What Is HDMI CEC? One of the first methods of using HDMI to link all of your devices is HDMI CEC. Up to 15 devices can connect with one another and share settings with HDMI CEC, which was first introduced in HDMI 1.0 and enhanced in HDMI 1.3 to provide a smooth home theater experience.
Consumer Electronics Control is referred to as CEC. You can use HDMI CEC to control all supported devices with a single remote. The majority of the main functionality of compatible devices are supported through HDMI CEC, while some unique device capabilities may still require the usage of the remote particular to that device. With HDMI CEC, all of your devices’ playing, audio, and menu controls may be coordinated.
Your home cinema setup can be substantially simplified via HDMI CEC. It can be time-consuming to set up, but switching between devices is a breeze. Here is all there is to know about HDMI CEC, including what it is, how it functions, and how to use it.
HDMI CEC Features
Most of the basic functionality found on any remote control are offered by HDMI CEC. Through HDMI CEC, data for playback, power, audio, and menu selection can all be transferred. No more fumbling with different remotes. No more utilizing a universal remote to swap between devices. All of your gadgets may now be controlled with a single remote.
It’s critical to understand that this technology is distinct from that of a universal remote. A universal remote control has hundreds of consumer devices’ wireless signal patterns pre-programmed. The device that the universal remote is interacting with is directly controlled when you use it.
How Does HDMI CEC Work?
Any device’s remote can be used with HDMI CEC to operate your entire system. When you use your TV’s remote to control your DVD player, for instance, your remote connects with your TV to transmit a CEC signal to the DVD player via your HDMI cable.
That’s accurate. Whichever remote control you choose, the connected devices can be successfully controlled by it. Even when the gadget is entirely shut off or asleep with the HDMI circuitry deactivated, they can still operate it. This is so that CEC may operate independently of the other HDMI controls despite being embedded into the HDMI wire.
HDMI CEC makes a number of functions possible. Here are a few examples:
Deck Control: Play, Stop, Rewind, Next, etc.
Deck control enables you to operate your playback devices, including Blu-ray players, camcorders, etc., with the standard playback commands (play, pause, rewind, next, prev, etc.).
System Audio Control
Setting up a home theater system used to include calibrating all of your playback devices’ volumes so that they are about identical across the board. By imposing an audio control on your entire system, HDMI CEC solves this issue. You read that right—your entire system has a single volume control.
One Touch Play
Now that you’ve seen the final installment of your favorite show, you want to watch your favorite movie. You know, the one that somehow hasn’t been picked up by any streaming services. So you have to insert it into the DVD player, switch the source, and then start the video, correct?
With HDMI CEC, no. HDMI CEC playback devices will automatically change the TV source on play if One Touch Play is enabled. No more choosing an input source from a menu.
Power On and Power Off
You could use three devices simultaneously with home theater setups! When you wanted to use each device, you had to turn it on individually, and you had to turn it off separately when you were done.
That’s obsolete thanks to HDMI CEC. Your standby or power button can put all of your gadgets in standby mode thanks to the system standby feature.
One Touch Record
One Touch Record is another entertaining function that lets you record whatever is playing on your display device to a chosen recording source. Stop sending your sources to the display device through a recorder. It’s all connected using HDMI CEC.
Commercial Names for HDMI CEC
Several brand names in commerce are used for HDMI CEC. The essential functionality of having a designated pin in the HDMI socket is the same regardless of the fact that each one technically offers a somewhat different menu of functions.
The following is a list of the HDMI-CEC brand names:
- Hitachi: HDMI-CEC
- LG: SimpLink
- Mitsubishi: Net Command
- Onkyo: RIHD
- Panasonic: HDAVI Control, EZ-Sync, or VIERA Link
- Philips: EasyLink
- Pioneer: Kuro Link
- Roku: 1-Touch-Play
- Samsung: Anynet+
- Sharp: Aquos Link
- Sony: BRAVIA Sync
- Toshiba: CE-Link or Regza Link
- Vizio: CEC
Commercial names like Vizio’s CEC and Hitachi’s HDMI-CEC are not always very creative. Although some have distinctive names like Anynet+ (Samsung) and 1-Touch-Play, the majority of the brand names involve the term link (Aquos Link, BRAVIA Link, CE-Link, EasyLink, SimpLink, etc). (Roku).
How to Setting Up HDMI CEC
Each device has a different process for configuring HDMI CEC. The sound settings or the system settings in your device’s settings menu are typically where you may find the HDMI CEC settings.
For each device you want to use HDMI CEC to connect, you must setup the HDMI CEC settings. If you switch to a system with HDMI 2.1a ports, HDMI eARC will be enabled automatically on those ports. If any of your components aren’t compatible with HDMI eARC, however, HDMI eARC will fall back to its standard form (with all the drawbacks previously mentioned).
How to Enable CEC on Popular TVs
Although the process for enabling HDMI ARC and CEC varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, they all essentially involve the same stages. After turning on HDMI ARC in your device’s settings, you might or might not need to find other devices.
Here, we’ll go over how to configure HDMI ARC and CEC on five well-known TV manufacturers:
- LG: Click the home button on an LG TV to access the Settings menu. Choose Sound, followed by Sound Settings. From here, switch the TV Speaker to OFF and the ARC Mode to ON.
- Vizio: Choose System from the menu. then decide on CEC. Select Enable where it says CEC Function, and On where it says System Audio Control. Select the Device Discovery option from here and wait for your TV to find the other linked devices.
- Sony: Go to Settings, then System Settings, from the Home menu. Choose Set Up, then AV Set Up from this point on. Ensure that Audio Out is selected in the Speakers configuration. To return to the Set Up menu, click Back, then select BRAVIA Sync. Choose BRAVIA Sync Device List from this page.
- TCL w/ Roku: Select System, then Settings, from the Home menu. System Audio Control and HDMI ARC can both be enabled by choosing Control Other Devices (CEC).
- Samsung: Select System from the menu, then switch Anynet+ to the ON setting.
Your A/V receiver or soundbar must also have HDMI ARC enabled. You must do this by setting your TV to the input that your audio device is linked to.
From here, you must use the audio device’s settings menu to enable HDMI ARC and CEC, which are again known by various names.
You might need to download an app in some cases, especially when using specific soundbars (most notably Sonos), in order to configure the device for HDMI ARC. Simply follow the instructions after downloading the app to your phone.
How to Setting Up HDMI CEC with TV AND SOUNDBAR ONLY
Setup of the TV’s HDMI-CEC is required (TV HDMI-CEC Setup)
Use the remote control for your TV to:
- On/Off switch for our soundbar
- Change the volume on our soundbar. Command + or –
- Turn off our soundbar.
- When your TV is turned on, our soundbar will automatically switch to an ARC input.
Important: To turn ON and OFF our soundbar in this situation, always use the remote control for your TV. Please refrain from turning on or off our soundbar with the remote once HDMI-CEC has been configured. The power ON/OFF function of our soundbar has been transferred to the TV’s HDMI-CEC, so hitting the power button on the soundbar remote control will no longer be primary and our soundbar won’t respond or respond slowly.
How to Setting Up HDMI CEC with TV, SOUNDBAR AND SOURCE DEVICES
Setting up HDMI-CEC on the TV and the source devices is a need (TV HDMI-CEC Setup)
Tips 1: Use the remote control for your TV to:
- Our soundbar may be turned on or off, as can other devices.
- Change the volume on our soundbar. Command + or –
- Turn off our soundbar.
- When your TV is turned on, our soundbar will automatically switch to an ARC input.
- Utilize the interface of your source device.
Tips 2: Use the remote control for your device to:
- Turn on the TV.
- Our soundbar will automatically switch to the connected HDMI input whenever your device is powered on or otherwise leaves the dormant state (i.e., when it is powered on).
Important:
Always turn our soundbar ON and OFF using your TV remote if you merely want to watch TV. Please refrain from turning on or off our soundbar with the remote once HDMI-CEC has been configured. The power ON/OFF function of our soundbar has been transferred to the TV’s HDMI-CEC, so hitting the power button on the soundbar remote control will no longer be primary and our soundbar won’t respond or respond slowly.
Always turn on (or push the play button on) device 1, 2, or 3 using the remote control of your source device. To automatically turn ON your TV and our soundbar, the source device will send an HDMI-CEC signal.
Always turn the TV off with the remote control after finishing a movie. The TV will signal our soundbar and the source device with an HDMI-CEC signal to turn off automatically. The power ON/OFF function of our soundbar has been transferred to the HDMI-CEC of the TV and the source device, so pressing the power button on the soundbar remote control will no longer be primary and our soundbar won’t respond or respond slowly.
How to Setting Up HDMI CEC with TV, SOUNDBAR AND SOURCE DEVICES WITHOUT HDMI CEC:
WHENEVER ANY DEVICE ON THE SETUP LINK DOES NOT HAVE HDMI CEC
Requirement: Disable HDMI-CEC on the TV and all other sources.
Advice: By turning off HDMI-CEC, you can use the individual remote controls for your TV, Sound bar, and connected devices to control them individually.
How to Setting Up HDMI CEC with HARMONY UNIVERSAL REMOTE
It is strongly advised to turn off CEC on all of your connected devices, including your TV, as it might occasionally interfere with Harmony’s ability to turn on and change inputs.
Requirement: Disable HDMI-CEC on (a) the TV and (b) all sources.
As a tip, turning off HDMI-CEC enables seamless device control with your Harmony remote.
Check here for more detailed information.
What You Need From HDMI-CEC ?
HDMI-CEC enables two-way communication between your TV and any devices attached to it via HDMI ports. Both the TV and the other devices have some degree of influence over each other.
YOUR TV’S HDMI-CEC FUNCTION CAN CONTROL YOUR DEVICES:
- Power Controll (On or Off)
- Control Volume (+ or -)
- Mute
- Device Priority
For instance, you may use your TV remote to adjust the volume of our Soundbar and the Blu-ray player’s user interface.
Your source devices’ HDMI-CEC functionality can control your TV:
- Power ON/Of
- Device Priority
Advantages and Disadvantages of HDMI CEC
The advantages of HDMI CEC much outweigh its disadvantages. Even if the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, there may be times when you’ll want to disable HDMI CEC or replace your system with one that uses eARC, a more recent standard that enhances HDMI CEC’s capabilities while requiring no additional configuration.
Advantages
There are several benefits that HDMI CEC offers. It enables a number of global controls, as was already discussed, enabling you to more easily integrate your home theater system.
In addition, HDMI CEC and HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel) combine to cut down on the amount of wires required to connect numerous devices.
A Blu-ray player or other external source can be connected to a TV and A/V receiver with fewer wires thanks to HDMI ARC, which enables audio to flow in both ways.
Your devices must have HDMI ARC or eARC ports in order to benefit from HDMI ARC. HDMI ARC is often enabled when your devices are set up for HDMI CEC, but check your device documentation to be sure.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage of HDMI CEC is that HDMI ARC cannot produce surround sound in its original high-definition quality. Uncompressed stereo audio or compressed 5.1 surround sound audio can be transmitted using HDMI ARC. I’m done now.
You will need to either disable HDMI CEC and ARC on your devices or upgrade to devices that enable HDMI eARC if you want uncompressed 5.1 channel or greater audio. HDMI eARC can handle superior high definition formats produced by Dolby and DTS in addition to 5.1 and 7.1 uncompressed audio.
So, What is HDMI CEC?
HDMI CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) enables users to command and control devices connected via HDMI with just one remote control. For instance, you may control a soundbar, set-top box, or Blu-ray player with the television’s remote control. A maximum of 15 devices may be managed.
