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HDMI passthrough lets you connect a console, streaming device, or Blu-ray player to a soundbar first. The soundbar plays the source’s audio and sends its video to the TV over HDMI. It is different from ARC or eARC, which carries audio from the TV back to the soundbar.
You may want passthrough if it solves a port or audio-format limitation in your setup. If your TV has a suitable input and can send the audio you need to the soundbar, you may not need to route sources through the bar.
How HDMI passthrough works
In a passthrough setup, the external source connects to the soundbar’s HDMI input. The soundbar handles the audio and forwards the video from its HDMI output to the TV. Dolby’s connection guide describes this source-to-soundbar-to-TV route.
The soundbar must have a separate HDMI input to accept an external source. An HDMI output marked ARC or eARC can connect the bar to the TV for audio return, but that output alone does not provide source passthrough. Check the model’s port layout and specifications.
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Passthrough versus ARC and eARC
| Connection | Direction and purpose |
|---|---|
| HDMI passthrough | An external source sends audio and video to the soundbar. The bar plays the audio and forwards the video to the TV. |
| ARC or eARC | The TV sends audio to the soundbar over HDMI. Use the ports labeled ARC or eARC on both devices. Samsung explains that eARC carries TV audio to an audio device, with supported formats depending on the equipment. |
These functions can be part of the same wiring arrangement, but they are not interchangeable. For TV audio return, connect the TV and soundbar using their ARC/eARC ports and select the appropriate audio output on the TV. See Samsung’s eARC guidance, Dolby’s audio FAQs, and LG’s ARC connection instructions.
How to connect a source through the soundbar
- Connect the console, streaming device, or Blu-ray player to the soundbar port labeled HDMI IN.
- Connect the soundbar port labeled HDMI OUT to an HDMI input on the TV.
- If you also need TV audio to play through the soundbar, connect the TV’s ARC/eARC port to the soundbar’s ARC/eARC-compatible output and select the soundbar as the TV’s audio output.
- Select the corresponding input on the soundbar and TV. Check that the source, soundbar, TV, and cables support the video and audio formats you intend to use.
When passthrough is useful—and when it is not
It can help when the connection route solves a problem
- You want to connect an external source to the soundbar so the bar receives its audio directly.
- The TV does not have a suitable free HDMI input.
- Your TV cannot return a required audio format in your particular setup, but the soundbar can accept it from the source.
That last case depends on the devices and formats involved, not just the presence of passthrough. Klipsch documents a Cinema 700-specific connection example for a TV that does not support eARC; it is an example for that model, not a universal guarantee for other soundbars.
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You may not need it if the TV already handles the route
If the TV has enough suitable inputs and can send the audio you want to the soundbar over ARC or eARC, connecting the source directly to the TV may be simpler. Whether that works depends on the TV, source, soundbar, and signal formats they support.
What to check in the specifications
The phrase “HDMI passthrough” alone does not guarantee support for every signal. Before choosing a connection route or a soundbar, check the specifications for the exact devices in your setup:
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- Ports: Does the soundbar have both an HDMI input for the source and an HDMI output to the TV?
- Video: What resolution and refresh rate can the bar pass through? Does it support the HDR format you use?
- Gaming features: If relevant, does passthrough support features such as variable refresh rate? Check the exact resolution and refresh-rate combination rather than assuming support from a broad feature label.
- Audio: Which formats can the soundbar accept and decode? Which can the TV return over ARC or eARC?
- TV settings and ports: Which TV port is labeled ARC/eARC, and can the TV pass the audio format your setup requires?
- Cables: Do the cables meet the requirements of the devices and signal? A different cable cannot add format support that the TV, soundbar, or source lacks.
Manufacturers’ limits can be model-specific. For example, Klipsch’s Cinema 700 guidance illustrates that supported resolution and refresh-rate combinations vary by product. For connection and cable considerations, see Yamaha’s manual.
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