
- How to connect sound to tv with hdmi for mac update#
- How to connect sound to tv with hdmi for mac manual#
- How to connect sound to tv with hdmi for mac upgrade#
- How to connect sound to tv with hdmi for mac download#
If all goes well, the two devices should successfully connect to each other and work pretty much straight away.
How to connect sound to tv with hdmi for mac manual#
If you’re using optical digital audio or analog audio, look for the corresponding port on your TV, which should be marked accordingly-your TV’s instruction manual can help.įinally, get your TV and soundbar positioned the way you want (as well as your subwoofer, if one is part of the equation), then power up the television first, followed by the soundbar. Once you’ve connected the soundbar to the TV, ensure the cables are firmly in place. If your TV has an HDMI eARC port, that’s the one to go for when it comes to making the connection, otherwise, any spare HDMI port will do. It’s the same with TVs, where HDMI eARC has been available on sets manufactured in the last few years: You’ll still get sound out of an older television with a non-eARC HDMI port, but you won’t be able to get the top audio quality that eARC supports. Older HDMI cables will work with an HDMI eARC soundbar, but you won’t get all the best features. If there’s one included with your soundbar, even better.

Bear this in mind while shopping: HDMI cables should say on their packaging or online listing what standards they support. While just about any cable will support HDMI ARC, you need a cable labeled “HDMI with Ethernet,” “high-speed HDMI cable with Ethernet,” or the latest (and best) “ultra high-speed HDMI cable,” to take advantage of HDMI eARC (which features the best resolutions and bitrate). Unfortunately, picking HDMI cables isn’t as easy as it should be. As mentioned above, this will usually be via an HDMI cable, though you might also need to use one of the alternative ports. Power up your soundbar first, and then connect the soundbar to your TV. The usual rule of electronics applies here: Switch off everything you’re working with while you get it all connected. Connect your soundbar to your TV Look for the HDMI port on your TV to connect your soundbar. In the case of the second-generation Sonos Beam, there’s also an Ethernet port for a more direct (and stable) connection to the internet, if it’s needed. Additionally, you should see a port for the soundbar’s power cable. You can use this to connect your soundbar to your TV, but you won’t get the best audio quality. On the oldest, smallest, and cheapest soundbars, you might also see a 3.5mm analog audio cable port. This will get you high-quality audio, but not quite as good as what you’d get with HDMI eARC, and this type of port has gradually been phased out on newer models as the eARC standard has taken over. You may also see an optical digital audio port, either on its own or alongside an HDMI connection. So if you have an older soundbar without eARC support, you might want to think about an upgrade. But it’s worth noting that if you have basic HDMI without those additional acronyms, you might not have access to the same features and sound quality carried by the newer connections.

It doesn’t matter whether your soundbar has HDMI, HDMI ARC, or HDMI eARC, you’re still going to connect that port to your TV.

How to connect sound to tv with hdmi for mac update#
You might also see references to HDMI ARC (audio return channel), which introduced two-way audio in 2009, and HDMI eARC (enhanced audio return channel), the 2017 update that added higher bitrates, better surround sound, and support for more audio codecs. HDMI cables transmit top-quality audio and video together, though in the case of a soundbar it’s obviously just audio. The familiar HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port is the one you’re most likely to see.
How to connect sound to tv with hdmi for mac download#
If you’re not sure what something is, check the included instruction manual, and if you don’t have a hard copy you can usually download a digital one from the manufacturer’s website. David Nieldīefore you start plugging in cables, get familiar with the ports on the back of your soundbar. Know what all the connection ports do Most soundbars come with some type of HDMI port.
How to connect sound to tv with hdmi for mac upgrade#
2), but no matter which soundbar you’ve bought to upgrade your home theater setup (and whichever TV you’re connecting it to), you should find much of the setup process is similar. The soundbar featured in the photographs accompanying this article is the Sonos Beam (Gen. Most soundbars are relatively straightforward to install, and most TVs will automatically recognize when you’ve attached a new audio device. You don’t need to put aside half a day to get your new piece of equipment set up.
