How to Connect a Sony STR-DH590 to a TV With HDMI ARC

To use HDMI ARC with the Sony STR-DH590, run an HDMI cable from the receiver’s HDMI TV OUT jack to the HDMI input on your TV labeled “ARC.” Then turn on Control for HDMI in both places. On the receiver, press AMP MENU and choose “<HDMI>” – “CTRL.HDMI” – “CTRL ON.” On the TV, turn on HDMI control (often called HDMI-CEC).

Once that’s done, one cable carries video from the receiver to the TV and sends the TV’s own sound back to the receiver. That includes built-in apps and the antenna tuner. The main catch is on 4K TVs. If the TV’s ARC jack doesn’t support HDCP 2.2, Sony says to plug the HDMI cable into a jack that does and carry TV sound over an optical cable instead. That setup is covered below.

What you need

• A TV with an HDMI input marked ARC. Look at the labels next to the TV’s HDMI jacks. Usually only one says ARC. Newer TVs may label it “eARC/ARC.” Sony’s STR-DH590 documentation only covers ARC, so that jack is used in ARC mode.
• The right HDMI cable. Sony recommends a High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet. For demanding 4K formats such as 4K/60p 4:4:4, 4:2:2, and 4K/60p 4:2:0 10-bit, you need a Premium High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet (rated up to 18 Gbps). Sony also warns against HDMI-to-DVI adapter cables.
• Your TV remote and the receiver remote. You’ll change one setting on each.

Step 1: Connect the cables

Unplug the receiver’s power cord before you connect anything. Sony says to make all cable connections before you plug the receiver in.

1. Plug one end of the HDMI cable into the receiver’s HDMI TV OUT jack. This is the only jack on the receiver that supports ARC.
2. Plug the other end into your TV’s HDMI jack marked ARC.
3. Connect your Blu-ray player, game console, streaming box, or cable box to the receiver’s HDMI IN jacks, not to the TV. Sony notes that sound from a cable or satellite box plugged into the TV may not reach the receiver. Plugging these devices into the receiver avoids the problem.
4. Plug the receiver’s power cord back into the wall.

Step 2: Turn on Control for HDMI on the receiver

This setting is what lets the receiver and TV talk to each other. ARC won’t work without it. You’ll use the receiver’s display-panel menu, so watch the receiver’s display, not the TV.

1. Press AMP MENU on the remote. The menu appears on the receiver’s display panel.
2. Press the up or down arrow until the display shows “<HDMI>,” then press Enter.
3. Select “CTRL.HDMI” and press Enter.
4. Select “CTRL ON” and press Enter.
5. Press AMP MENU again to close the menu.

With “CTRL ON” set, the power light turns red when the receiver is off. That’s expected. The receiver stays ready to answer the TV. Also, “AUDIO.OUT” may change by itself when you turn this on. That’s normal too.

Step 3: Set up the TV

1. Turn on the TV and switch it to the HDMI input the receiver is plugged into.
2. In the TV’s settings, turn on HDMI control. Brands name this differently. Look for “HDMI-CEC” or your TV brand’s own name for it. On Sony TVs, it’s part of “BRAVIA Sync.” Your TV’s manual has the exact menu.
3. In the TV’s sound settings, set audio output to the receiver or to an external audio system if your TV has that choice.
4. If the TV’s own speakers still play, turn the TV volume all the way down or mute it. Sony says to do this for ARC.

If you want your Blu-ray player or streaming box to power on and switch inputs along with everything else, turn on HDMI control in its settings too.

Step 4: Check that it works

1. Switch the receiver to its TV input.
2. Play something from a built-in TV app or a live channel.
3. You should hear it from the speakers connected to the receiver, not the TV. Try the TV remote’s volume buttons. When everything is linked, the TV remote changes the receiver’s volume.

The volume number on the TV screen may not match the receiver’s display. Sony notes that’s normal.

How it behaves day to day

Sony calls the TV-sound part of this System Audio Control. With it working:

• Turning on the TV can turn on the receiver, and TV sound comes out of your speakers.
• Turning on the receiver while you watch TV moves the sound to your speakers.
• The TV remote controls the receiver’s volume.

Two related settings are in the same “<HDMI>” menu. “STBY.LINK” controls whether the receiver turns off along with the TV. “STBY.THRU” (on some units, “SIG PASS THRU”) lets HDMI video and sound reach the TV while the receiver is off. It has three settings: “ON,” “AUTO,” or “OFF.” Keep in mind that “ON” and “AUTO” use more power in standby.

If your 4K TV’s ARC jack doesn’t support HDCP 2.2

4K movies and streams use HDCP 2.2 copy protection. The STR-DH590’s HDMI jacks all support HDCP 2.2, but on some older 4K TVs, the ARC jack doesn’t. For that case, Sony gives a workaround:

1. Connect the receiver’s HDMI TV OUT to an HDMI jack on the TV that supports HDCP 2.2. That jack may not have ARC.
2. Connect an optical digital audio cable from the TV’s optical output to the receiver’s OPTICAL TV IN jack.
3. If the TV lets you set its audio output to “Fixed” or “Variable,” choose “Fixed.” Sony gives this advice for the TV IN jacks.
4. Switch the receiver to the TV input. If there’s still no sound, press AMP MENU and check “<INPUT>” – “IN MODE.” “AUTO” picks up the digital signal on its own. “OPT” forces the optical jack.

The same optical hookup works on any TV that has no ARC jack at all.

4K picture problems

If the receiver passes sound but 4K video won’t show, check the cable rating first. Then check the “<HDMI>” – “SIG. FMT.” setting. It has two choices, “STANDARD” and “ENHANCED.” “ENHANCED” is for high-bandwidth formats like 4K/60p 4:4:4. If you choose it, your TV may need a matching setting turned on for that HDMI input.

Fixing common ARC problems

No TV sound from the receiver

• Check that the cable goes to HDMI TV OUT on the receiver and to the ARC jack on the TV.
• Check that “CTRL.HDMI” is set to “CTRL ON” on the receiver and that HDMI control is on in the TV.
• Switch the receiver to the TV input.
• With the TV input selected, set “<INPUT>” – “IN MODE” to “AUTO.”
• If “MUTING” shows on the receiver’s display, turn the TV on first and then the receiver. You can also press the muting button to cancel it.
• If your TV doesn’t support System Audio Control, set “<HDMI>” – “AUDIO.OUT” by hand. Choose “AMP” for sound from the receiver’s speakers only, or “TV+AMP” for both.

Sound comes from both the TV and the speakers

Press AMP MENU and set “<HDMI>” – “AUDIO.OUT” to “AMP.” Then mute the TV’s speakers or turn them all the way down.

TV shows are quieter than your other sources

Press AMP MENU and raise “<LEVEL>” – “TV.OFFSET.” It goes from “TV 0 dB” up to “TV +6 dB.”

It worked, then stopped after you moved cables or lost power

• After the receiver has been unplugged, HDMI control needs time to start again. Wait at least 15 seconds, then try again.
• If you unplugged an HDMI cable or changed the hookup, go through step 2 and step 3 again. Sony says to repeat this setup after any HDMI change.
• If you recently did a factory reset on the receiver, check “CTRL.HDMI” again. A reset clears all saved settings.

Sony says ARC and HDMI control may work with other brands’ TVs, but it doesn’t guarantee them. If the TV-side settings won’t stick, the optical hookup above is the dependable fallback.

Next steps

The receiver’s Easy Setup screens only appear on a connected TV. So once the HDMI link works, it’s a good time to run Easy Setup and Auto Calibration. And if TV shows sound thin because your subwoofer isn’t playing, see our STR-DH590 subwoofer fixes.

Sony’s Help Guide covers these topics on its pages for enjoying sound from an ARC-compatible TV and no TV sound from the receiver.