I have an old TV that doesn’t pass through 5.1 sound through ARC.
(Yes, time for upgrading TV, but let’s not get into that here.)
I noticed that some of other brands’ soundbars have HDMI input and output, which will solve my problem.
Does any of Sonos’ soundbars have HDMI input and output?
I’ve done some research and it doesn’t look like they do. Want to confirm.
Sonos sound bars don’t include any HDMI inputs. They just have one HDMI ARC or optical port that connects directly to the TV.
If your TV has a digital optical out port, you can connect any Sonos sound bar through this connection.
Sonos sound bars don’t include any HDMI inputs. They just have one HDMI ARC or optical port that connects directly to the TV.
If your TV has a digital optical out port, you can connect any Sonos sound bar through this connection.
The TV does have an optical out, but I’m sure it also doesn’t pass through 5.1 either.
My 2012-era TV (Panasonic) has the same issue. It will deliver 5.1 from its ever diminishing set of Viera “Smart TV” apps, but not passed through from any other HDMI inputs onto the ARC or optical out connections.
I bought a cheap HDMI audio extractor off Amazon, that can output HDMI with the picture, plus audio on an optical out with 5.1 which I plug into my Beam via its adaptor.
It’s a bit inconvenient because I lose the CEC control of volume on the Beam, and power state of the TV, and it only works for the single source device plugged into it (an Apple TV box, in my case).
More expensive solutions are available, eg the Arcana Fury HD, that can retain the ARC (or eARC) signalling on one HDMI output, with the picture on another, but you still have the single-input limit and would still need a switcher if you have more.
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