To connect a Denon AVR-S960H to a TV with eARC, run an HDMI cable from the TV’s port labeled eARC (or ARC) to the receiver’s HDMI MONITOR 1 output, then select the receiver’s TV Audio input. With an eARC TV, that’s usually all it takes: the receiver plays TV sound no matter how its own ARC setting is set. With an older ARC-only TV, you also need to turn on HDMI Control or ARC in the receiver’s menu, because both are off out of the box.
The one mistake that’s easy to make on this model: the S960H has two HDMI outputs. Only MONITOR 1 supports eARC, ARC, and HDMI Control. A TV plugged into MONITOR 2 gets a picture but can’t send its sound back to the receiver.
What you need
- A TV with an HDMI port marked eARC or ARC. It’s usually printed next to the port. If none of your TV’s ports are marked, see the no-ARC option further down.
- The right HDMI cable. Denon asks for a cable labeled “High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet” for ARC or eARC. For 8K video, or 4K at 120 Hz from a console, use an “Ultra High Speed” 48 Gbps HDMI cable instead.
- The Denon remote. You’ll use SETUP to open the on-screen menu.
Not sure whether your TV has eARC or plain ARC? The setup below works for both. Our explainer on the difference between ARC and eARC covers what each one can carry.
How the S960H’s HDMI jacks are laid out
The receiver has six HDMI inputs and two HDMI outputs. Plug your cable box, streaming stick, game console, and disc player into the inputs. The receiver sends their video on to the TV and decodes their sound itself.
| Output | eARC / ARC | HDMI Control (CEC) | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| HDMI MONITOR 1 | Yes | Yes | Your main TV |
| HDMI MONITOR 2 | No | No | A second screen or projector (video only) |
Step 1: Connect the cables
- Turn off the receiver and the TV.
- Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the TV’s eARC or ARC port.
- Plug the other end into the receiver’s HDMI MONITOR 1 output.
- Move your other devices (streaming box, console, Blu-ray player) to the receiver’s HDMI inputs if they’re plugged into the TV now.
- Turn on the receiver, then the TV.
- Switch the TV to the HDMI port you just used. Press SETUP on the Denon remote. If the receiver’s menu appears on the TV, the video side is working.
Step 2: Set up the receiver
What you change depends on the TV. Open the settings with SETUP, then go to Video > HDMI Setup.
If your TV has eARC
You don’t have to change anything to get sound. Denon says an eARC TV plays through the receiver’s speakers regardless of the ARC setting. eARC also has its own control link, so it doesn’t depend on HDMI Control. If a TV supports both ARC and eARC, the receiver uses eARC.
We’d still turn on HDMI Control. It’s what lets the TV remote change the receiver’s volume and lets both devices turn off together.
If your TV has ARC only
- In HDMI Setup, set HDMI Control to On. Denon says either this or setting ARC to On enables ARC. Turning on HDMI Control is the better choice because it also gives you TV-remote volume and linked power.
- If you’d rather not use HDMI Control, leave it off and set ARC to On instead.
- Turn the receiver and TV off, then on again. Denon says to reset the power of connected devices any time you change the HDMI Control or ARC setting.
The other HDMI Setup items worth knowing
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI Audio Out | AVR | Sends HDMI sound to your speakers. If it’s set to TV, sound comes out of the TV instead. |
| TV Audio Switching | On | Switches the receiver to the TV Audio input on its own when the TV sends a command over HDMI. |
| Power Off Control | All | Links standby between the receiver and the TV. |
| HDMI Pass Through | On | Keeps passing an HDMI source through to the TV while the receiver is in standby. |
Step 3: Set up the TV
Every TV brand names these settings differently, so check your TV’s manual for the exact menu. You’re looking for three settings:
- Turn on HDMI-CEC (the TV’s name for HDMI Control) if you turned on HDMI Control on the receiver. Denon’s setup steps require the control function to be on for every device connected by HDMI.
- Send TV audio to the receiver. Set the TV’s sound output to the receiver, AV amplifier, or external audio system rather than its own speakers.
- Turn on eARC if your TV has a separate eARC setting. Denon notes that some eARC TVs need this switched on before eARC works.
Step 4: Test it
- Select TV Audio on the receiver. With TV Audio Switching on, this may happen by itself when you start a TV app.
- Play something from a TV app or antenna channel. Sound should come from your speakers.
- If you turned on HDMI Control, press the TV remote’s volume buttons. The receiver’s volume should change.
- Turn the TV off. With HDMI Control on and Power Off Control at All, the receiver should go to standby with it.
What eARC gets you over ARC
The difference matters most for streaming apps that play Dolby Atmos. Denon lists these formats as available only over eARC, not plain ARC:
- Multichannel linear PCM
- Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Atmos
- DTS-HD Master Audio and DTS:X
eARC still handles every format ARC can. If you have Atmos speakers, eARC is also what lets the TV’s own apps feed them. Our speaker size and crossover guide is a good next step once sound is working.
If your TV has no ARC or eARC port
You can still use the receiver. Keep the HDMI cable from HDMI MONITOR 1 to the TV for video. Then add an optical cable from the TV’s optical audio output to the receiver’s optical input. Out of the box, Denon assigns the receiver’s optical input to the TV Audio source, so selecting TV Audio plays the TV’s sound. You can check or change that under SETUP > Inputs > Input Assign.
An optical connection can’t carry the lossless and Atmos formats listed above.
Troubleshooting
eARC TV, but no TV sound
Denon gives three checks for this exact problem:
- Turn on eARC in the TV’s own settings if it has that option.
- Make sure the receiver’s input is TV Audio.
- Go to SETUP > Inputs > Input Assign and look at TV Audio. If an HDMI input is assigned to it, eARC won’t work. Remove that HDMI assignment, then restart both the receiver and the TV.
Also confirm the cable is in HDMI MONITOR 1, not MONITOR 2.
ARC TV, but no TV sound
- Check that HDMI Control or ARC is set to On. A factory reset turns them back off.
- Check that HDMI Audio Out is set to AVR.
- If you use HDMI Control, set the TV’s audio output to the AV amplifier. Denon lists this as a cause of silent HDMI audio.
- Turn everything off and on again after any change.
The TV remote doesn’t control volume, or power isn’t linked
- Confirm HDMI Control is on in the receiver and HDMI-CEC is on in the TV and your other HDMI devices.
- If you just added or swapped an HDMI device, Denon says the link settings may reset. Turn off the receiver and every HDMI device, then turn them back on.
- HDMI MONITOR 2 doesn’t support HDMI Control at all. The TV must be on MONITOR 1.
- Some TVs and players only support part of HDMI Control. In that case, use the device’s own remote.
Picture problems with 4K or 8K
The receiver’s Video > 4K/8K Signal Format setting defaults to Enhanced. For 8K or 4K 120 Hz, set it to 8K Enhanced and use an Ultra High Speed cable. If you lose the picture after changing it, set it back to Standard. Your TV’s HDMI port may also need its enhanced signal mode turned on to match.
Sound is out of sync with the picture
Go to Audio > Audio Delay. Auto Lip Sync is on by default, but Denon notes it may not work with every TV. Use Adjust (0 to 500 ms) to fine-tune. The setting is saved separately for each input, so set it while TV Audio is selected.
Still silent after all of this? A factory reset clears any setting you might have missed. Our AVR-S960H reset guide shows how to back up your settings first.
For Denon’s own wording, see the manual pages for connecting an ARC/eARC TV, HDMI Setup, and sound troubleshooting.