardless of display device. 

If you do end up getting an HDMI Switch, be sure to get a switch that can push 18 Gbps. Otherwise, you won’t get HDR10+ and you may be limiting your refresh rate depending on your source. Not to mention, it won’t have the bandwidth to push enough info to justify the Arcana.

@Highfalutintodd, I certainly don’t disagree with your position, but my faith in a logical outcome is low. My expectation is that the solution we can expect to get is lowest cost for the companies, highest profit. 

Certainly in my world, I’d appreciate a central switch device that sends the video to a monitor, not a TV set with all the added electronics, and an audio system, separately, but in sync. I don’t expect that desire to come to fruition. So, the TV will need to be an updated device on a fairly frequent basis, if I want to get the latest thing. But then again, I managed to avoid the who “3D is the next big thing” debacle, too….so maybe not as often as they want, but more often than I do :)

I was going to tease you earlier about when exactly September 15 will arrive, as it seems impossibly far away… But I just did, so I guess my earlier reticence is moot. 

Which is why a “simpler” future may actually happen. If the soundbar manufacturers can kill two birds with one stone - give customers an easier experience and reducing their manufacturing and support costs by eliminating features - they just might do it. There will always be companies that love to throw every feature at a product because they think a longer feature bullet list is better (looking at you here, Samsung), but others may get on the bandwagon. Especially once eARC becomes more prevalent. 

Of course, I always reserve the right to be wrong. ;-) 

It sounds like you’re describing a projector + receiver + speaker setup. ;-) 

This whole thing with the Arc has surprised me quite a bit. Until the Arc I was very dismissive of soundbars in general. Having used it and lived with it now, however, I’m finding myself quite enamored of its solution to the home theater conundrum. It’s expensive, sure, but the elegance and simplicity of the setup combined with the awesome sound (when combined with the Sub / One SLs) have been a winning combination for me and my family. 

I sat out the 3D thing, too. Just didn’t care. Even a little. 4K, however… that was enough to make me part with my cash. 

As for upgrading the TV for audio capabilities - again, glad to have the Arcana as a workaround for that. Admittedly, the Arc itself becomes the limiting factor as far as sound processing capabilities, but that’s not really any different in my book than having to replace a receiver when it lacks a feature you want. 

But, in my book, all of these sound formats are good enough to last me, personally, a good long while. The last major audio transition - stereo or Dolby Pro Logic to 5.1 Dolby Digital / DTS) happened over twenty years ago and things haven’t gotten exponentially better since. I honestly didn’t care a thing in the world about TrueHD / DTS Master Audio when they came out because they were such incremental improvements (unless you’ve got a major audio system of course), and Atmos only really is blowing up my skirt because it’s both a step forward in quality / immersion AND I basically get it for “free” with the purchase of the Arc. (I’m sure someone’s head just exploded reading this hot take, so take it as you will.) 

Given how quickly time seems to be passing these days, september 15 will be here before I can blink and turn around twice! ;-) 

Agree on this 100%.  I remember when Bestbuy would have about 20 different AVR options for sale, a whole aisle dedicated.  Now, they make carry a half dozen at most.  Clearly people are looking more at soundbar options.

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.

I don’t know that people look at it that way.  Yes, ARC/eARC makes things is, but most people don’t understand how it works at all.  I think many people are used to the input/output concept, and are a little unnerved by a cable that does input and audio only output.  And the fact that it doesn’t always work right just feeds that nerve.  I think most soundbar makers are going to continue to provide HDMI input and video passthrough on their speakers, even if it’s not needed, just so customers don’t question how it works, or wonder what else they need to buy to get it to work.  And as I said before, they’ll be back in a couple years when the soundbar can’t handle the video quality.

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.  

 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.

Nice discussion.

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.