HDMI ARC on soundbar, worth using?

[Strommy]

I picked up a lower end LG soundbar to go with our "casual" upstairs TV awhile back, for a little better sound experience when we decide to watch a movie on it rather than the downstairs TV with full 7.1 SS. The model is SJ4Y with wireless sub & side speakers connected to sub.

Originally it was connected to a cheap Toshiba 4K TV, but that just gave up on us after 4 years of service so I replaced it with a Hisense Roku 43" 4K unit. I hooked up the soundbar the same as I had it with the Toshiba, which was just using the optical audio cable from TV to soundbar, when I have it connected this way, I can control soundbar volume with both my Nvidia Shield & Apple TV remotes, both of these boxes connect to TV HDMI ports.

However, I started reading more about using the HDMI-ARC connection, as both TV and soundbar have one. Supposedly there is higher quality audio thru this than optical, but would I notice on this lower end system? Also it would then allow TV remote to control soundbar volume, but since my other remotes already do that I am wondering if this would be an advantage, since most of our watching is either thru Shield or Apple TV anyway.

I guess if we used the on-board Roku it would be handy, but I can't see me doing that. Also, the soundbar has one HDMI ARC out, and one HDMI port in. The TV only has 3 HDMI ports, so if I use one up with my soundbar, I would have to plug that unit in to the soundbar, right?

Currently I have Shield, Apple TV, and an HDMI switch connected to TV, the HDMI switch has bluray & game console connected to it. If I have to connect one of these components to soundbar, which one should it be? How will it affect the components connected directly to TV for soundbar usage?

Or should I just leave everything as is, which is audio from soundbar delivered by optical link & components connected directly to TV.


Thanks in advance.

 

[kryten79]

Wow, I can't tell if you are over thinking this or have raised an interesting question. HDMI can support higher bandwidth. Optical can carry up to 5.1, two front, center, two side and one sub. Your sound bar is an easy load so don't worry - your convenience is worth something. PCM over optical is limited to two channels. Bitstream is not. If you already have it figured out, all connected and working, then........

 

[Strommy]

Thanks - I probably am over thinking this, and I guess I can can try both ways to see which works best for me. It's just this TV isn't the easiest to get at once I have it set up as it's in a tight cabinet.

I am curious as to how the volume control will work if I use the HDMI-ARC connection, if it will take the soundbar volume control away from the Apple & Shield remotes (or not)

I am still getting used to the new TV, with the old Best Buy Toshiiba when I powered up the Shield before anything else it would also power on the TV and switch the source to the Shield input, this TV doesn't do that. The old TV volume control was completely independent of the sound bar too, whereas this one when I turn up the TV volume with the Roku remote it turns down the soundbar correspondingly.