ESSENTIAL HDANYWHERE
TO ARC OR NOT TO ARC HDANYWHERE provides some insight into working with ARC audio offering general tips to avoid pain. With Netflix now surpassing 200m subscribers and Disney at 137m, over the air (OTA) content and streaming platforms are the ‘new normal’ way of watching our desired media whilst we’re on the move with wireless devices, but also on TV screens around our homes. The ease of accessing a vast choice of content, (both archive and new), with no commercial breaks, is a feature of the OTA’s user experience that has been deemed more desirable over pristine picture and audio quality. A slightly sub-optimal performance is ‘good enough’ for the average consumer, but generally not for those discerning customers who pay a professional installer to consult and build their AV projects. In these cases, the customer wants all the advantages that OTA content offers - with none of its shortfalls. While more efficient video codecs and fibre rollout internet speeds have improved OTA picture quality, the audio element of streamed content still has some flaws. In install scenarios
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where the OTA content is being delivered directto-display, and not via separate input source, this presents several new challenges for installers wanting to improve audio reproduction via a local AVR or fed back to a centralised audio system.
SOUNDBARS, AVRS, MATRICES & ROUTING ARC Manufacturers have resolved to address TV audio transfers (including some multi-channel formats) using a communications channel on HDMI called ARC (Audio Return Channel) to transfer the audio from the TV to a connected audio device via the HDMI cable. This solution
restrictively caters for simple scenarios with a local AVR or soundbar and not more complex integrated applications. To address the problem of utilising ARC within a professionally installed project ARC is a supported feature within our range of HDMI over Cat extender products, XTND. ARC can also be extracted or routed from any ARCenabled display connected to our MHUB PRO 2.0 matrix. HDA is the first HDBaseT matrix in the world to provide end-points for ARC control inside Control4 and Crestron Home, so we know a thing or two about harnessing ARC. HDA products that support ARC eliminate
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