The sound quality offered by televisions Modern devices generally do not shine because they are strong in terms of fidelity and sound pressure; Therefore, many users resort to the help of external equipment such as soundbars, home theater kits or receivers plus speakers.

In general, they are devices that easily connect to all kinds of modern televisions, as we have seen in detail in the past, they have different connection options, currently the main ones are digital coaxial port, digital optical, stereo RCA and of course HDMI.

Actually the second one HDMI or High Definition Multimedia Interface (high definition multimedia interface) is now the perfect connector for a new television. It is a digital input and output port that has increased in number and features over the last decade.

It allows the input of high-definition digital video, compressed and uncompressed multi-channel and stereo PCM digital audio, as well as encoded multi-channel formats. Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X It also offers ARC (Audio Return Channel) and eARC (enhanced ARC) functions to send the audio signal from the TV to external equipment in a single cable.

It’s usually the best option right now. simple and optimal If our equipment is modern and everything works great, we may encounter some problems and situations that tire us. HDMI is not the best option to choosehaving to resort to other options.

There is electromagnetic interference in our home

There are times when many equipment are installed next to our TV or multimedia equipment; some of those produce electromagnetic interference will affect the image and/or sound quality.

It is a situation that usually does not happen on a daily basis, but it can happen if, for example, we have a very long, poor quality cable, or the TV and sound system are located near a house. motorized device fan, non-insulated device, stove with air distribution system, etc. like.

What we will generally notice is this: small interruptions in soundinterruptions that come and go and can sometimes interfere with the audio decoder Strange sounds are coming from the speakers.

In these cases we can try buy a thicker, better-insulated HDMI cable It will mean a higher price increase than usual, but it is possible to pursue other options. fiber optic cable With TosLink connector.

This output port allows us to switch from the television to external equipment Send digital audio signal to AV receiver or soundbar Capable of transmitting audio signals under the S/PDIF protocol Compressed stereo and multi-channel PCM In formats like Dolby Digital and DTS.

Unlike HDMI we do not have enough bandwidth to send uncompressed multi-channel digital audio signals Dolby TrueHD or DTS-HD Master Audio nor are new object-based audio formats like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, but that’s more than enough for most users without advanced audio equipment.

Its main advantage is is immune to electromagnetic interferenceBecause the signal is transmitted with light, not electricity. This can help us avoid interference in homes where there is a lot of electrical noise that comes from traditional wiring and therefore does not affect us.

It may also be useful to use an analog cable in such interference situations. Stereo RCA or 3.5mm jack If the TV allows it. We will not avoid electromagnetic interference, but noise radiated through the cable. It will be more tolerable It is less disruptive than digital transmission.

Software and configuration problems on some equipment

Another case I experienced first hand is software and configuration issues TV or soundbar, amplifier, multimedia player, blu-ray, corrupted drivers in PC sound card, etc. Malfunction of some equipment such as

In some cases, for a wide variety of mysterious reasons, synchronization is lost when transmitting via HDMI cable, and the receiver’s operating system (e.g. amplifier) ​​does not know very well what to do, so we momentarily lose the coherence of the received signal on external equipment.

This is something that can also happen with optical connectors, but in my case it has almost always been a more common problem that I have observed. hdmi cables. And it’s nothing serious, but it’s annoying.

The impact we will notice can range from: a small click in the sound up to a momentary micro-interruption or, in the most critical cases, when the receiver stops understanding the digital encoder sent to it for a few seconds and, as a result, interprets it as analog sound white noise emitting from speakers at very high volume.

Solution? If the problem is caused by some type of malfunction in the equipment software, there is little we can do. update everything we can think of and try changing the connector to see if it is affected; for example, use a digital optical port instead of HDMI.

It is also possible that the receiver or multimedia player used does not understand a particular audio format, such as the latest and most advanced types that we send via HDMI. Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. In this case, we can try sending a simpler sound as the core of these parts, which are usually more harmonious. It will be done directly if we prefer the digital optical port instead of HDMI.

Cover image | Patrick Campanale

at Xataka Smart Home | HDMI, coaxial cable or digital optical port: which should I use on my TV to get the best sound quality?