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Dolby TrueHD and eARC on Samsung Q80R Soundbar

(Topic created on: 15-01-2020 09:28 AM)
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Mike_krk
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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:
and
 
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
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Frans83
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@AntS wrote:

@Soul_ wrote:

Hey AntS,

Do you know if eARC for soundbars is coming? A german mod mentioned that eARC for TVs is coming on a TV thread. So, wanted to see if yu can check in and see if the same is happening for Soundabrs. 


Hi Soul_,

 

We can't speak for other countries, but we've asked our UK & Ireland TV tech colleagues if they're able to clarify the situation at least for UK & Ireland users. Once we get an update on that, we'll share. 


If the clarification is given in a positive way, I pointing my arrows on Samsung again. By now, I've read and viewed an insanely amount of 'best soundbars'. Really more than anyone should and Samsung is always noted in the top. even the Q60 and 70R got mentioned in best below 400 dollar or non atmos or whatever and the higher lines (also the older N lines) are always mentiond with the top best. So I just can't get passed Samsung!!!! And living in the netherlands...if Samsung UK confirmes it, we'll get the update to or I can order it and ship it over. 

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Frans83
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@Soul_ wrote:

@Frans83 wrote:
@Soul_ You said: 'During compression additional latency between audio and video gets added, this causes massive lip sync issues on consoles and pc which produce real time gaming footage in low latency.
eARC exists to negate the need for compression.'

This is totally true, but the OP has an LG C9 which has an earc. He also watches Netflix from the TV app, so no video is passing through, only the audio is send to the Atmos compatible Soundbar. Send through eARC, so no compression or lossy signal. In this case, would there still be a lip sync problem?

eARC requires a two way handshake. If recieveing party is not eARC compatible, it falls back to ARC. So, in this case even if C9 tries to communicate via eARC, but since the soundbar only accepts ARC, it will fallback to ARC (so compressed, lossy, and possibly with lip sync issues).


Reading back on this....When you spoke of console and pc, you mentioned massive lipsync issues, but when using the tv app, you said possibly with lip sync issues. Is this just a choice of words, or are these indeed different? So pc/console is a certain problem, tv maybe not and if it is, maybe not so noticeble.

 

Reason I ask, I am still listening to the sound of my tv and it really drives me crazy. But really. It's way to shallow and soft. And if I cranck the volume up to hear the voices, the background musix in movies is insanly hard. So I don't think I can wait till spring and after doing some more digging....I just don't see myself spending 200 dollar on a soundbar without virtual surround, 350 dollar on a soundbar with virtual surround or even 450 dollar for a soundbar with Atmos WITHOUT upward speakers or rear speakers. So in the end....It will probably will be the Sony or the old Samsunng hw-n850 or or hw-n950 (they are affordable). 

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skipperab
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Thanks for the info @Soul
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skipperab
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I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing but I'm taking my Q80 back to the store for a refund on Monday. I have a LG C9 and can't get the audio sync to work for my satellite feed. From what I have read if my LG has eArc (and it does) and I get a soundbar that also has eArc then my sync issues should be fixed. I love the sound of the Q80 but the sync issue is driving me bananas. I'm hoping the 2020 Q80 will have eArc. Can anyone help me out? @AntS @ Soul

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Frans83
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@skipperab wrote:

I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing but I'm taking my Q80 back to the store for a refund on Monday. I have a LG C9 and can't get the audio sync to work for my satellite feed. From what I have read if my LG has eArc (and it does) and I get a soundbar that also has eArc then my sync issues should be fixed. I love the sound of the Q80 but the sync issue is driving me bananas. I'm hoping the 2020 Q80 will have eArc. Can anyone help me out? @AntS @ Soul


You are doing the right thing. I've been really active with eARC and lypsync issues and it seems it's a matter of luck. Some have it. Some don't. But I've noticed when this problem is solved in these topics, it's not like how you want it, but with comprises. Solutions like connect this device to that and this device to that and then that device to....

Then select whatyoumaycallit and so on.

But when in fact the person in question originaly didn't want to do it that way. Connect the devices the other way around or something like that.

Those devices like Shield are a good example of this. 

Other solutions given are mostley a lot of work arounds and then lypsync is almost gone and the problem was solved. But almost gone isn't solved at all. It's annoying and you also don't want to do those work arounds.

And in the near future I will be watching 4K UHD with HDR10+ or Dolby Vision. The source of this will be directly connected to my tv. If this gives me a lipsync problem and a part of the solution is to connect the source to the soundbar, to me this isn't a solution at all. High bandwidth video sources like that need to be connected directly to the tv and not through passthrough, eventhough they are compatible.

 

So how to play safe? Trade it in while you can. This gives you a save bet. If you can afford it offcourse. The q80 now, isn't cheap. The newer one will be even less..

Good luck.

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Soul_
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You should just return it my man. I would suggest to buy Sony (which has eARC), or wait for something new.


@skipperab wrote:

I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing but I'm taking my Q80 back to the store for a refund on Monday. I have a LG C9 and can't get the audio sync to work for my satellite feed. From what I have read if my LG has eArc (and it does) and I get a soundbar that also has eArc then my sync issues should be fixed. I love the sound of the Q80 but the sync issue is driving me bananas. I'm hoping the 2020 Q80 will have eArc. Can anyone help me out? @AntS @ Soul


 

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Frans83
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Wait and buy the new ones and don't only focus on Samsung. The new ones like the new JBL 9.1.? (yeah I said it, because it seems to be really good),  Vizio Elevate and one of Klipsch (I believe they bring out multiple Atmos soundbars) are really not inferior to Samsung. Except the JBL, the other ones have proven themself really really good and they are probably cheaper then the new Samsung's. The JBL has also proven itself to deliver a good surround soundbar with it's previous one, but it wasn't thát good. The new one however is said to be real good. Also has those real wireless detachable surround speakers.

Anyway....that's what I would do, or......buy one now if you can't wait, but think twice about the Sony.

3 of Sony's Atmos soundbars deliver virtual atmos, without the upfiring speakers. Don't. It's to big of a compromise.

Sony's top HT-ST5000 is really good, but to expensive. Where I live it is, anyway. If you can find it for a good price, go for it, but if not, it might be worth to wait till the new line-up. The ST5000 is allready 3 or 4 years old and I don't like to buy something that old, for such a high price. Cause when does Sony presents a new one and how much updates and support will the old one get?

Sharp and Pioneer and some also have Atmos bars right now, but don't know about eARC on those and how they perform. They, as wel as Vizio, the Soundwafe and TCL?? don't sell where I live.

 

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skipperab
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Well I returned it yesterday for a full refund. The sales manager said that he was told by his Samsung rep that the 2020 model would have functional 2.1 HDMI and eArc. So I’m going to wait until it comes out and give it a try. I loved the sound of the soundbar. Not sure if you can get any better. Whether this will fix the lip sync issue or not might also depend on whether LG  sends out a software release to have the eArc and 2.1 become functional on the C9 I purchased. 

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Soul_
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@skipperab wrote:

Well I returned it yesterday for a full refund. The sales manager said that he was told by his Samsung rep that the 2020 model would have functional 2.1 HDMI and eArc. So I’m going to wait until it comes out and give it a try. I loved the sound of the soundbar. Not sure if you can get any better. Whether this will fix the lip sync issue or not might also depend on whether LG  sends out a software release to have the eArc and 2.1 become functional on the C9 I purchased. 


That is what they said for 2019 bars as well. Dont buy it till eARC and HDMI 2.1 are fully supported.

 

People like Stephen Withers said in their review that it is already supported and operational on 2019 bars.  Funny enough, even when he was informed that eARC doesnt work, he did not chnage his review, till very recently in 2020.

 

I have stopped reading his reviews, and advised my friends and family of the same.

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Frans83
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I believe it was when recently the fora on this subject became so big, someone confronted Stephen Withers on twitter with this and only then he changed his reviews.

Even so...I don't think his misinformation is something to hold against him. I believe he also was misinformed by Samsung and eventually lied to. Big shot as he can be, he still can't look in Samsung's schedule, so the information had to come from Samsung themself.

And that let's you think.....are they trustworthy enough to believe what they claim now?

I myself do believe the new ones, will have eARC. But when? From the start or with a later update?

And if the latter, do they prospone it again?

And if it's done through an update, there still isn't a reason to decline the older ones this update. So if the update is there.....do the current ones, whoch will be cheaper also get them? I think not, otherwise there is no reason to buy the new one.

Either way....to much variables. To much guessing, to much uncertain for me. Only thing we do know however, is they messed up their reputation (and their service reputation was allready bad) by not keeping theri promise and misinforming people to make them buy stuff, they actually don't want, so I say, -something- them. I rather buy a LG then a Samsung by now.

My tv is gonna be an LG also, so that's also a big plus.