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. 

[Jono1984]

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@zhspence wrote:

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. 

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Want to know this too. Have a C9 also and want to some clarification on it

[zhspence]

I have requested a refund, I have only had it two weeks. They're telling me that there isn't even a plan for an eARC update. 

[TessM]

Hey @zhspence ,

I have had a look into this and it appears that this soundbar HDMI output supports eARC. If your TV supports eARC then you have the option of connecting your external sources to it, sending the lossless audio back via HDMI.

[zhspence]

Hi,

thank you for your reply, Samsung support has stated that this soundbar is not eARC supported and hasn't received an update for it. I have spoken to multiple Samsung's people all of which state is only has arc. My tv has eARC turned on but the soundbar does not receive lossless audio 

im not sure if the UK has different firmware to the US but all I know is Samsung are adamant this soundbar has no eARC even though nearly all reviews say it is. I even asked them about all the firmware updates it's had, and have all said none of the updates included eARC. 

thanks,

zac

[TessM]

Always happy to help @zhspence . Are you able to send us a message through this account: https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/1716597 with your soundbar full model code and serial number so I can raise this with the relevant department to get the right information about this? 

[zhspence]

I have sent you a message detailing all of this.

Thank you.

[TessM]

Thanks @zhspence I have now raised this for you and I will be back as soon as I have an answer. Have a nice day!

[Mike_krk]

That would be amazing to know. I have Q80R soundbar and I spent quite some time already searching through the Internet for an answer about eARC support. This is radicolous. In 2019 we can't be sure about the hardware specyfication of a top soundbars on the market. This product was suppose to bring us cinema experience, for God sake!

[zhspence]

I agree, the whole reason I purchased this soundbar was because near enough everywhere stated eARC support for the Q90R. Even a Samsung sales advisor on the phone told me it was eARC. Only for all Samsung support advisors to tell me it isn’t eARC supported and there was no firmware update for it. What I don’t understand is why all reviews say it has eARC support and some stating that it’s had it since spring. This information is false, and 100% is not eARC supported. 🤷🏽‍♂️

[Mike_krk]

Some are pretty much sure about eARC support: https://eu.community.samsung.com/t5/TV/why-no-Dolby-Atmos-on-samsung-Netflix-App/m-p/1370334/highlig...

[zhspence]

I know, though I don’t blame them in thinking this. I too thought it when I purchased it. To then be told from different Samsung staff that it isn’t and has had no update for it.

[Mike_krk]

Yep, sure. But apart from no eARC support I'm faceing two more problems: common lipsync issue when watching 5.1/atmos netflix materials and also no sound at all when I choose "Multichannel (bypass)" as a digital out format on my Philips 55OLED854 TV. So I ended up watching Netflix movies in stereo with a $999 5.1.2 soundbar 

[zhspence]

I’m in the uk, I have the LG C9 and to be honest I have no no sync issues at all. I wanted this soundbar for its eARC function as the C9 is also eARC so I can get lossless audio. I’m not too familiar with the Philips tv’s so my comments would be superficial. In terms of LG and this soundbar they were pretty well together. Just a shame about being unable to experience the full sound that this sound system is capable of.

[Mike_krk]

Just curious, do you use any external source connected to the TV or soundbar, or it's just TV + soundbar?

[zhspence]

Nope, just soundbar directly to my C9 and I use it for all sound. Whether that’s Netflix, PS4 or Apple TV. This is why I want eARC support so much, so I can get lossless audio and all supported sound formats.

[MarceloFM]

Hi everyone,

I too own an LG C9 and the HW Q90R soundbar but do not have a BD player to test lossless audio via BD player -> TV -> eARC passthrough -> soundbar (e)ARC. The forum posts below indicate this will work fine if the eARC on the TV is On and set to PassThrough:

https://www.avforums.com/threads/samsung-hw-q90r-soundbar-review-comments.2231672/post-27253588

https://www.avforums.com/threads/samsung-hw-q90r-soundbar-review-comments.2231672/post-27415335

https://www.avforums.com/threads/samsung-hw-q90r-soundbar-review-comments.2231672/post-27253812

Lossy Atmos works fine from the TV's internal NetFlix app. From my PC, lossy Atmos and DTS-X work only when connected directly to the soundbar (the soundbar panel displays Dolby Atmos and DTS-X). But that is a different story alltogether. The TV is not passing lossy audio through to the soundbar via regular ARC (the soundbar panel does not display Dolby Atmos and DTS-X and I can hear the channels not coming from the correct speakers), so the only solution is to connect my PC directly to the soundbar. There is also the issue of this TV not supporting multichannel PCM, which LG stated will be resolved via software update in Q2 2020.

[zhspence]

Yes, I’ve seen that LG will be implementing an update to offer multichannel PCM in 2020. I’m terms of eARC passthrough, unless the soundbar is eARC too (which it isn’t) then you cannot get lossless audio as for that to work eARC has to be connected directly to another eARC supported device. I have my LG C9 on eARC but it will not passthrough lossless audio to the soundbar because it can’t decode lossless audio due to no eARC support.

[MarceloFM]

Looking forward to hearing back from Samsung on this one. There is a lot of conflicting information out there. Reviewers say eARC is supported via firmware update but many people are not getting eARC on this soundbar.

Here is another one. Apparently, Samsung have confirmed it is available since update 1006. We are on 1008:

https://www.avforums.com/threads/samsung-hw-q90r-soundbar-review-comments.2231672/post-27164994

[MarceloFM]

And another one:
https://www.rtings.com/soundbar/discussions/qkiODuRX4wvc1kHu/earc-support

[zhspence]

I have reached out to a lot of these reviewers and they have stated, that they haven’t tested if it does but a lot of customers have tested and it isn’t. The reviewers are going to context Samsung for some clarification. So all in all not even the reviewers know if it is even though they have stated it.