Many people pick up streaming boxes and sticks to leave behind their smart TV UIs, and I don’t blame them for that. The Apple TV 4K is perfect for that, but there are still some extra steps you have to take before you get the most out of your device. A big thing is having a high-quality HDMI cord and a place to plug it into.
The Apple TV 4K isn’t a one-way street when it comes to HDMI cords, and although your device might support HDMI 2.1 speeds, it doesn’t mean your TV does. You might notice that your TV has several HDMI ports, and those are not all created equal. One of your TV’s HDMI ports, if it’s a newer model, is likely labeled as ARC or eARC. You want to plug your Apple TV 4K into that if it’s an option, and you don’t have a dedicated audio receiver.
- Brand
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Apple
- What’s Included
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Apple TV 4K (4th gen), Siri Remote
- Bluetooth codecs
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Bluetooth 6
- Wi-Fi
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Wi-Fi 7
- Ethernet
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Gigabit Ethernet
- Supported video
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Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG
Why you should use your eARC port
This is an important step
Your eARC port on your TV is the gateway to getting the most out of your Apple TV 4K. It actually applies to all of your electronics, as the eARC port is one way you can get 4K 120 FPS from your Xbox Series X and PS5 — but a regular HDMI 2.1 port does the trick too. Similar to that, this port unlocks the full potential of your Apple TV, and in this case, that means the highest quality audio you can get — all according to Apple.
The reason why HDMI 2.1 and eARC ports are recommended is the speeds they offer. HDMI 2.0 caps at just 18 Gbps. That’s not inherently bad, especially since it doesn’t stop you from getting Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos, but it’s holding you back in a way that a more modern HDMI port wouldn’t. Using an HDMI 2.1 port lets you get up to 48 Gbps for your audio, and that bandwidth comes in handy. You won’t have to worry about low-quality sound anymore, and you ensure you’re getting all you can out of your Apple TV 4K.
Picture quality is unaffected here, as your 4K resolution is still 4K. The eARC port and accompanying HDMI cable focus solely on audio when it comes to Apple TV 4K, so make sure you have your device plugged into the correct port.
You need the correct Apple TV
Not all of them utilize the port
While a lot of new technology gets something out of your TV’s eARC port, not everything does. Every Apple TV device before the 4K launch doesn’t benefit from being plugged in, largely because they don’t have HDMI 2.1 ports. You can still plug them into these ports, however, and you probably won’t have a choice if you have a newer TV that has all 2.0 ports or newer.
There’s nothing wrong with plugging an older Apple TV into your eARC port. You won’t damage your device or TV, it’s just that you won’t see any of the benefits that come with it. Whether those benefits are important to you is another thing entirely. Considering how much money an Apple TV 4K is, I’d want to make sure I can get everything I can out of it. The Apple TV 4K is the best choice for home theater enthusiasts, and that means you need an HDMI 2.1 cable and a TV or receiver with an eARC port.
