Quick Answer / Summary: On a TV, the ARC port acts as an audio output: it sends the television’s sound back down the cable. On a soundbar or AV receiver, the ARC port acts as an audio input: it receives that return. Both ports carry video in the opposite direction when the device passes it through. Connecting the TV’s ARC port to the audio device’s ARC input is what completes the loop.
ARC is described as an input on one device and an output on another, which is why the term confuses people wiring a system for the first time. On a television the ARC port is an output for audio and an input for video; on a soundbar or receiver it is an input that accepts the return. Two ports with the same name do opposite jobs, and the wiring follows from that.
HDMI ARC Input vs Output: Which Port Takes the Sound
Why the Same Port Is Called Both Input and Output
HDMI ports are bidirectional at the link level even though most traffic flows one way. The ARC port on a display is simultaneously an input for video arriving from a source and an output for audio travelling back to a sound system. Menus usually describe it by whichever function the user is configuring at the time, which is why the same socket can be listed as an input in the source menu and as an output in the sound menu.
On a soundbar or receiver the ARC socket is described as an input because from that device’s point of view the return arrives there. Receivers usually label it TV or TV (ARC) to make the direction obvious, and that label is the most reliable guide on the receiving end.
Reading Direction on Each Device
On a television, look for the audio output options in the sound menu. If the menu offers the receiver, ARC or audio system as an output choice, that confirms which port is the sender. On a soundbar or receiver, look at the socket markings: TV, TV (ARC), ARC or eARC indicates the input that expects the television’s cable.
A simple rule resolves most confusion. The cable goes between the television and one audio device, and each end uses its ARC-marked socket. Nothing is plugged into the ARC port of a television except that one cable, unless the audio device provides video passthrough and the source is deliberately routed through it.
What Happens When the Connection Is Reversed
Reversing the connection usually produces no damage and no function. A cable from a plain HDMI input on the television to the soundbar’s ARC input carries video from a source if one exists, but no return, because the plain input cannot transmit the display’s audio. The symptom is characteristic: the soundbar works with sources connected directly to it, while the television’s own apps and tuner stay silent.
The symptom pattern that identifies it
A second reversed configuration appears when a display’s ARC port is used as a plain input for a console while the audio device is wired to a different port. The console works and the return fails. The remedy is either to move the audio device to the ARC port or to route the console through the audio device’s passthrough input.
Direction and the Return Formats
Direction also frames the format question. Capacity is set by the sending end’s return standard – a display with eARC can send lossless audio – and the receiving end has to decode what arrives. If the soundbar accepts only compressed formats, the television will negotiate down to those, which is why an eARC display with an ARC soundbar behaves like ARC.
Capacity follows the sending end
Where neither end can take the direction that is needed, adding a converter is the answer: an HDMI ARC audio extractor receives the display’s return and presents the audio in a form the amplifier accepts. That preserves the correct direction of travel rather than attempting to reverse the link.
Direction of Travel on Each Port
| Device | Port Role for Audio | Port Role for Video | Label to Look For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Television with ARC | Output – sends its own audio back | Input – receives video from the source | ARC or HDMI (ARC) |
| Television with eARC | Output – sends compressed or lossless audio | Input – receives high-rate video | eARC or ARC/eARC |
| Soundbar, single HDMI input | Input – receives the return | Output – passes the source video to the TV | TV (ARC) or ARC |
| AV receiver | Input – receives the return | Output – sends video to the display | TV or TV (ARC) |
| Audio extractor | Input – receives the return or the video signal | Output – passes video if supported | ARC IN and HDMI OUT |
| Plain HDMI input on a TV | No role – cannot send audio | Input only | HDMI 1, HDMI 2, HDMI 3 |
Real-World Application Scenarios
Direction confusion appears in ordinary troubleshooting. A family wires a soundbar to the television’s third HDMI input because it is easiest to reach, and the television’s apps stay silent until the cable is moved one socket. An integrator labels both ends of the cable with source and display arrows so a service call cannot reverse it. A bar owner adds an extractor because the display’s ARC port must stay free for a media player, and the extractor takes over the return role without disturbing the video path.
Related reading: finding the ARC port on a TV or soundbar; the sequence behind the audio return; an ARC port against a standard HDMI input.
Recommended Internal Resources
Editorial Note: Internal linking recommendation: (1) Product cluster – https://zh-zong.com/productlist/ (anchor: HDMI ARC cables and ARC to audio extractors with the return direction stated per product); (2) Related guide – https://zh-zong.com/what-is-hdmi-arc-port/ (anchor: how to locate the ARC port on either device); (3) Related guide – https://zh-zong.com/how-does-hdmi-arc-work/ (anchor: the sequence that makes the return work); (4) Conversion – https://zh-zong.com/contact/ (anchor: send a photo of your port panels for a wiring check).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is the ARC port on a TV an input or an output?
A: It is both. The ARC port accepts video from a source like any HDMI input, and it also sends the television’s own audio back to the sound system. Menus describe it as an output when configuring sound and as an input when listing sources.
Q: Which ARC port receives the audio?
A: The ARC-marked input on the soundbar, receiver or extractor receives the return from the television. That socket is usually labelled TV, TV (ARC) or ARC.
Q: What happens if I connect the ARC ports the wrong way?
A: Nothing is damaged, but the return will not function. Configuration errors of this kind typically show up as a soundbar that works with sources plugged into it while the television’s own apps remain silent.
Q: Can I use the ARC port for a source and still get TV audio to my soundbar?
A: Only if the soundbar or receiver has a passthrough input, in which case the source connects there and the television’s ARC port stays dedicated to the return. Otherwise the ARC port has to remain free for the audio link.