Samsung Smart TV HDMI ARC Not Working [SOLVED]

The Samsung smart TV is one of the most popular brands in the world. However, there are some features that make us feel disappointed. One of them is the HDMI ARC not working problem.

When you use HDMI ARC to connect your Samsung Smart TV to your soundbar or receiver, you don’t have to adjust the TV’s volume every time you switch between devices. But if your Samsung Smart TV HDMI ARC not working correctly, you could lose sound and need to switch back to the TV’s speakers when switching from streaming video from your media server to playing a game on your Playstation.

The TV has numerous types of video inputs, including HDMI, Ethernet, and USB ports. But what if they stopped working? The solution is to troubleshoot the problem first before considering a replacement. Keep in mind that a physical breakdown can only be fixed by a technician.

Soundbars and smart hubs have grown considerably in popularity over the last few years. They’re designed to work in harmony with TVs, but what happens when that harmony breaks down? What do you do if your ARC stops working? How can you make sure your soundbar works with your TV, no matter what HDMI port they’re both plugged into?

The HDMI port on Samsung smart TVs is an innovative way to transmit audio and video signals through one cord. It also allows you to connect several external devices, including your game console, cable boxes, and more.

We’ll help with the method to make ARC work on your Samsung TV. Just follow these easy steps and you’ll get to watch your favorite show again in no time.

Samsung Smart TV HDMI ARC Not Working – Troubleshoot and Diagnosis

HDMI ARC allows a TV and home theater receiver or soundbar to share audio, video and control signals with just one HDMI cable which means that only one cable is needed between the two devices.

The HDMI ARC lets you hook up your TV to your soundbar and avoid having multiple cords running across the floor. It normally takes care of only audio. However, the first-to-market by Samsung allows for a third cord-free option with television sound and streaming video.

If you’ve got a Samsung TV and an HDMI ARC cable, you’ll need to test compatibility with other devices. If a third-party device isn’t compatible, then the problem could be with the cord or with the TV. Start by removing all other devices, leaving only the question mark device connected to the TV. If this solves your problem, try replacing the HDMI ARC cable with a new one.

To fix your Samsung Smart TV ARC issue, try one of these troubleshooting steps below:

Solution 1: Ensure That device is Compatible

If you’re planning on using your TV’s ARC/eARC feature, make sure that both devices are ARC/eARC compatible. If not, then you will need to connect your TV to an audio system with an audio cable or optical cable.

If you are having a problem setting up your sound bar and your TV is also a Samsung TV, refer to Setup Guide for instructions on how to setup the sound bar and your TV.

Solution 2: Enable HDMI-CEC (Anynet+)

Sometimes the Samsung TV’s ARC feature stops working when your HDMI-CEC setting is disabled on your Samsung TV. In order to fix this, you have to re-enable your Samsung TV’s HDMI-CEC settings.

Samsung has confusing names for its smart TV features. HDMI-CEC is commonly referred to as Anynet+, a feature that allows customers to control their TVs with Samsung smartphones or other devices. The confusion comes when you see that the name of the feature has changed to Anynet+.

Sometimes, a set of simple fixes can solve the problem. You may want to try the following steps to correct the issue:

Go to the home menu.  Next, select “Settings” and “General.” Then, make sure that “External Device Manager” has been selected.  Afterward, you’ll need to find “Anynet+” and press “Enter.”  This will ensure that your TV works at full capacity.

If you’re still having issues with Anynet+, please check other solutions given below.

Solution 3: Enable Sound Output

When using a soundbar, home theater, or another audio system to complete your audio and visual experience, make sure that you switch the input source to HDMI ARC. This will ensure that you are getting the best audio quality from both your television and your sound system.

On your remote, if you have an HDMI ARC option, you will need to make sure it’s turned on. Then, on the back of your soundbar or surround speaker, you need to select ARC as the input source.

One of the most common TV problems is the inability to get sound. This is typically resulted by a change in the settings. To resolve the problem, go to Settings > Sound > Sound Output. Next, choose Receiver (HDMI) from the list.

Solution 4: Run HDMI Diagnosis

If your newly purchased HDMI cable isn’t working, it could be an issue with the quality of the product. Quality cables usually work well and don’t have issues because their wiring is thick and metallic so that there is no noise or unwanted signals.

The issue could be resolved by simply replacing the cable. But it’s inconvenient to replace the cable every time this happens.

There is another way that does not require replacing the cable. Samsung’s latest TVs have a built-in feature that helps to stabilize an HDMI signal and improve compatibility.

If you are unsure of how to diagnose HDMI cables, please follow these instructions:

1. Navigate to the Home button on the remote to get to the menu.
2. After selecting “Support” from the menu on the left, select “Device Care.”
3. Select “self-diagnosis” and then “signal information.”
4. To test your HDMI cables, you can go to Signal History and then select the option for HDMI Delay Level.
5. Now, select any of the below options:
   Basic: Resets the device to the default setting for normal operation.
   Slow 1: It has a slight delay before it determines that the HDMI cable is not able to send any signal.
   Slow 2: Adds large delay on the sound signal.

If a poor-quality HDMI cable is used, the video and sound will not be transmitted at a high speed. To solve this problem, you can go to Settings > HDMI Delay Level and change the Audio Sync setting to 1 ms or 2 ms (slow 1 or slow 2). This will improve the signal of the poor HDMI cable but with a slight delay in sound.

Solution 5: Use Correct Audio Format

You can enjoy audio through any connected device with the TV’s optical output jack or through the HDMI ARC jack. If you’re playing a file type that isn’t supported by your HDMI device, no sound will be heard as the TV will refuse to send any data to the device. To fix this, you’ll have to change your audio format to one that is supported by your device.

If your TV does not recognize an audio file, it may have been saved in an unsupported format. In this case, try converting the file to an MP3 or AAC file format.

If you are experiencing problems, please call the customer center and find out if your TV supports the format. If it does not support the format, you should contact your TV manufacturer to get more information about the format. You can also try to watch from another device.

Solution 6: Ensure that HDMI Cable is not Damaged

So you have a Samsung TV and want to connect it to your surround sound system. You have an audio cable, but before you plug it in and turn it on, you need to make sure that the cable actually works. Check for physical damage on the outside of the cable — if there isn’t any, then you will need to check for internal damage. Make sure that insulation is intact and that wires are securely fastened.

The quality of a Samsung TV HDMI cable is critical to your viewing experience. A damaged HDMI cable could lead to a bad image, audio problems, or no picture at all. If you suspect your HDMI cable is causing issues, use a multimeter to check for internal damage and if necessary, replace the cable with a new one — but make sure you buy an official Samsung cable.

Solution 7: Reset the Soundbar Settings

If you think that there is a problem with the HDMI cable or the TV system, and if you have already done all the troubleshooting steps and ensured that both ends are working properly, try to reset your sound bar to factory settings.

Here’s everything you need to know about resetting your soundbar:

1. Turn off your soundbar and the TV.
2. Press the volume up and down buttons simultaneously for 5 seconds. It should display INIT.
3. Turn both devices back on.
4. Now, go to the settings menu on your smart TV.
5. Select “Change the Sound Output to Soundbar.”
6. Your TV will ask if you want to change the default audio settings to use your soundbar as the primary audio output.

Also, make sure that input/output plugs on your TV and soundbar match.

Solution 8: Update Your Samsung Smart TV

If you’ve tried everything and your HDMI ARC still doesn’t work, you should update the firmware on your TV. Once the update is complete, try using HDMI ARC again.

You should always check Smart TV’s updates on a regular basis — that way, you can stay updated on the latest fixes and new features. You can access these updates by navigating to the “Support” section in your TV’s settings and clicking “Update Now.” If you’re using a Samsung Smart TV, don’t forget to install any available updates — older updates could lead to problems.

Conclusion

Samsung TVs have some audio issues which can be solved by following a few steps. First, you should enable the Anynet+ setting — this turns on all HDMI devices that are connected to your TV and allows you to control them with one remote.

If you’re using a coaxial cable, make sure you have connected it to the ARC/HDMI input of your TV. Confirm that the ‘AUDIO OUT’ option on your soundbar is enabled or has been set to HDMI ARC (check your instructions manual or user manual).

A lot of users encounter HDMI ARC not working problems if they’re using a third-party cable or trying to connect to a third-party device or even their PC.