You’ve set up your Hisense TV with a soundbar or AV receiver, expecting theater-quality audio to fill your living room. Instead, you’re met with silence or sound coming from the wrong speakers. Your HDMI ARC connection isn’t working, and you’re stuck using your TV’s built-in speakers.
This frustrating issue is more common than you’d think. The good news is that most HDMI ARC problems have simple solutions you can try at home without calling a technician.
This guide walks you through what causes these connection issues and shows you exactly how to fix them step by step.
What’s Really Happening With Your HDMI ARC Connection
HDMI ARC stands for Audio Return Channel. Think of it as a two-way street for audio signals. Your TV sends sound to your soundbar or receiver through the same HDMI cable that brings video in from your streaming devices. This setup lets you control everything with one remote and keeps cable clutter to a minimum.
Your Hisense TV has one special HDMI port labeled ARC or eARC. This port does something the others can’t. It receives video from devices like your cable box and simultaneously sends audio back out to your sound system. Regular HDMI ports only work one way.
Problems start when this communication breaks down. Your TV might not recognize the soundbar. The audio could play from your TV speakers instead of your external system. Sometimes you’ll get no sound at all. These hiccups happen because several components need to work together perfectly, and any weak link disrupts the chain.
Left unfixed, you’re missing out on the audio quality you paid for. Your movies lose their impact. Music sounds flat. Gaming becomes less immersive. More importantly, constantly switching cables or settings wears down your ports and creates permanent connection issues over time.
HDMI ARC Not Working: Common Causes
Several factors can prevent your HDMI ARC from functioning properly. Understanding what goes wrong helps you fix it faster. Here are the most frequent culprits behind connection failures.
1. Wrong HDMI Port Selection
Your Hisense TV has multiple HDMI ports, but only one supports ARC. This port is usually labeled HDMI 1 (ARC) or HDMI 4 (ARC), depending on your model. Using any other port means the audio return feature simply won’t activate.
Many people plug their soundbar into the first available HDMI slot without checking labels. Your TV treats that connection like any other input device, not an audio output. The soundbar might power on and appear connected, but no audio flows through it.
Check the back or side of your TV right now. Look for the port with ARC or eARC printed next to it. That’s where your soundbar cable needs to go. Nothing else will work.
2. HDMI CEC Settings Are Disabled
HDMI CEC is the feature that lets your devices talk to each other. Hisense calls it different names depending on your TV model: Anynet+, SimpLink, or just CEC. This setting must be turned on for ARC to function.
Your TV and soundbar use CEC to negotiate the audio connection. They confirm that they’re both ready to send and receive signals. Without CEC enabled, they can’t complete this handshake. Your TV doesn’t know the soundbar exists as an audio output option.
3. Faulty or Incompatible HDMI Cable
Not all HDMI cables support ARC functionality. Older cables from five or six years ago might carry video perfectly but lack the wiring needed for audio return. Budget cables sometimes skip features to cut costs.
Physical damage matters too. A cable that’s been bent repeatedly near the connector can have broken wires inside. You won’t see the damage from the outside, but it stops signals from getting through. Even a slightly loose connection at either end can cause intermittent problems. The audio might work one day and fail the next because the connection isn’t solid.
4. Outdated TV Firmware
Hisense releases firmware updates that fix bugs and improve compatibility with newer soundbars and receivers. Your TV might be running old software that doesn’t properly support your audio equipment.
Software glitches can prevent the ARC feature from initializing correctly. Maybe an earlier update introduced a bug. Perhaps your TV model has known issues with certain soundbar brands that a firmware patch addresses. Running outdated software means missing these fixes.
5. Conflicting Audio Output Settings
Your TV has multiple ways to output sound: internal speakers, optical audio, HDMI ARC, and Bluetooth. Sometimes these settings conflict with each other. Your TV might be trying to send audio to two places at once, or it defaults to the wrong output.
The TV’s audio menu can be confusing. Options like “Auto,” “PCM,” “Bitstream,” and “Passthrough” all affect how sound travels through HDMI ARC. Selecting the wrong format creates compatibility issues. Your soundbar might not support the audio format your TV is trying to send, resulting in silence or error messages.
HDMI ARC Not Working: DIY Fixes
You can resolve most HDMI ARC issues without professional help. These solutions work for the majority of connection problems. Try them in order for the best results.
1. Verify You’re Using the Correct HDMI Port
Start with the basics. Unplug your soundbar’s HDMI cable from your TV. Look carefully at all the HDMI ports on your TV. Find the one marked with ARC or eARC. It’s usually highlighted or in a different color.
Plug your soundbar cable firmly into that specific port. You should hear a slight click when it seats properly. Make sure the other end connects securely to your soundbar’s HDMI OUT (ARC) port, not an HDMI IN port.
Turn everything on and test your audio. This simple fix solves the problem about 40% of the time. Many people waste hours troubleshooting when they’ve simply used the wrong port from day one.
2. Enable HDMI CEC on Your TV
Grab your TV remote and press the Settings or Menu button. Look for a section called System, General, or External Device Manager. The exact name varies by model year.
Find the HDMI CEC option. Hisense might label it as CEC, Device Control, or Anynet+. Switch it to On or Enable. Some TVs make you enable CEC for each HDMI port individually, so check that your ARC port specifically has CEC turned on. Save your changes and exit the menu. Restart both your TV and soundbar by unplugging them for 30 seconds. Power them back on and test the audio. The devices should now recognize each other and establish the ARC connection automatically.
3. Replace Your HDMI Cable
Even if your cable looks fine, swap it out for a high-speed HDMI cable with Ethernet. These cables explicitly support ARC and eARC features. You can find certified ones for under $15 at most electronics stores.
Look for cables marked “High Speed with Ethernet” or “Premium Certified.” Length matters too. Cables longer than 15 feet can have signal degradation issues. Stick with 6 to 10 feet unless you absolutely need more length.
Connect the new cable between your TV’s ARC port and your soundbar. Test the audio immediately. A bad cable is responsible for roughly 25% of ARC failures, so this fix has high success rates.
4. Update Your TV’s Firmware
Press the Settings button on your remote. Go to Support, System, or About depending on your menu layout. Select Software Update or System Update.
Choose Check for Updates. If an update is available, your TV will download and install it automatically. This process takes 10 to 20 minutes. Don’t turn off your TV during the update or you could damage the software.
After the update completes, your TV will restart. Go back into settings and re-enable HDMI CEC if needed. Updates sometimes reset your preferences. Test your ARC connection again. Firmware updates fix compatibility problems with specific soundbar models and resolve bugs that prevent proper audio handshaking.
5. Adjust Audio Output Settings
Navigate to your TV’s audio settings menu. Look for options labeled Audio Out, Sound Out, or Speaker Settings. You’ll see choices like TV Speaker, External Speaker, HDMI ARC, or Audio System.
Select HDMI ARC or Audio System as your output. Some TVs require you to turn off the internal speakers manually. Look for an option that says TV Speaker Off or External Audio Only.
Check the Digital Audio Format setting too. Try switching between Auto, PCM, and Bitstream. PCM is the most compatible format and works with virtually every soundbar. Bitstream passes surround sound formats like Dolby Digital, but not all soundbars support it. Start with PCM to establish a working connection, then experiment with other formats if you want.
6. Perform a Power Cycle Reset
This fix clears temporary glitches in both devices. Turn off your TV and soundbar using their power buttons. Unplug both devices from the wall outlet. Wait a full 60 seconds. This waiting period lets all capacitors discharge completely.
Plug your TV back in first and turn it on. Wait for it to fully boot up. Then plug in and power on your soundbar. This sequence helps the devices detect each other properly. Your TV should automatically recognize the soundbar on the ARC port and switch audio output accordingly. Check your sound settings to confirm the correct output is selected.
7. Contact Hisense Support or a Technician
If none of these solutions work, you might have a hardware problem. The HDMI port itself could be damaged. Internal components on the TV’s board might have failed. These issues require professional diagnosis and repair.
Reach out to Hisense customer support first. They can run diagnostics remotely and might identify model-specific issues. If your TV is under warranty, they’ll arrange a repair or replacement. For out-of-warranty TVs, find a certified TV repair technician in your area. They can test the HDMI port with specialized equipment and replace faulty components if needed.
Wrapping Up
HDMI ARC issues on your Hisense TV usually come down to simple connection problems, disabled settings, or outdated software. Most of these fixes take less than five minutes and don’t require any technical expertise.
Start with the easiest solutions first: check your port, enable CEC, and try a different cable. These three steps resolve the majority of ARC problems. If you need to update firmware or adjust audio settings, the process is straightforward enough for anyone to handle. Your home theater setup will be working perfectly in no time.