ARC (Audio Return Channel)
Get TV sound back out of the Vertex: the Audio System w/ARC setting, the BOT output and the optical out.
ARC (Audio Return Channel) lets sound travel backwards on an HDMI cable, from the TV to a sound system.
It is like a two-way street: the picture goes to the TV, and the TV's own sound, for example from its streaming apps, comes back on the same cable.
On the Vertex, that returned sound comes out of its optical or analog audio jack.
Does the HDfury Vertex support ARC (Audio Return Channel)?
YESYes, ARC but not eARC. Connect the TV's ARC input to the BOT output and set the Vertex CEC device type to Audio System w/ARC. TV sound then comes out of the Vertex optical (up to 5.1) or analog stereo jack.
How to use it with the Vertex:
- Connect the TV's ARC-capable HDMI input to the Vertex BOT output (p.39).
- USB GUI > CEC Commander: set VERTEX CEC DEVICE TYPE to Audio System w/ARC and tick CEC ENABLED (p.38-39).
- RS232: #set cec on and #set cecla audio (p.52); IR: vertex_cecon and vertex_ceclaaudioproc (p.57).
- Connect your amplifier to the D/A jack: mini-TOSLINK for 5.1, a 3.5 mm cable for stereo (p.39, p.105).
What it is
ARC (Audio Return Channel) lets a TV send its own sound back down an HDMI cable to an audio device, so you do not need a separate audio cable. It relies on CEC to set up the link.
Typical use: sound from the TV's built-in streaming apps goes back to an AVR or soundbar.
On the Vertex
Set VERTEX CEC DEVICE TYPE to Audio System w/ARC to turn ARC on. Sound from the TV ARC then goes to the Vertex optical out (5.1) or the analog stereo jack (p.39). CEC ENABLED must be on (p.38). RS232: #set cecla audio; to process ARC the device must be Audio System (p.52).
The BOT output is the CEC/ARC master: connect the TV's ARC-capable input to the Vertex BOT OUTPUT (p.39, p.113).
[ARC ALLOW DD+/ATMOS] can forward DD+ and Atmos from TV apps via the optical output, but only to an AVR that accepts 192kHz via optical, which very few do (p.39). Atmos via ARC also needs an HDMI cable that supports 192kHz ARC (p.113).
The manual is not consistent on CEC IDs: p.26 says AVR ID#5 for ARC or processor ID#14, while p.38 gives Video Processor as the default with ID#5.
Common questions
Which Vertex output do I connect to my TV's ARC input?
The BOT (bottom) output. It is the CEC/ARC master, and you must also set VERTEX CEC DEVICE TYPE to Audio System w/ARC with CEC ENABLED on (p.38–39).
Is ARC the same as eARC?
No. eARC is the HDMI 2.1 version that can carry lossless audio such as Dolby TrueHD. The Vertex is an HDMI 2.0b device and does not support eARC.
Can I get Dolby Atmos from TV apps through the Vertex ARC?
Only in a special case: [ARC ALLOW DD+/ATMOS] sends DD+ and Atmos to the optical output, and only AVRs that accept 192kHz over optical can use it, which very few do (p.39). The HDMI cable must also support 192kHz ARC (p.113).