HDMI ARC Not Detected Sonos Beam (Here’s Why With Fix)

If you’re having trouble connecting your Sonos Beam to your TV via HDMI ARC or it’s not recognized by your TV and doesn’t show up in the input list, you’re not alone. 

Many Sonos users have reported issues with their Beam not being recognized by the TV, outputting audio but not appearing in the TV inputs list, or not turning on with the TV. 

In some cases, users have even received an error message stating “HDMI Arc is not detected. Make sure the HDMI cable is connected to the ARC port and is turned on.“

If you’re experiencing any of these issues, don’t worry, there are steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve them. 

In this blog post, I’ll go over the most common issues with connecting a Sonos Beam to a TV via HDMI ARC and provide solutions for each one. 

Whether you’re unable to control the volume with your TV remote or simply can’t get the Beam to appear in your TV inputs list, I’ve got you covered.

How To Fix Sonos Beam HDMI ARC Not Detected Issue?

It can be frustrating when your Sonos Beam HDMI ARC is not detected on your TV. You may have checked that the HDMI cable is connected to the correct port on both the Sonos Beam and your TV, but it still isn’t showing up in your TV inputs list.

Through the below troubleshooting methods, you will be able to get the following issues sorted:

• If your Sonos Beam ARC not detected
• If your Sonos Beam is not recognized by TV but Is outputting audio
• If you can’t see Sonos Beam in your TV inputs
• If your Beam doesn’t turn on with TV
• If you can’t control the Beam volume with TV remote

In case any of the above issues are bothering you, don’t worry, follow the steps below to get things back on track.

Method #1

In order to fix connectivity issues on Sonos Beam when connected to TV via HDMI ARC, it’s important that you perform a soft reset first in order to get rid of any minor connectivity glitches.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Unplug your TV from power for at least 1 minute.
2. Disconnect any HDMI cables from the TV
3. Reconnect the HDMI arc connection only (e.g. – Beam)
4. Plug your TV back in with the HDMI Arc connection only and power on the TV
5. Reconnect remaining HDMI connections and cycle to appropriate audio inputs to confirm that audio is now coming through Sonos device(s)

By following these steps, you will be able to reset the TV’s connectivity settings and this will help resolve any issues Sonos Beam faces over HDMI ARC connection.

Method #2

If you don’t see Sonos Beam in your TVs input list when it’s connected via HDMI ARC, it mostly happens due to a setup glitch, it means the HDMI ARC setup between your TV and Sonos Beam is not correctly configured and that’s why when you try to connect via the app you get a message saying ‘HDMI Arc is not detected’ with instructions to make sure that the HDMI cable is properly connected and turned on. 

In that case, you just need to follow the below steps and after that, your TV will recognize the Sonos Beam perfectly and will be configured correctly.

Here’s what to do:

1. Disconnect everything from the TV, including the Sonos Beam.
2. Make sure the TV and Beam have the latest firmware installed.
3. Unplug the TV and Beam from power for a few minutes.
4. Plug them both back in, but keep them disconnected.
5. Enable Simplink (CEC) in your TV settings.
6. In the Sonos app, go to Beam’s settings and run TV Setup.
7. When prompted, connect the Beam to the TV’s HDMI ARC port using the Sonos-supplied HDMI cable.
8. If the Beam is successfully connected to the TV, connect any other external media devices to the TV.

If this doesn’t work, try the following:

• Repeat the same process above but use the optical adapter and connect to your TV’s optical audio port instead of the HDMI ARC port.

In most cases, these two methods can solve any connectivity issues you are experiencing while connecting your Sonos Beam to your TV using HDMI ARC. However, if the above doesn’t work, don’t worry, proceed to the next method.

Method #3

For those of you having issues connecting your Sonos Beam to your TV via HDMI ARC despite following the above steps, it is important to replace the HDMI cable with one that is 2.1 high quality.

Many users have reported that using the original HDMI cable that comes with the Sonos Beam or other premium high-speed cables provides better results than generic or low-bandwidth cables. 

That’s why it’s important to use only certified and approved cables for connections in order to ensure optimal performance and minimal disruption. 

Method #4

If you have followed all the steps above and your Sonos Beam is still not being recognized over an HDMI ARC cable to your TV, then it’s worth using an HDMI adapter similar to what comes with Amazon fire TV devices. 

This will help resolve any issues which arise due to incompatibility between your Sonos Beam and certain TV sets when trying to connect them via HDMI ARC. 

Your TV should now recognize Sonos Beam correctly once you have made sure the connection is correct and there are no loose cables.

As a final note, I assume you have followed the correct HDMI ARC process for connecting your Sonos Beam to your TV. 

However, I also found most people only follow half-process, which led to the issues mentioned above with your Sonos Beam’s HDMI ARC connection. 

It is therefore important that you go through the complete correct setup process which I mentioned below to find out if everything is properly set up.

Sonos Beam HDMI ARC Setup With TV

Here is the complete step-by-step process for connecting and setting up the Sonos Beam with a TV using ARC:

1. Plug the HDMI cord into the back of the TV, specifically into the CEC HDMI port if your TV has one. This allows for two-way communication between the Sonos Beam and the TV. If your TV doesn’t have a CEC HDMI port, just plug it into any available HDMI port.
2. Connect the other end of the HDMI cord to the Sonos Beam.
3. Plug the power cord into the Sonos Beam.
4. Open the Sonos app on your phone and create a Sonos account if you haven’t already.
5. Once the Sonos Beam is plugged in and powered on, it should appear on the Sonos app. Click “add” to connect it to your phone.
6. Press the infinity button on the back of the Sonos Beam. The app will then connect the Sonos Beam to your WiFi network. If you have other Sonos devices, it will use the same username and password. If you don’t have any other Sonos devices, you’ll need to select your network and enter the information as prompted.
7. Select where you will be placing the Sonos Beam, such as a media room, and click “continue.”
8. The app will then ask you to connect the Sonos Beam to your TV. Turn on your TV and make sure the HDMI cord is plugged into the HDMI ARC port. Click “connected to ARC.”
9. The app will confirm that the Sonos Beam is now connected to your TV. Click “done.”
10. You can now use the Sonos Beam in your selected media room to play music and more.

Conclusion

In conclusion, if you’re having trouble connecting your Sonos Beam to your TV via HDMI ARC, there are several methods you can use to troubleshoot and resolve the issue. 

These include unplugging the TV and reconnecting the HDMI ARC connection, enabling Simplink (CEC) in your TV settings and running TV Setup in the Sonos app, replacing the HDMI cable with a 2.1 high-quality version, or using an HDMI adapter similar to what comes with Amazon Fire TV devices. 

Hopefully, you will be able to connect your Sonos Beam to your TV via HDMI ARC and fix the above-mentioned issues by following the steps outlined in this guide.

If you continue to experience issues, it’s important to visit Sonos support website and reach out to the Sonos customer support team.