How to distinguish them, differences and how to know which one to use

Not all HDMI ports on your TV are the sameand that is why we are going to teach you to distinguish them and to differentiate between those of yours. Thus, you can have a little more information to decide which of them you want to use for each device you are going to connect.

Let’s start by telling you HDMI types that your TV can havesomething that also depends a little on the year in which you will buy it. And then, we will tell you the main differences between one and the other.

HDMI types on your TV

On your TV, you can mainly have three types of port HDMI. On the one hand are the normal HDMI, the standards that your TV brings. They are usually the same, although they do not usually specify what the standard version they use. This you will have to look at the TV manual

Some more modern televisions have at least A port with HDMI ARCor with the acronym arc in parentheses. This technology is implemented from HDMI 1.4, and are connectors with The sound return channelwhich means that it extracts the sound to send it to an audio team.

In the most modern televisions, especially since 2019, the ARC possibly indicates that it is An HDMI connector 2.1. These use the format EARC Successor of the arc of the previous ones (means “enhaled arc” or “improved arc”). It is a more advanced technology, so that the teles can send any high -resolution multichannel digital sound format.

In many cases it is not possible to distinguish HDMI 2.1 of your TV. If the TV is modern, it is possible that it is the Puerto Arc that appears in it, although it is also possible to be an anterior arc version. Come on, the ARC can be normal arc or EARC, you will have to look at the specifications or technical card of your TV to get out of doubt.

What port HDMI use

In the event that you have a sound barA/V receiver or an audio equipment connected to the TV, you will always have to use the port that appears as ARC or EARC. These are HDMI ports prepared to improve sound shipping, and that is why they are the specific ones to use.

The ARC protocol is not activated by default. This means that when you connect a sound bar, you may have to go to your television sound output settings and indicate that you do not want the TV speakers to be used, but the HDMI ARC exit.

You have to start from the idea that HDMI with the ARC is the most modern port. Therefore, in the event that you do not have a sound bar, it can be the one you want to use for your game console or external smart TV device.

In Xataka Basics | HDMI, thorough guide: what is, types, versions and which to buy