Q95T eARC and HDCP issues

[funkybananas]

Hello,

I have been getting a lot of audio dropouts when playing a 4K blu ray  (Sammy UBD-K8500 player) and using eARC to get Atmos audio from my soundbar (Sony HT-ST5000) so I decided to connect it directly into the soundbar itself but I am now only getting HD resolution with HDR when playing a 4K blu ray. I suspected this might be something to do with HDCP 2.2 and this was confirmed when I fired up John Wick 3 and saw a warning message but I never had this issue before when it was setup like that on my KS7000 previously.

Does anyone know if there are any settings on the TV to check for this? I've made sure the HDMIs are set to enhanced on both the TV and the bar and even switched off HDMI-CEC  on the TV when connecting the player into the bar but it'll only still play 4K blus in HD.

[GarySargent]

Have you checked what HDMI cable you are using between the TV and Soundbar for the eARC return channel. eARC requires much more bandwidth than a standard HDMI cable, which may explain drop-outs.

[funkybananas]

I am using those Amazon hdmi cables with ethernet. Got one connected to my Apple TV 4K and have no eARC issues when I watch movies with Atmos over that....so far 😂 could be that the streaming version of Atmos requires less bandwidth potentially?

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@GarySargent wrote:

Have you checked what HDMI cable you are using between the TV and Soundbar for the eARC return channel. eARC requires much more bandwidth than a standard HDMI cable, which may explain drop-outs.

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[GarySargent]

Streaming Atmos is lossy and much less bandwidth, you can send that through standard Arc. Sending Atmos via Dolby True HD from Bluray is massively more data.

See: https://www.tomsguide.com/uk/us/high-def-audio-hdmi,review-1088-4.html

Streaming Atmos uses Dolby Digital Plus. Bluray uses Dolby True HD (or DTS-HD).

[funkybananas]

That's what I was thinking. I'm going to try find a 48Gbps cable and see if that improves eARC performance.

Doesn't explain why it only does HD resolution when plugged directly into the bar but if that worked, I wouldn't care. Only need it a few months more till the PS5 arrives 😂

[cminer72]

I have a Q90T (USA) and a new QT Samsung Soundbar.  I get the Atmos dropouts if using eARC.  If plugging my Panasonic player into the soundbar I do not get dropouts.   But I had to turn off Viera Link (CEC) on the player because my Q90T would lose sight of the soundbar while they were on standby.  I had to replug the HDMI cable to reset the handshake between the TV and player each time I turned them on.  Viera Link sucks, turning it off solved it.  I think the reason the OP is only getting HD with HDR is because CEC was turned off on the TV.  It needs to be on for eARC to work.  Then you will get the 4K pass through.  Do turn it off on the blu-ray player.  Do not turn it off of the TV.  I am getting 4K pass through with CEC turned on on the Q90T.