How Many HDMI Inputs Do You Need on a Soundbar?

One HDMI Port Connects the Soundbar to the TV

A soundbar connects to a TV with a single HDMI cable. The port on the TV is usually labeled ARC or eARC. When both the TV port and the soundbar port support ARC or eARC, that one cable carries audio from the TV's apps and from the devices plugged into the TV back to the soundbar. You don't need a separate audio cable, and you don't need to move any device from the TV to the soundbar.

The HDMI 2.2 Specification Overview describes eARC as simplifying connectivity and supporting the most advanced audio formats. For most setups, one HDMI ARC or eARC input on the soundbar is the baseline. See how ARC compares with eARC and the soundbar connectivity options article for the listing terms that describe these ports.

What an Extra HDMI Input Does

Some soundbars have more than one HDMI port. One port is the output that goes to the TV, often labeled ARC or eARC. The other ports are inputs for devices such as a game console, a streaming box, or a Blu-ray player. When a device plugs into the soundbar, the video passes through the soundbar to the TV, and the soundbar plays the audio. A listing may name these as "HDMI inputs" or show two HDMI ports in the product images.

This passthrough arrangement helps when your TV has no spare port, or when you want each device to reach the soundbar directly. The HDMI 2.2 Specification Overview notes that its latency indication protocol improves audio and video synchronization in configurations that include a soundbar. In listing terms, an extra HDMI input is a stated feature; the maker's page states how many inputs the bar has. The same question comes up in choosing between a soundbar and a home theater receiver, since a receiver usually carries many more HDMI inputs.

Count Your Devices and Your TV Ports

Before you buy, make a list of the devices in your setup that connect by HDMI: a streaming stick, a cable box, a game console, a Blu-ray player. Then look at the HDMI ports on your TV, count them, and find the one labeled ARC or eARC. The TV's manual and the maker's page for the TV both show the port labels.

Compare the number of devices with the number of spare ports on the TV. If you have at least one spare port, a soundbar with a single HDMI ARC or eARC connection is enough: every device plugs into the TV, and the TV sends the audio to the soundbar. If you have no spare port, a soundbar with extra HDMI inputs gives those devices a place to plug in.

When One HDMI Input Is Enough

For most setups, one HDMI input on the soundbar is enough. That input connects to the TV's ARC or eARC port, and every device stays on the TV. The same cable carries the TV's audio to the soundbar, so there is no separate audio connection to run. Over that same cable, HDMI CEC often lets the TV remote control the soundbar's volume; see HDMI CEC explained for what that listing word means.

This is also the simplest setup for a bedroom TV or a second TV: a 2.0 or 2.1 soundbar with HDMI ARC is all you need. The best HDMI ARC soundbars guide compares models on the stated ARC and eARC details.

When Extra HDMI Inputs Help

Extra HDMI inputs help when every port on the TV is in use, or when you want a specific device such as a game console to plug into the soundbar directly. The listing may name the number of inputs; the maker's page shows which features pass through.

For gaming, the HDMI 2.2 Specification Overview lists Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) as features of the specification. If you connect a gaming device to a soundbar's input, the soundbar has to pass those features to the TV for them to work, so read the passthrough details on the maker's page. Related listing terms are HDMI 2.1 gaming features and 4K HDR passthrough.

What a Listing Tells You About HDMI Inputs

On a listing, the words "HDMI ARC" or "HDMI eARC" usually appear in the title. The number of extra inputs is often not in the title; it may be in the bullet list or only on the maker's page. When a listing does not state the number of inputs, that detail is not part of the comparison this site makes on stated details.

To confirm the input count, open the maker's page for the model and read the port list there. The main best soundbar guide and the best HDMI ARC soundbar guide send you to those pages next to each listing.

What to pick for your situation

Questions

Do I need a soundbar with extra HDMI inputs?

Not if your TV has a spare HDMI port. One HDMI ARC or eARC connection carries the TV's audio to the soundbar, so every device can stay on the TV. Extra inputs are for setups where the TV's ports are full.

What does HDMI passthrough mean on a soundbar?

A device plugs into an HDMI input on the soundbar, the soundbar sends the video to the TV through its HDMI output, and the soundbar plays the audio. Passthrough is a listing term; the maker's page shows which video features pass through.

How do I find the ARC or eARC port on my TV?

Look at the labels on the TV's HDMI ports. One port is usually marked ARC or eARC. The TV's manual and the maker's page for the TV both show the port labels.

Can I connect a game console to a soundbar's HDMI input?

Yes, if the soundbar has an HDMI input and passes video through to the TV. For gaming features like VRR and ALLM to work, the passthrough must carry them, and the maker's page states that.

If a listing doesn't say how many HDMI inputs a soundbar has, is that a problem?

It means the seller did not state that detail. You can read the maker's page for the model to find its port list. This site compares soundbars only on the stated details in the listings and on the makers' pages.