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Soundbar AND home theater - but only one HDMI ARC

 Help!  For my casual everyday tv-watching, I really don't want to use my whole HT, I just want my soundbar system to be in use.  However, this is NOT as easy as I thought, or am I missing something?
My tv's (Sony XBR-65X950G) HDMI ARC jack is going to my HT receiver.  So my Sony remote controls the HT receiver volume perfectly. 

However, now I cannot control my soundbar because it has to use the optical output from the tv and requires me to use my Harmony remote (wife hates it and I don't love it).
So, are people like me just out of luck?  I wish there were two ARC jacks on the tv!
So, again, if my HT receiver is using the HDMI ARC, is there no good way to also have a soundbar in the system and it operate the way it's intended? 
dtximages
8 responses Add your response
mahler123
3,318 posts
 
Sound bars don’t have a lot of fidelity that can be lost.  Even if you had a 10% drop in fidelity using an HDMI splitter no one could perceive a difference.
fwiw I used an HDMI splitter several years ago in an HT system for a few weeks.  I had bought a new component that required HDMI and my AVR, which was several years old at that point, was one of the first to have HDMI inputs but only two, and this was the third component requiring HDMI.  I used a splitter and then purchased a newer receiver.  I really didn’t notice any issues while using the splitter with the older AVR
dtximages OP
365 posts
 
I've tried two different HDMI switches and neither work.  One, the sound bleeds through to the other system.  The other was just a fail.  I'm not sure why this is not a more common problem.
I figure a lot of people have a HT in their main living room but don't always want to watch the local news in full blown surround sound.
dtximages OP
365 posts
 
@mahler123  No.. Why would i do that?  I have a home theater on the same tv that I also have a soundbar.  For normal watching, I don't want to crank up the entire home theater system and just want the simple soundbar.

Why am I worried about losing fidelity?  Same reason everyone on here is worried about it.
mahler123
3,318 posts
 
You are using a sound bar as your speakers.  Why are you worried about losing a little fidelity by Splitting the HDMI signal?
dtximages OP
365 posts
 
Thanks @audiotroy 

Question about that. Nothing is lost?  Still get 4k and atmos?

Also, it looks like the one I'm looking at has a button on it to switch between the two, I guess that's the only option correct?  To get up and click the button?  Not the worst thing in the world.
audiotroy's avatar
audiotroy
3,782 posts
 
Hdmi splirrer should work
dtximages OP
365 posts
 
Interesting, what powered planars are you using? Can you add subs to that?
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,598 posts
 
Dunno. I have desktop powered planars plugged into the headphone jack. If you have no jack it probably is beyond my pay grade. 
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