Sharc - The eArc device that can save you thousands as you prepare for Next Gen/Current PC Gaming

guitarguy316 · Dec 14, 2020

I just got mine today. Should I just plug it in as setup out of the box?

I already had my LG CX and everything setup but was getting audio delaya using my Xbox Series X into tv into JBL sound bar.

Squall ASF · Dec 14, 2020

Hey guys, I've been using the Zone-2 for a couple weeks now and have everything going straight to the tv (except the receiver which is going through the Zone) as you guys recommended. Things have went fairly smoothly until I tried both the tv apps and my Nvidia Shield. The shield is using HDMI 4 on my LG CX and for some reason can't use my sound system. This is all the more perplexing because my PS5 thankfully uses the right source. Also wondering why the TV apps, specifically Hulu that I'm trying to use can't seem to use the theater system for sound? I figure with this being a popular tv, some of you must have run into this issue? Any help would be much appreciated!

My setup is:

HDMI 1: Cable Box
HDMI 2: Zone-2 Sharc
HDMI 3: PS5
HDMI 4: Nvidia Shield

Sharc also connected to my Sony receiver. Using HDMI 2.1 cables for everything.

EeK9X · Dec 15, 2020

Mejilan said:
Just download the firmware executable, plug the SHARC into your computer via USB, and run the firmware installer.
It'll tell you what version your device is running and update it accordingly.
FWIW, when I got mine a few weeks ago, it was one FW version behind.
And there's been another FW released since then, making any that shipped recently up to two firmware updates behind, potentially.
I'm pretty sure that the newest FW was released after pretty much all units currently available exited manufacturing.

Wonder if it's even worth updating if everything's working fine. Are patch notes for the new versions?

Exit Music said:
I haven't had problems with Xbox CEC without a sharc. PS5 CEC sucks though because it's all or nothing. If I have CEC on Xbox and the PS5 and everything is powered off and I turn on the Xbox it turns on the tc receiver and PS5.

I guess it could be my LGCX, but it only does that with my PS5.

My PS5 only turns on when switching to the corresponding HDMI input on the TV, which is quite handy, since the PS4 could never be turned on without the use of a DS4, not even with a Harmony Hub/remote. Now, my "Play PS5" activity simply turns on the TV and AVR and switches inputs to the corresponding ones.

Kyle Cross said:
Does anyone else have the audio popping issue when changing resolution, turning on device, etc? Thenaudio says they cannot replicate the issue and that I'm the only customer that has contacted them with the issue so they don't know how they can proceed to fix it. If anyone else has the issue lemme know and tell me your setup and maybe that can help them find a solution.

No issues here: LG C9 and Denon AVR-X4400H.

raphaelr · Dec 15, 2020

EeK9X said:
Wonder if it's even worth updating if everything's working fine. Are patch notes for the new versions?

update notes are availiable on their website:

Firmware - Thenaudio

thenaudio.com

EeK9X · Dec 15, 2020

Wondering if PS5 audio should still be set to Linear PCM when using the shARC. I've found the same bit of info from two sources:

Finally, at the bottom, set the Audio Format (Priority) to Linear PCM if your PS5 is connected directly to your receiver or soundbar over HDMI. If your PS5 connected to your TV, with your TV sending audio to the speakers over Optical or HDMI ARC, you may need to select Dolby or DTS here in order for surround to work, since other connections may not have the bandwidth for uncompressed LPCM in more than two channels.

Lastly, set the Audio Format (Priority) option that matches your setup. Choose "Linear PCM" if you're using HDMI to connect your PS5 directly to your receiver or soundbar. If you've plugged your PS5 directly into your TV, which is then passing the signal through to your receiver or soundbar, you might need to use "Dolby" or "DTS."

Granted, those sources are IGN and LifeHacker, so I don't know how reliable they are. Thoughts?

raphaelr said:
update notes are availiable on their website:

Firmware - Thenaudio

thenaudio.com

Thank you!

CrichtonKicks · Dec 15, 2020

Anyone unable to update their firmware? The program is telling me that it "could not open the device".

Neobunch · Dec 16, 2020

So I went to try and measure the amount of audio lag with different audio modes with and without the sharc, to try and determine the actual difference using the device. The method used was Rockband4 on both the PS4 and PS5, using autocalibration with the guitar controller. I also used the PS4 as that had an optical port you could use for sending out audio and it felt like it was faster than HDMI, so I also wanted to check that.

Note that rockband is hardly a scientific instrument for measuring the real audio and video latencies of your setup, but it is useful for measuring relative differences (i.e. how much audio lag does using Dolby digital add when compared to using PCM on the exact same setup).

The shArc device has Pin 1 DOWN, as per my previous testing that afforded me the best audio mode compatibility with the combination of movies, TV apps and games for me.

These are the results

Code:

pin 3    Platform    Audio mode    V.Lag  A.Lag  A/V desync
UP          PS5    HDMI PCM 5.1      55    187    132
UP          PS5    HDMI Dolby Dig    58    303    245
UP          Ps4    HDMI PCM 5.1      62    166    104
UP          Ps4    HDMI Dolby Dig    60    284    224
UP          Ps4    Optical DolbyD    65    226    161
UP          Ps4    Optical DTS       63    170    107
UP          Ps4    Optical PCM 2.0   64    131     67
DOWN        Ps4    HDMI PCM 5.1      64    167    103
DOWN        Ps4    HDMI Dolby Dig    64    286    222
No Sharc    Ps4    HDMI PCM 2.0      59    221    162
No Sharc    Ps4    HDMI Dolby Dig    61    273    212
AVR         Ps4    HDMI PCM 5.1      62    143     81
AVR         Ps4    HDMI Dolby Dig    61    241    180
AVR         Ps4    HDMI DTS          64    185    121

Findings:
* using dolby digital adds between 100-120 ms of audio latency, when compared to PCM
* the optical audio connection offers the least amount of lag vs HDMI, even when going directly to the same AVR. The PS5 lacks this port and the fact that optical can't carry HD audio codecs or multichannel PCM makes this somewhat irrelevant
* setting pin 3 DOWN on the Sharc had no effect on the measurement
* DTS is around 60ms faster than Dolby Digital

Still, going from Dolby Digital thru ARC to PCM 5.1 through eArc (the shArc) shaved off 110ms of audio lag and gets me beautiful uncompressed surround sound, while only 22ms slower than going directly to the AVR. If this is also your use case, the sharc works well for it.

Neobunch · Dec 16, 2020

EeK9X said:
Wondering if PS5 audio should still be set to Linear PCM when using the shARC. I've found the same bit of info from two sources:

yes, use Linear PCM, best quality and lowest audio lag. Those sources are referring to then you only have Arc available, not eArc

SeizenLaw · Dec 16, 2020

Neobunch said:
So I went to try and measure the amount of audio lag with different audio modes with and without the sharc, to try and determine the actual difference using the device. The method used was Rockband4 on both the PS4 and PS5, using autocalibration with the guitar controller. I also used the PS4 as that had an optical port you could use for sending out audio and it felt like it was faster than HDMI, so I also wanted to check that.

Note that rockband is hardly a scientific instrument for measuring the real audio and video latencies of your setup, but it is useful for measuring relative differences (i.e. how much audio lag does using Dolby digital add when compared to using PCM on the exact same setup).

The shArc device has Pin 1 DOWN, as per my previous testing that afforded me the best audio mode compatibility with the combination of movies, TV apps and games for me.

These are the results

Code:

pin 3 Platform Audio mode V.Lag A.Lag A/V desync UP PS5 HDMI PCM 5.1 55 187 132 UP PS5 HDMI Dolby Dig 58 303 245 UP Ps4 HDMI PCM 5.1 62 166 104 UP Ps4 HDMI Dolby Dig 60 284 224 UP Ps4 Optical DolbyD 65 226 161 UP Ps4 Optical DTS 63 170 107 UP Ps4 Optical PCM 2.0 64 131 67 DOWN Ps4 HDMI PCM 5.1 64 167 103 DOWN Ps4 HDMI Dolby Dig 64 286 222 No Sharc Ps4 HDMI PCM 2.0 59 221 162 No Sharc Ps4 HDMI Dolby Dig 61 273 212 AVR Ps4 HDMI PCM 5.1 62 143 81 AVR Ps4 HDMI Dolby Dig 61 241 180 AVR Ps4 HDMI DTS 64 185 121

Findings:
* using dolby digital adds between 100-120 ms of audio latency, when compared to PCM
* the optical audio connection offers the least amount of lag vs HDMI, even when going directly to the same AVR. The PS5 lacks this port and the fact that optical can't carry HD audio codecs or multichannel PCM makes this somewhat irrelevant
* setting pin 3 DOWN on the Sharc had no effect on the measurement
* DTS is around 60ms faster than Dolby Digital

Still, going from Dolby Digital thru ARC to PCM 5.1 through eArc (the shArc) shaved off 110ms of audio lag and gets me beautiful uncompressed surround sound, while only 22ms slower than going directly to the AVR. If this is also your use case, the sharc works well for it.

Sorry if already mentioned, but what is pin 3 documented to do?

Also, what does it mean when you use Pin 3 UP + Optical? Is that with the Sharc present then? Using Sharc's optical out?
I assume it's actually "No Sharc" + PS4's optical out?

So if I understood this right you had no latency benefit with passing through HDMI Dolby Digital from one end to the other with No Sharc vs Sharc?

That's odd, since a user on a C9 saw 100ms shaved off using HDMI Dolby Digital 5.1 with Sharc vs No Sharc.

Or is that because you didn't test Dolby Digital through eArc (shArC)?

raphaelr · Dec 16, 2020

SeizenLaw said:
Sorry if already mentioned, but what is pin 3 documented to do?

Pin 3. CEC WAKEUP
UP: Disabled
DN: Enabled

SeizenLaw · Dec 16, 2020

raphaelr said:
Pin 3. CEC WAKEUP
UP: Disabled
DN: Enabled

Cheers.
Should have it myself next week, hoping it works for my use case in removing the Dolby 5.1 Bitstream delay like the YR1 user on avsforum.

CrichtonKicks · Dec 16, 2020

So this isn't working for me at all. I get literally no sound out of it.

I have an LG CX TV connected to a Vizio 5.1 Soundbar. Previously I had the ARC output on my TV going to the Soundbar and got either 2.0 Sound (if using Linear PCM) or 5.1 if I set my PS5 or XSX to Bitstream. Everything worked fine except for the audio delay on Dolby 5.1 sources.

I put the Sharc in the middle of the HDMI connection from the CX to the soundbar. Plugged the Sharc into the USB port on my TV. Top LED is Steady Green but the bottom LED is a blinking light.

I get no sound whatsoever. Whether I set the console for Bitstream or PCM. I've toggled the EARC setting on the LG to no avail. Set my LG to Bitsream or PCM input to match what the console is doing. Zero sound.

Everything works "the old way" as soon as I disconnect the Sharc from the chain.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong here?

Mejilan · Dec 16, 2020

CrichtonKicks said:
So this isn't working for me at all. I get literally no sound out of it.

I have an LG CX TV connected to a Vizio 5.1 Soundbar. Previously I had the ARC output on my TV going to the Soundbar and got either 2.0 Sound (if using Linear PCM) or 5.1 if I set my PS5 or XSX to Bitstream. Everything worked fine except for the audio delay on Dolby 5.1 sources.

I put the Sharc in the middle of the HDMI connection from the CX to the soundbar. Plugged the Sharc into the USB port on my TV. Top LED is Steady Green but the bottom LED is a blinking light.

I get no sound whatsoever. Whether I set the console for Bitstream or PCM. I've toggled the EARC setting on the LG to no avail. Set my LG to Bitsream or PCM input to match what the console is doing. Zero sound.

Everything works "the old way" as soon as I disconnect the Sharc from the chain.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong here?

Having a similar issue with mine. No audio from any device (though both green LEDs were solid in my case). After a lot of back-and-forth troubleshooting with their CS, they opted to send me a new one (which I'm still waiting for). We pretty much ruled out everything other than a possible incompatibility with my Onkyo AVR, which they said they'd try to get their hands on for testing. But I'm not holding out any hope there. It's an older mid-range 2012 model.

If the new one doesn't do the trick, I'm asking for a complete refund.

CrichtonKicks · Dec 16, 2020

Mejilan said:
Having a similar issue with mine. No audio from any device (though both green LEDs were solid in my case). After a lot of back-and-forth troubleshooting with their CS, they opted to send me a new one (which I'm still waiting for). We pretty much ruled out everything other than a possible incompatibility with my Onkyo AVR, which they said they'd try to get their hands on for testing. But I'm not holding out any hope there. It's an older mid-range 2012 model.

If the new one doesn't do the trick, I'm asking for a complete refund.

Do they have a chat line or is support through email?

Mejilan · Dec 16, 2020

CrichtonKicks said:
Do they have a chat line or us support through email?

Email.

SeizenLaw · Dec 16, 2020

CrichtonKicks said:
So this isn't working for me at all. I get literally no sound out of it.

I have an LG CX TV connected to a Vizio 5.1 Soundbar. Previously I had the ARC output on my TV going to the Soundbar and got either 2.0 Sound (if using Linear PCM) or 5.1 if I set my PS5 or XSX to Bitstream. Everything worked fine except for the audio delay on Dolby 5.1 sources.

I put the Sharc in the middle of the HDMI connection from the CX to the soundbar. Plugged the Sharc into the USB port on my TV. Top LED is Steady Green but the bottom LED is a blinking light.

I get no sound whatsoever. Whether I set the console for Bitstream or PCM. I've toggled the EARC setting on the LG to no avail. Set my LG to Bitsream or PCM input to match what the console is doing. Zero sound.

Everything works "the old way" as soon as I disconnect the Sharc from the chain.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong here?

Did you ever get over the "Could not open the device" when attempting to update before? I wonder if it's related.
I assume you also tried with Pin 1 down?

Mejilan · Dec 16, 2020

SeizenLaw said:
Did you ever get over the "Could not open the device" when attempting to update before? I wonder if it's related.
I assume you also tried with Pin 1 down?

Had no issues updating firmware, and I didn't touch the dip switches. CS never suggested it either, but I did note, earlier in this thread, that it could resolve stereo signal issues. I'll keep it in mind when the replacement arrives.

fireworksordie · Dec 16, 2020

jstevenson said:
Sorry I missed all of the black screen posts around the election.

I had similar issues with a Denon receiver. I ultimately moved everything OFF the receiver. New HDMI switch for legacy devices: TV, Switch, UHD player, PS4VR.

The only HDMI touching the receiver now is the EARC out (HDMI2) to Sharc to CBL/SAT in.

Not the most optimal, but it all works and sounds great.

i got my shARC yesterday and i just had the dreaded black screen after reading these posts last night and wondering what the heck it was referring to.

just to make sure-

CX-HDMI1: XSX
CX-HDMI2: shARC out to receiver in
CX-HDMI3: PS5
CX-HDMI4: PC or separate HDMI switch for old devices

only input to receiver is shARC, nothing being output from receiver back to TV. i'll be free of this black screen issue that way?

CrichtonKicks · Dec 16, 2020

SeizenLaw said:
Did you ever get over the "Could not open the device" when attempting to update before? I wonder if it's related.
I assume you also tried with Pin 1 down?

Yeah I plugged it into my laptop instead and was able to update my firmware no problem.

I did try with Pin 1 down but no change.

CrichtonKicks · Dec 16, 2020

Two steps forward but one (major) step back. Turns out I had to connect the Sharc to the HDMI In connection on my soundbar, not the ARC connection.

So now I get sound but it's still stuck in 2.0 LPCM. Xbox will not let me select 5.1 LPCM- tells me my device doesn't support it. That's even after enabling eARC on the TV.

PS5 will let me select 5.1 but it doesn't change anyting- it's still just 2.0 LPCM.

fireworksordie · Dec 16, 2020

fireworksordie said:
i got my shARC yesterday and i just had the dreaded black screen after reading these posts last night and wondering what the heck it was referring to.

just to make sure-

CX-HDMI1: XSX
CX-HDMI2: shARC out to receiver in
CX-HDMI3: PS5
CX-HDMI4: PC or separate HDMI switch for old devices

only input to receiver is shARC, nothing being output from receiver back to TV. i'll be free of this black screen issue that way?

ok weirdly after reading about how the only solution was to factory reset, i ended up just unplugging my tv for about 10 mins and disconnected everything and it seems like my TV isn't sad black screen anymore.

but now i am basically left with 1 fewer port than i'd like, since if i want to use my PC i have to unplug something else. is there a simple 2.1 switch (even if it's just 2 ports) with full bandwidth and hdr passthrough and all of that? or even a decent extension cable so that i can hot swap on my own without having to reach around the side or back of my tv?

Mejilan · Dec 16, 2020

fireworksordie said:
ok weirdly after reading about how the only solution was to factory reset, i ended up just unplugging my tv for about 10 mins and disconnected everything and it seems like my TV isn't sad black screen anymore.

but now i am basically left with 1 fewer port than i'd like, since if i want to use my PC i have to unplug something else. is there a simple 2.1 switch (even if it's just 2 ports) with full bandwidth and hdr passthrough and all of that? or even a decent extension cable so that i can hot swap on my own without having to reach around the side or back of my tv?

There are no HDMI 2.1 switches out there yet, but I did order a decent one for my legacy consoles that goes up to HDMI 2.0 and supports 4K/60 and HDR. Two things my AVR doesn't support. I have all my legacy devices routed through it instead of through my AVR like before.

When I got my new TV, I briefly enjoyed my PS4 Pro's pseudo-4K and HDR capabilities by plugging it directly into the new set, but the busted it back down to the AVR when the next gen consoles arrived. I can confirm that with my new HDMI 2.0 Switch, 4K and HDR are back on the menu. PS4 Pro reports full compatibility through this Switch as it reported when it was directly connected to the TV. Through the AVR, it was supersampled 1080p and no HDR, at best.

PS5 to my LG CX's HDMI port 2. Series X to port 3. Legacy consoles via this HDMI Switch to port 4. ARC via port 2, though I'll give the SHARC another go on port 2 when my replacement arrives.

Neobunch · Dec 16, 2020

SeizenLaw said:
Sorry if already mentioned, but what is pin 3 documented to do?

Also, what does it mean when you use Pin 3 UP + Optical? Is that with the Sharc present then? Using Sharc's optical out?
I assume it's actually "No Sharc" + PS4's optical out?

So if I understood this right you had no latency benefit with passing through HDMI Dolby Digital from one end to the other with No Sharc vs Sharc?

That's odd, since a user on a C9 saw 100ms shaved off using HDMI Dolby Digital 5.1 with Sharc vs No Sharc.

Or is that because you didn't test Dolby Digital through eArc (shArC)?

I got mi pins mixed up, wasn't looking at the device when I wrote the post. The tests were with the pin documented for audio delay, UP being eARC lipsync and down fixed at 40ms. Those did no difference in my testing. I think it was pin4, then.

But to your main question, that was a surprising result to me as well and yes, passing Dolby Digital with and without the sharc gave roughly the same lag (actually, a tad more with the sharc). Where you shave off the 100+ ms is when going from Dolby Digital without the sharc to using 5.1 PCM with the sharc. In my case I got the sharc precisely so I could stop having to use Dolby Digital and could start using PCM for passing surround sound.

If you only want to pass Dolby Digital, you can do that through regular arc, you don't need the sharc at all.

greetdeath · Dec 16, 2020

fireworksordie said:
i got my shARC yesterday and i just had the dreaded black screen after reading these posts last night and wondering what the heck it was referring to.

just to make sure-

CX-HDMI1: XSX
CX-HDMI2: shARC out to receiver in
CX-HDMI3: PS5
CX-HDMI4: PC or separate HDMI switch for old devices

only input to receiver is shARC, nothing being output from receiver back to TV. i'll be free of this black screen issue that way?

The black screen happens when there is something in the chain that has CEC on besides the shARC. For me, I had the same setup as you but I was using CX's HDMI 4 with my receiver's HDMI OUT. I could not for the life of me get this to work. When I reassigned the HDMI OUT 2 from my receiver to Zone 4 (HDMI PASSTHROUGH), and operated the devices attached to the receiver directly within Zone 4 of my receiver, it has worked flawlessly ever since.

CrichtonKicks · Dec 16, 2020

Their tech support was super responsive. I had to enable Bitstream on my LG input (which is super counter-intuitive when I want 5.1 LPCM) but everyting seems to be working now.

Any way to stop the static bursts when the TV changes modes/inputs?

Transistor · Dec 16, 2020

CrichtonKicks said:
Their tech support was super responsive. I had to enable Bitstream on my LG input (which is super counter-intuitive when I want 5.1 LPCM) but everyting seems to be working now.

Any way to stop the static bursts when the TV changes modes/inputs?

I've mentioned it to them in the past and they said it might be a timing issue that they're looking into. Hopefully a firmware update will fix it.

CrichtonKicks · Dec 16, 2020

Transistor said:
I've mentioned it to them in the past and they said it might be a timing issue that they're looking into. Hopefully a firmware update will fix it.

They really seem to be on top of things so hopefully that happens. I also hope they are able to sort the issue with getting Stereo sound from the TV apps working.

It does make me wonder how much their demand has gone up for these devices with the popularity of the LG CX coupled with the launch of next gen consoles. They are probably hoping that LG never manages to properly address the audio delay from Dolby signals.

Mejilan · Dec 16, 2020

CrichtonKicks said:
They really seem to be on top of things so hopefully that happens. I also hope they are able to sort the issue with getting Stereo sound from the TV apps working.

It does make me wonder how much their demand has gone up for these devices with the popularity of the LG CX coupled with the launch of next gen consoles. They are probably hoping that LG never manages to properly address the audio delay from Dolby signals.

Apparently, flipping the first dip switch solves the issue with stereo sources. Not sure if it affects other kinds of sources though.

CrichtonKicks · Dec 16, 2020

Mejilan said:
Apparently, flipping the first dip switch solves the issue with stereo sources. Not sure if it affects other kinds of sources though.

I think you lose Atmos support then though? I guess it's easy enough to flip the switch as needed.

Do Series X and/or PS5 have good Youtube apps including support for HDR? That's the main thing I use my built in TV apps for.

fireworksordie · Dec 16, 2020

greetdeath said:
The black screen happens when there is something in the chain that has CEC on besides the shARC. For me, I had the same setup as you but I was using CX's HDMI 4 with my receiver's HDMI OUT. I could not for the life of me get this to work. When I reassigned the HDMI OUT 2 from my receiver to Zone 4 (HDMI PASSTHROUGH), and operated the devices attached to the receiver directly within Zone 4 of my receiver, it has worked flawlessly ever since.

whoa. sorry. having a hard time visualizing this. can someone explain zones? i have 7.1 but am not sure what the use of zones is for.

EDIT: if it helps, i have a Yamaha TSR-7850

SeizenLaw · Dec 16, 2020

Neobunch said:
I got mi pins mixed up, wasn't looking at the device when I wrote the post. The tests were with the pin documented for audio delay, UP being eARC lipsync and down fixed at 40ms. Those did no difference in my testing. I think it was pin4, then.

But to your main question, that was a surprising result to me as well and yes, passing Dolby Digital with and without the sharc gave roughly the same lag (actually, a tad more with the sharc). Where you shave off the 100+ ms is when going from Dolby Digital without the sharc to using 5.1 PCM with the sharc. In my case I got the sharc precisely so I could stop having to use Dolby Digital and could start using PCM for passing surround sound.

If you only want to pass Dolby Digital, you can do that through regular arc, you don't need the sharc at all.

I needed some way to get Dolby 5.1 via optical without the Internal/Optical +100ms delay of the C9, without replacing the old AVR that doesn't even have HDMI.

Apparently 5.1 Dolby going through the ARC/eARC there's no delay, just like when one outputs it directly from a console or audio extractor.
Or so both Thenaudio and an Xbox Series X user said...

If, according to your testing, it behaves differently on the PS4/PS5 (or, more likely, the XsX user was under placebo) then I may be screwed and have to return...

Too bad I ordered 2 weeks before your tests.
Might have just to get a new AVR or wait for HDMI 2.1 extractors.

EeK9X · Dec 16, 2020

fireworksordie said:
whoa. sorry. having a hard time visualizing this. can someone explain zones? i have 7.1 but am not sure what the use of zones is for.

EDIT: if it helps, i have a Yamaha TSR-7850

Most high-end AVRs have at least two HDMI outs.

On my Denon, they are labeled Zone 1 and Zone 2. You can use the second one to send audio/video to another room, for example (hence "zones"). You can also reprogram the AVR's zones to do different things, like sending the signal of certain devices to a specific HDMI port on your TV (useful if you have different settings on your TV for games and movies, for example).

Since greetdeath was using the second HDMI out on his AVR, I assume he had to properly configure it to send an audio/video signal to the TV. In my case, I have the following setup:

C9
HDMI IN 1 - PC
HDMI IN 2 (eARC) - shARC
HDMI IN 3 - Denon AVR (HDMI OUT 1, or Zone 1, for all my non-HDMI 2.1 devices)
HDMI IN 4 - PS5

My only complaint is that you end up losing an HDMI port with the shARC. Before I had that device, I was using the second HDMI out on my AVR (Zone 2) for the exact reason I mentioned above. Not only that, but I'll have to postpone my plans of getting a Series X until an HDMI 2.1 splitter becomes available.

P.S.: Everything also worked correctly when I had the Denon sending a signal via the second HDMI out (Zone 2), instead of the main one, since I had it previously configured to automatically choose the correct output. My OCD didn't allow for the Zone 1 out to remain unpopulated, however. :P

fireworksordie · Dec 16, 2020

EeK9X said:
Most high-end AVRs have at least two HDMI outs.

On my Denon, they are labeled Zone 1 and Zone 2. You can use the second one to send audio/video to another room, for example (hence "zones"). You can also reprogram the AVR's zones to do different things, like sending the signal of certain devices to a specific HDMI port on your TV (useful if you have different settings on your TV for games and movies, for example).

Since greetdeath was using the second HDMI out on his AVR, I assume he had to properly configure it to send an audio/video signal to the TV. In my case, I have the following setup:

C9
HDMI IN 1 - PC
HDMI IN 2 (eARC) - shARC
HDMI IN 3 - Denon AVR (HDMI OUT 1, or Zone 1, for all my non-HDMI 2.1 devices)
HDMI IN 4 - PS5

My only complaint is that you end up losing an HDMI port with the shARC. Before I had that device, I was using the second HDMI out on my AVR (Zone 2) for the exact reason I mentioned above. Not only that, but I'll have to postpone my plans of getting a Series X until an HDMI 2.1 splitter becomes available.

P.S.: Everything also worked correctly when I had the Denon sending a signal via the second HDMI out (Zone 2), instead of the main one, since I had it previously configured to automatically choose the correct output. My OCD didn't allow for the Zone 1 out to remain unpopulated, however. :P

interesting - and super helpful, really appreciate it. the only thing i'm still confused by is that i thought that the idea was to not have the receiver outputting back into the tv out of fear of the earc/cec loop black screen. does sending it out via a "zone" strip any cec signals that would otherwise go back into the tv thus sidestepping the possibility of black screen loop?

Neobunch · Dec 16, 2020

SeizenLaw said:
I needed some way to get Dolby 5.1 via optical without the Internal/Optical +100ms delay of the C9, without replacing the old AVR that doesn't even have HDMI.

Apparently 5.1 Dolby going through the ARC/eARC there's no delay, just like when one outputs it directly from a console or audio extractor.
Or so both Thenaudio and an Xbox Series X user said...

If, according to your testing, it behaves differently on the PS4/PS5 (or, more likely, the XsX user was under placebo) then I may be screwed and have to return...

Too bad I ordered 2 weeks before your tests.
Might have just to get a new AVR or wait for HDMI 2.1 extractors.

This device needs to be connected to the TV. You say you want to skip the TV, how were you planning on connecting it?

SeizenLaw · Dec 16, 2020

Neobunch said:
This device needs to be connected to the TV. You say you want to skip the TV, how were you planning on connecting it?

Well, using the Sharc was not for skipping the whole TV per se, but the delay observed when using its Internal Speakers/Optical.
I actually only read about it when I had it recommended to me, as I was asking about a possible HDMI 2.1 extractor to solve the delay issues.

I ended up getting convinced by reading this thread/post about an hypothesis that only certain circuitry (the one responsible for Internal Speakers and Optical Out) in the TV were adding the delay, but the one responsible for eARC, which was separate, would not.

I had been delaying (pun intended) the Sharc purchase because I was skeptical eARC would make a difference, exactly because it was still going through the TV and not skipping it completely, so kept asking for someone to test.

So in the end I went against my initial reasoning (and now correct guess, from your tests), convinced by the emails I exchanged and anecdotal evidence from an user's positive feedback, who also was the first one to test it. Most likely placebo and didn't proceed with accurate measurements like we both did, unless there is something different with the XsX and it's actually the PS4/PS5 adding their own delay with compressed audio when using HDMI Out...

EeK9X · Dec 16, 2020

fireworksordie said:
interesting - and super helpful, really appreciate it. the only thing i'm still confused by is that i thought that the idea was to not have the receiver outputting back into the tv out of fear of the earc/cec loop black screen. does sending it out via a "zone" strip any cec signals that would otherwise go back into the tv thus sidestepping the possibility of black screen loop?

No worries! And I can't comment on the loop issue, as I only found out about it after reading this thread. Still, I've been successfully using eARC with my PC and PS5 (switching to HDMI IN 1 on my AVR, to which the shARC is connected) , and the corresponding inputs for all other devices (HDMI IN 2-7), outputting via my AVR's Monitor 1.

Also, a correction: my receiver (Denon AVR-X4400H) actually has three HDMI outs: Monitor 1, Monitor 2 and Zone 2. I haven't tried outputting via the Zone 2 out, only Monitor 1 and 2.

Neobunch · Dec 16, 2020

SeizenLaw said:
Well, using the Sharc was not for skipping the whole TV per se, but the delay observed when using its Internal Speakers/Optical.
I actually only read about it when I had it recommended to me, as I was asking about a possible HDMI 2.1 extractor to solve the delay issues.

I ended up getting convinced by reading this thread/post about an hypothesis that only certain circuitry (the one responsible for Internal Speakers and Optical Out) in the TV were adding the delay, but the one responsible for eARC, which was separate, would not.

I had been delaying (pun intended) the Sharc purchase because I was skeptical eARC would make a difference, exactly because it was still going through the TV and not skipping it completely, so kept asking for someone to test.

So in the end I went against my initial reasoning (and now correct guess, from your tests), convinced by the emails I exchanged and anecdotal evidence from an user's positive feedback, who also was the first one to test it. Most likely placebo and didn't proceed with accurate measurements like we both did, unless there is something different with the XsX and it's actually the PS4/PS5 adding their own delay with compressed audio when using HDMI Out...

It could definitely be something particular about the Playstation consoles, but FWIW back in the day with the X360 the only way I could get surround sound from it was Dolby Digital through optical, and that also added noticeable delay. It is surely related to trying to do the compression/encoding in realtime, I guess.

Thanks for the link to that thread, that explains why for every combination I tried, Dolby Digital was always at least 100ms behind, except -somewhat ironically- when using plain ARC, where using DD was only 50ms slower than PCM; but then again, stereo PCM through ARC was still way more delayed to start with.

I had also read (here or in avs) that the internal TV apps were limited to the ARC connection, which made no sense at the time as you can definitely get sound when using eArc, but seeing it's 2 different chips it's starting to make sense that maybe the internal webos apps can only use the ARC circuitry to externalize the streaming audio they get, and when you enable the eArc setting the TV internally connects that ARC output to the eArc chip to ship outside the TV. So the internal TV apps have to work within the constraints of arc as to sound capabilities they can report as being available, which is why none of the internal apps can do PCM surround, and the Netflix app has to go with Dolby Digital +, which can fit in ARC and ALSO carry Atmos metadata. I would guess that would hold for all internal apps that pretend to do surround sound, although I've only tried netflix.

Why do you want to use DD?

SeizenLaw · Dec 17, 2020

Neobunch said:
Why do you want to use DD?

I had been using a mixamp that has virtual surround conversion capabilities for headphones (EarForce DSS).
It only supports/accepts Dolby Digital and converts it to a Dolby Headphone signal instantly.

It was quite effective at doing so, too. I could pinpoint the direction of sounds coming from the rear even with stereo headphones.
The 3D Audio on the PS5 is similar (just with the added height variable), but that is only for PS5 games or PS4 games that specifically have 3D Audio settings.

Unless I get an HDMI 2.0 extractor as a band-aid, then I'll have to settle for simple stereo during headphone use or DTS with less delayed surround (for the occasional speaker use on the old no-HDMI AVR).

DeliLo · Dec 17, 2020

Neobunch said:
It could definitely be something particular about the Playstation consoles, but FWIW back in the day with the X360 the only way I could get surround sound from it was Dolby Digital through optical, and that also added noticeable delay. It is surely related to trying to do the compression/encoding in realtime, I guess.

Thanks for the link to that thread, that explains why for every combination I tried, Dolby Digital was always at least 100ms behind, except -somewhat ironically- when using plain ARC, where using DD was only 50ms slower than PCM; but then again, stereo PCM through ARC was still way more delayed to start with.

I had also read (here or in avs) that the internal TV apps were limited to the ARC connection, which made no sense at the time as you can definitely get sound when using eArc, but seeing it's 2 different chips it's starting to make sense that maybe the internal webos apps can only use the ARC circuitry to externalize the streaming audio they get, and when you enable the eArc setting the TV internally connects that ARC output to the eArc chip to ship outside the TV. So the internal TV apps have to work within the constraints of arc as to sound capabilities they can report as being available, which is why none of the internal apps can do PCM surround, and the Netflix app has to go with Dolby Digital +, which can fit in ARC and ALSO carry Atmos metadata. I would guess that would hold for all internal apps that pretend to do surround sound, although I've only tried netflix.

Why do you want to use DD?

Do you get DD+ 5.1 from Netflix AND YouTube stereo from the SHARC? I read someone mentioned Netflix can only do DD (AC-3) with YouTube stereo using SHARC.

guitarguy316 · Dec 17, 2020

Do you guys think the earc auto lip sync on this works well? I got one a couple days ago and I'm trying to decide if it's actually in sync or not.

Transistor · Dec 17, 2020

guitarguy316 said:
Do you guys think the earc auto lip sync on this works well? I got one a couple days ago and I'm trying to decide if it's actually in sync or not.

Seems to work fine for me.

guitarguy316 · Dec 17, 2020

Transistor said:
Seems to work fine for me.

I didn't do anything except plug it in as you're supposed to with the right LG CX settings. I left all 4 pins "up" or however they come stock.

Transistor · Dec 17, 2020

guitarguy316 said:
I didn't do anything except plug it in as you're supposed to with the right LG CX settings. I left all 4 pins "up" or however they come stock.

Yeah, that's the way I did mine, too.

Neobunch · Dec 17, 2020

Link to my lenghty post on the testing

Should have made a tl;dr in the first place. These refer to settings when using an LG OLED with the sharc.
* If you will send sound to an AVR and have other devices behind it that you'd like to keep using with the TV, disable CEC everywhere except Simlink on the LG as that needs to be on for eArc to work
* Set LG to use eArc, "Audio out" as Passthrough, "HDMI in" as bitstream
* Set your game console to output surround sound using Linear PCM to the correct number of channels you use

Now here's where you make your choice:
a. if you prioritize passing Dolby Atmos from internal WebOS apps and/or HD audio codecs from 4k bluray, leave Pin 1 on the shArc on the UP position. For stereo audio sources, you'll have to go into the LG sound settings and set the "audio out" option to PCM. And back to passthrough for surround sources.
b. if you don't have an Atmos capable sound system and would enjoy not having to fiddle with settings and just have everything work, set Pin 1 on the shArc to the DOWN position, and change the PS5 to decode bluray audio into Linear PCM (settings menu when playing a movie disc). You'll get surround sound from surround sources, and stereo sound from stereo sources, and non-lagged PCM from your game console and blurays.

DeliLo said:
Do you get DD+ 5.1 from Netflix AND YouTube stereo from the SHARC? I read someone mentioned Netflix can only do DD (AC-3) with YouTube stereo using SHARC.

Yes, you can get DD+ up to 7.1 with Atmos metadata from the Netflix app, but the youtube app only seems to be able to produce stereo sound, regardless of your setup. But you can do this on regular ARC, you don't need the sharc for it. In fact, the sharc makes it worse as you'd have to keep changing settings to go from getting DD+ from Netflix to using the youtube app and back.

CrichtonKicks · Dec 17, 2020

Neobunch said:
Now here's where you make your choice:
a. if you prioritize passing Dolby Atmos from internal WebOS apps and/or HD audio codecs from 4k bluray, leave Pin 1 on the shArc on the UP position. For stereo audio sources, you'll have to go into the LG sound settings and set the "audio out" option to PCM. And back to passthrough for surround sources.
b. if you don't have an Atmos capable sound system and would enjoy not having to fiddle with settings and just have everything work, set Pin 1 on the shArc to the DOWN position, and change the PS5 to decode bluray audio into Linear PCM (settings menu when playing a movie disc). You'll get surround sound from surround sources, and stereo sound from stereo sources, and non-lagged PCM from your game console and blurays.

So if I don't really care about Atmos and I'm just using this setup for gaming (ie not watching Blurays), I can just set Pin 1 down and get 5.1 LPCM from consoles while also getting sound from the LG TV apps like Youtube?

fireworksordie · Dec 17, 2020

Neobunch said:
b. if you don't have an Atmos capable sound system and would enjoy not having to fiddle with settings and just have everything work, set Pin 1 on the shArc to the DOWN position, and change the PS5 to decode bluray audio into Linear PCM (settings menu when playing a movie disc). You'll get surround sound from surround sources, and stereo sound from stereo sources, and non-lagged PCM from your game console and blurays.

almost similar question to the post right above, but this one is just to understand surround terminology better. i have a 7.1 setup-

L center R
sub
SL SBL SBR SR

i believe my TSR-7850 is technically Atmos compatible, but i think i'd need at least 2 additional speakers mounted at an elevation to get it, and i am not in any real rush to do so. would putting Pin 1 DOWN for me be the best move then to achieve PCM 7.1 surround out of everything without issue?

Neobunch · Dec 17, 2020

CrichtonKicks said:
So if I don't really care about Atmos and I'm just using this setup for gaming (ie not watching Blurays), I can just set Pin 1 down and get 5.1 LPCM from consoles while also getting sound from the LG TV apps like Youtube?

Exactly

fireworksordie said:
almost similar question to the post right above, but this one is just to understand surround terminology better. i have a 7.1 setup-

L center R
sub
SL SBL SBR SR

i believe my TSR-7850 is technically Atmos compatible, but i think i'd need at least 2 additional speakers mounted at an elevation to get it, and i am not in any real rush to do so. would putting Pin 1 DOWN for me be the best move then to achieve PCM 7.1 surround out of everything without issue?

Yes, you'd get PCM 7.1 from all sources where you can configure them to send PCM 7.1. For the WebOS Netflix app you can't configure this and you'll get surround via DD

fireworksordie · Dec 17, 2020

Neobunch said:
Yes, you'd get PCM 7.1 from all sources where you can configure them to send PCM 7.1. For the WebOS Netflix app you can't configure this and you'll get surround via DD

would this still mean that i have to swap something in a menu every time i use Netflix? and would this be the approach you recommend for my setup, or should i stick with Atmos Bitstream even though i'd not be taking full advantage of what Atmos offers?

mogster7777 · Dec 17, 2020

Neobunch said:
Link to my lenghty post on the testing

Should have made a tl;dr in the first place. These refer to settings when using an LG OLED with the sharc.
* If you will send sound to an AVR and have other devices behind it that you'd like to keep using with the TV, disable CEC everywhere except Simlink on the LG as that needs to be on for eArc to work
* Set LG to use eArc, "Audio out" as Passthrough, "HDMI in" as bitstream
* Set your game console to output surround sound using Linear PCM to the correct number of channels you use

Now here's where you make your choice:
a. if you prioritize passing Dolby Atmos from internal WebOS apps and/or HD audio codecs from 4k bluray, leave Pin 1 on the shArc on the UP position. For stereo audio sources, you'll have to go into the LG sound settings and set the "audio out" option to PCM. And back to passthrough for surround sources.
b. if you don't have an Atmos capable sound system and would enjoy not having to fiddle with settings and just have everything work, set Pin 1 on the shArc to the DOWN position, and change the PS5 to decode bluray audio into Linear PCM (settings menu when playing a movie disc). You'll get surround sound from surround sources, and stereo sound from stereo sources, and non-lagged PCM from your game console and blurays.

Yes, you can get DD+ up to 7.1 with Atmos metadata from the Netflix app, but the youtube app only seems to be able to produce stereo sound, regardless of your setup. But you can do this on regular ARC, you don't need the sharc for it. In fact, the sharc makes it worse as you'd have to keep changing settings to go from getting DD+ from Netflix to using the youtube app and back.

Personally I've never been able to get anything but stereo on YouTube regardless of the app I use for it on whatever device or tv I've had. Currently using a LG CX with ShARC. I got both in October.

For me the ShARC is working and has been after the first week I got it. I use a Denon 4200 AVR with it. But I have nothing connected to the AVR apart from ShARC. Everything else is connected to back of tv.
My PS5 on hdmi 1, PC in hdmi 3 and a few other devices like switch and Apple tv, PS3 on hdmi 4 using a hdmi switcher.

I did get the endless black screen cec loop at the start when I got the ShARC. and tbh I have no idea how I fixed it other than doing a hard factory restore of the tv (was the only way I could fix it) I disabled cec in my avr and other stuff but I dunno if I disabled it properly I still got that issue even afterwards. It was a nightmare as it was making me go insane thinking my tv was faulty or something lol.

So I just plugged everything out of the avr, except the ShARC, and into the tv just before I did the factory restore and now it seems to be working fine.

There are minor quirks like a handshake issue where I have to switch on the avr first and let it power on completely before switching on the CX. otherwise I won't get sound sometimes unless I turn them off and turn on in the correct order. Nothing major I got used to it already and it's just once a day I switch them on anyway. I leave my avr on all day when I switched on and only switch it off at night before bed. So it's no big deal.

I don't really know the difference between Dolby digital + and just Dolby digital but all the video CX apps play in dd+ Except YouTube which plays in stereo. It used to play all these like this even on my last tv a Samsung KS800 in DD+ or stereo on YouTube even without a ShARC, so it's working exactly like before.

If I use Netflix, Disney plus, Amazon video apps etc outside the webOS, on say ps5 or my Apple TV they seem to play uncompressed lossless audio and Atmos or any other format the video is supposed to play in so the ShARC works and passes this through correctly.

Most of the time I just use the tv apps for the video stuff though tbh as it's a lot faster loading. I don't care if I don't get 5.1 on YouTube as it's just short videos I watch. The YouTube app is great on the CX too. soooo fast compared to any other YouTube app on other devices and it's so seamless to switch between that and Netflix etc so the trade off is kinda worth it.
Unless I'm watching a snazzy HD film that deserves to be heard with proper Atmos sound with the picture I'll use the the Apple TV or PS5 but I normally stick to the tv apps.

Have a minor issue with Dolby Atmos content though, where it cuts the audio out of that device on stereo stuff after playing Atmos content but I believe LG are working on a fix. It's been well documented everyone gets this problem apparently. A reboot of the tv fixes the issue currently but can easily replicate it.

Also very occasionally on the pc hdmi input it did exhibit that popping sound people mentioned here when sound plays at the start of anything but this has happened like 3 times since I've had the ShARC so it's very rare. I use my pc every day too. Restarting the pc seems to always fix it anyway. Looks like a handshake issue or something. It's never happened on my other devices either.

Other than that it all seems to be working now for the past couple of months without any issues. Get perfect sound on my devices. Lag free and lossless.

I just hope a firmware update from LG for the CX doesn't break something in terms of passing audio through somewhere.

I don't think I'm gonna update the ShARC either, as it's all working fine and I don't wanna mess up something if I update it tbh.

Neobunch · Dec 17, 2020

fireworksordie said:
would this still mean that i have to swap something in a menu every time i use Netflix? and would this be the approach you recommend for my setup, or should i stick with Atmos Bitstream even though i'd not be taking full advantage of what Atmos offers?

Short answer is Yes, Pin 1 DOWN is so you get sound from everything without changing settings, at the exchange of not being able to pass dolby atmos. There's more details in my linked comment earlier but it's a long read.

Sharc - The eArc device that can save you thousands as you prepare for Next Gen/Current PC Gaming

Outer Wilds Ventures Test Pilot

Outer Wilds Ventures Test Pilot

Outer Wilds Ventures Test Pilot