Applies to: TV and audio system both documented to support ARC/eARC; inspect labels without forcing connectors or altering wiring live.
The useful distinctions
- Sony requires ARC/eARC-compatible endpoints for the return-audio feature.
- Sony identifies the TV HDMI IN return-audio port and audio-system HDMI OUT return port.
- When only one endpoint supports the feature, a supported alternate audio connection is needed.
Start at both ends
Photograph or sketch the two labelled sockets before changing anything. An HDMI connection can carry a source picture successfully without being the documented return-audio pair for TV sound. The question is whether the installed cable connects the ports each manufacturer specifies. A generic HDMI logo or a working picture on another input does not answer it.
Use TV-originated sound for the check
Choose a lawful TV app or another TV-originated reference when testing return audio. A source connected directly to the receiver may reach its speakers without using the television’s return path, so that sound is a different test. Record which device creates the audio and the audio-system input actually selected.
Keep configuration separate from cabling
Correct endpoint labels establish a necessary part of the installation, but they do not guarantee activation or format compatibility. If the pair is correct and sound remains absent, preserve that result and consult each model’s required control/return-audio settings. This guide supplies the port-pair decision; exact setup sequences and any power-cycle procedure belong to the corresponding manufacturer instructions.
A focused way to proceed
- Write down the TV and audio-system model numbers.
- Check each manual for its return-audio port label.
- Compare the actual cable endpoints with that documented pair.
- If needed, reconnect according to both manufacturers’ safe instructions.
- Replay the same TV-originated audio and record the result.
Worked example · synthetic
Hypothetical example: TV app sound is absent, and the sketch shows the cable on an ordinary TV HDMI input rather than the documented return-audio port. A safe manufacturer-directed reconnection establishes the intended path before any format troubleshooting begins.
When to stop or ask for help
Correct ports are necessary evidence, not a guarantee. Do not infer eARC support from an ARC-only label or another model’s manual.