Is the new ARC and eARC feature useful at all?

[gpspad]

I am considering updating my apple tv to the newest version, my old samsung TV does support the arc function, but I do not have a stereo pair of OG HomePods and probably not going to pay the current $400plus to get another one. The HomePod minis would be down grade from my current 2 channel amp I have hooked up.

Does the new current ARC and eARC function work with any other speakers and does it do anything useful?

It seems cool, but with the OG HomePods discontinued and having more and more issues every update, Im trying to understand if this would be something that would get me to update my ATV 4k.

 

[SanJoseEd]

eARC works well and consistently here using a 2021 ATV4K with a 3 year old LG e9 OLED, which in turn has the latest LG firmware installed. I can't answer up for Samsung TVs. The aforementioned LG e9 uses the ATV4K's input/output eARC via the TV's HDMI#2 port and a paired set of OG homepods quite well via airplay and can switch back to the e9's indigenous speakers, which frankly, sound better than the homepods, which themselves have produced remarkable audio since installation a few years ago. AirPod Max's work well in that configuration as well. If you have only one homepod, if the Samsung is airplay compatible, it should work OK as long as all your firmware and apps are up to date -- TVos 15.2, etc. It's not a wireless ATMOS set-up, but it does quite well; no complaints.

 

[waw74]

it depends on how you use your TV.
For me, 100% of my content comes though the appleTV, so it would be basically useless. Plus I have a soundbar connected to the TV, so I have no need to send audio to homepods

the only thing it's useful for is getting audio from an external device (like a cable box, game console, blueray player, or apps on the TV or another device) to homepods


You're also limited to simulating atmos with just the 2 homepods, so you'll have no true surrounds, and no center channel. With most atmos sound bars, you get several speakers along the length, some will be the left, right, or center channel. Some point up at the ceiling to give you some bounce. at least for me, the center channel is probably the most important, since that's where most of the speech comes from.

 

[gpspad]

Interesting, thanks for there reply.

 

[JCCL]

I agree with what's said, other than streaming to HomePods, there is not much else you can do wth eARC. And as good as HomePods are, I think for movies and TV you're better off with a dedicated Soundbar or surround system.