Dolby TrueHD and eARC on Samsung Q80R Soundbar

[Mike_krk]

Hi, since few days I am an owner of a Samsung HW-Q80R soundbar in pair with Philips 55OLED854 SmartTV. Searching the Internet back and forth I found no certain answer to the following problems:

1. Does Samsung HW-Q80R has ARC or eARC?

2. Does it support Dolby Digital Plus or Dolby TrueHD?

3. If it does not have eARC, is it possible for Samsung to change it to eARC via firmware update?

4. Does it support DTS-HD or DTS-Master?

I also saw these topics:

https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Home-Theater/LIp-Sync-issue/m-p/804655

and

https://us.community.samsung.com/t5/Home-Theater/Audio-Lag-On-HW-Q80R-Soundbar/m-p/722526

And I do wonder: if I own a SmartTV with Netflix app installed (so TV is the only source), how can I "connect my source directly to soundbar and soundbar output to tv, so Sound will go out of soundbar without any lag, and video will pass through to tv"? Is it even possible in my configuration? What should I do to get the bes possible audio quality?

Best regards!

Mike

[SuissoNaBisso]

Hi, I have the Q90R which is supposed to be the same product just with extra rear speakers.

I confirm all these formats you mentioned are compatible with the Samsung soundbar howeever only if device is directly connect to HDMI input, not from ARC as this is not eARC ! have an LG 65C9 TV with HDMI2.1 qnd eARC and no HD sounds goes to the soundbar through ARC meaning this is not eARC.

Many websites mentioned the Q90R soundbar got the eARC compatibility through latest update but finally not...so I guess Samsung shared this info with them, but this company is so horrible in terms of communication / support service that I now have big doubts on this....

[Mike_krk]

So basically, no one knows what's going on, and after all we paid a lot of $$$ for a hardware that was suppose to bring us cinema experience, but in fact it can't even play losless 5.1, not to mention a common Netflix lipcyns issue.

This is pathethic.

[zhspence]

EARC comes to all 2019 TVs and Q series soundbars next month via firmware update it’s been confirmed.

[Soul_]

So, next month happened and then another next month happened and now we are in the third next month. 

No eARC. Where is it??

---

@zhspence wrote:
EARC comes to all 2019 TVs and Q series soundbars next month via firmware update it’s been confirmed.

---

[DAtky]

LG has a new soundbar coming!

it has eARC.

if nothing else it may spur Samsung into a update fearing loss of sales over the competition??

[Soul_]

---

@DAtky wrote:

LG has a new soundbar coming!

it has eARC.

if nothing else it may spur Samsung into a update fearing loss of sales over the competition??

---

I am not sure if that will help the current soundbars get eARC, which all reviewers said will get eARC in summer 2019. 

Samsung is a very nickel and diming company which doesn't really care about customers. They will just release new bars with eARC and not bother fulfilling current bars with eARC. 

Should have gone Sony, they updated all their older capable models with eARC. 

[slim_shady]

sorry, I'm really confused now. was just about to purchase the LG C9 and an hw-q80r ...does the soundbar support e-arc or not? I want to play atmos enabled movies through the TV Plex app and have the atmos sent back through the hdmi arc port....

[zhspence]

The soundbar does not support eARC

[Soul_]

None of the samsung sound bars support eARC as of yet.

The reviewers have officially lied to consumers on every single website. I have a Q80R sound bar, and I can confirm, I do not have eARC till now. Been waiting for over 6 months.