What is going on with eARC update for the soundbar HW-Q90R?

[zhspence]

Hi everyone,

I need some clarification, as to be honest the Samsung support staff are hopeless with knowing anything about their own products. 

I was on chat with support enquiring about the eARC firmware update for this soundbar, he replies to me saying it doesn't have eARC?! 

the whole reason I purchased it was because of this update, I have the LG C9 which is eARC!

if they don't provide this firmware update to allow it, then this soundbar is going back for a refund. 

[pasab]

it supports these formats in the normal hdmi in ports but not in the arc port because it has lower bandwidth.

With arc port, atmos is compressed in dd+ and with dts-x in dts-hd I think

[jobean]

Hmmm... I have my HW-Q90R connect through ARC to my LG C9. If I play an Atmos movie from USB (like the 'leaf' trailer) or on Netflix. The display on my soundbar says Dolby Atmos so Samsung is faking Atmos or I do get Atmos through ARC

[redrumix]

You have compressed Atmos via Dolby Digital+, not loseless Atmos via Dolby True HD.
It's still Atmos.

[jobean]

Okay.....

I think I am just not audiophile enough to understand this matter  

[redrumix]

Vrr and allm depends from implamantation of eARC or this is independent issue?
I still hope (blind faith) that Samsung will do update to eARC...

[redrumix]

You will have "max quality" Atmos (loseless) only from Blueray.
Sound which is compressed has 10-20x less data than loseless Atmos True HD.
But only eARC support higher bitrate.

"Standard user" will not hear the diffrence and if you don't plan to use BlueRay then it should'nt interest you;-)

[pasab]

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@jobean wrote:

Okay.....

I think I am just not audiophile enough to understand this matter  

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it´s simple, atmos (and DTS-X) is not a format like dolby digital or dts-hd.

Atmos is metadata which has to be included within a sound track whether in dolby true hd or dolby digital plus.

we can say they are its container. If you decode it with true hd (lossless) the bitrate will be much higher than with dd+ (lossy) .

Because of this arc can only handle it with dd+ 

[pasab]

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@redrumix wrote:

Vrr and allm depends from implamantation of eARC or this is independent issue?
I still hope (blind faith) that Samsung will do update to eARC...

---

I think it is independent, Samsung TV Q80R for example has no earc but it has VRR/freesync and allm, it´s the TV what provides the compatibility with these features.  Also some AVR´s are compatible. 

This is the issue when you connect xbox directly to soundbar, you lose all of this.

[redrumix]

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@pasab wrote:

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@redrumix wrote:

Vrr and allm depends from implamantation of eARC or this is independent issue?
I still hope (blind faith) that Samsung will do update to eARC...

---

I think it is independent, Samsung TV Q80R for example has no earc but it has VRR/freesync and allm, it´s the TV what provides the compatibility with these features.  Also some AVR´s are compatible. 

This is the issue when you connect xbox directly to soundbar, you lose all of this.

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Ok, I read something and understand what IT gives.

I am casual player then worst latency is not pain for me.

[SuissoNaBisso]

Hey guys

I'm looking for someone who has an Nvidia Shield and one of the 2019 Samsung soundbar + a TV with eARC.

Would like to run some tests with this person by sharing an access to my Emby or Plex server with 4k movies rips including HD audio.

If anyone has this kind of material and would be free to test this, please let me know in the thread or directly PM me ! 

Thanks !