Quick Answer / Summary: To use ARC with an AV receiver, connect the TV’s ARC or eARC port to the receiver’s ARC or eARC input labelled TV, enable HDMI-CEC on both devices, and set the TV’s digital audio output to the receiver or ARC with the format on Auto or Bitstream. Sources stay on the receiver’s own inputs. With ARC the return carries compressed surround audio; with eARC on both ends it carries lossless formats.
A receiver with ARC or eARC on one input gains a path it otherwise lacks: the television’s own audio. Sources connected to the receiver are already in its hands, but the tuner, the installed apps and anything plugged into the panel itself are not. ARC is what brings those sources home, and wiring it correctly takes one cable and three settings.
HDMI ARC Receiver Setup: Wiring a TV to an AV Receiver
Which Receiver Input to Use
The receiver’s ARC-capable input is the one labelled ARC, eARC or TV (ARC), and it is usually the same socket the receiver would use to send video to a display. On many models it doubles as the monitor output, which is the neatest arrangement: the single cable from the receiver’s output to the display’s ARC port carries video up and audio back.
Where a receiver has several outputs, only the ARC-marked one supports the return. Wiring the display to a different output gives a working picture and no return, which looks like a soundbar-style fault in a receiver system.
Wiring Order for a Receiver System
The conventional order saves time. Sources – disc player, console, streamer – go into the receiver’s inputs. One cable runs from the receiver’s ARC or monitor output to the display’s ARC port. The display’s audio output is then pointed at the receiver, and CEC is enabled on both devices. From that point the receiver handles audio from its own inputs and from the television’s internal sources.
Two arrangements and when to choose each
An alternative order moves the television to the centre: all sources plugged into the panel, one cable to the receiver, and the receiver left to handle audio only. That arrangement works when the receiver’s video features are older than the display’s and would otherwise limit resolution or refresh rate, but it relies entirely on the return for audio from every source.
Settings That Make the Return Work
Four settings decide the outcome. HDMI-CEC, under whichever brand name the receiver uses, must be on. The television’s audio output must be set to the receiver or to ARC rather than to the TV speakers. The output format should be Auto or Bitstream for compressed surround, and PCM only when the receiver cannot decode the source format. And the receiver’s own ARC input must be selected at least once so the handshake completes.
Volume behaviour is the quickest confirmation that the handshake has taken. When the television’s remote changes the receiver’s volume, CEC and ARC are both working. That single symptom is more informative than any menu screen.
When the Receiver Stays Silent
Debug in the order that reflects the dependency chain. Confirm the cable is in the ARC sockets at both ends. Confirm CEC is enabled on both devices. Confirm the television’s output is not set to its internal speakers. Then test with the television’s own app audio rather than a source behind the receiver, because only the display’s internal audio uses the return.
The dependency order to debug in
Two less obvious causes are worth checking after those. An HDMI switch or extender in the leg may not pass control data, which breaks the handshake even though video flows. And a legacy receiver’s ARC input may expect the display’s audio in a format it can decode; where the television only offers pass-through, the receiver may need a firmware update or, alternatively, an HDMI ARC audio extractor on the return feeding a format the receiver handles.
Receiver ARC Setup: Settings and Symptoms
| Setting or Check | Correct Value | Symptom If Wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Receiver input used | The socket labelled ARC, eARC or TV (ARC) | Picture works, TV audio never arrives |
| HDMI-CEC | Enabled on both devices | No handshake, return invisible to the TV |
| TV audio output | Receiver or ARC, not TV speakers | TV plays through its own speakers |
| Audio format | Auto or Bitstream for compressed surround | Surround collapses to stereo PCM |
| Volume control | TV remote changes receiver volume | Return is not negotiated, or CEC is off |
| Switch or extender in the leg | Must pass CEC and the return | Video fine, handshake fails |
| eARC expectation | Both devices eARC-capable | Receiver reports Dolby Digital on lossless sources |
Real-World Application Scenarios
Receiver ARC setups appear in many shapes. A home theatre routes a disc player and console into the receiver and uses ARC only for the television’s streaming apps – the classic division of labour. A living room with an older receiver keeps a High Speed cable on the return and accepts compressed audio for the TV’s own sources. A rumpus room with a projector and a receiver uses an extractor when the projector cannot return audio. And a studio control room takes the television’s tuner audio into a monitor controller through an extractor when the controller has no HDMI.
Related reading: finding the ARC port on a TV or soundbar; the sequence behind the audio return; matching a cable to a 4K TV.
Recommended Internal Resources
Editorial Note: Internal linking recommendation: (1) Product cluster – https://zh-zong.com/productlist/ (anchor: ARC and eARC HDMI cables plus HDMI ARC to audio extractor units for receivers without a return input); (2) Related guide – https://zh-zong.com/what-is-hdmi-arc-port/ (anchor: locating the ARC port on a TV and receiver); (3) Related guide – https://zh-zong.com/hdmi-cable-for-4k-tv/ (anchor: matching the cable to a 4K display on the same leg); (4) Conversion – https://zh-zong.com/contact/ (anchor: send your receiver model for an ARC capability check).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Which input on an AV receiver is used for ARC?
A: The input marked ARC, eARC or TV (ARC), which on many receivers is the same socket used as the monitor output to the display. That is the only input on the receiver that completes the audio return.
Q: Do my sources need to go through the receiver for ARC to work?
A: No. Sources can be plugged into either device. ARC carries the television’s own audio – apps, tuner and USB media – while sources on the receiver play through the receiver directly and never use the return.
Q: Why is the TV sound still coming from the TV speakers?
A: The television’s digital audio output is probably still set to its internal speakers. Change it to the receiver or ARC option, confirm HDMI-CEC is enabled on both devices, and confirm the cable is in the ARC-marked sockets.
Q: Can I get lossless audio from the TV’s apps to my receiver?
A: Yes, when both the television and the receiver support eARC and the app delivers a lossless stream. On an ARC-only receiver the same audio arrives in its compressed form, which for most streaming content is what the service is sending anyway.