I'm sure everyone thinks the latter is a better idea, but I have an install where i am curious to try it.

The situation is this: I'm using a Panasonic TC-60AS630 TV which will have an HD antenna connected to it. I want to bring audio back to a Marantz NR-1504 receiver. At this time the only sources plugged into the receiver are an Apple TV and a Casatunes music server. I can use ARC, or I have Cat5e as well so either an analogue or digital audio ballun will work.

Obviously the ballun costs money and ARC doesn't.

On the NR-1504 I can turn on CEC, which is required for ARC to work, but I can turn off the power and source functions so the NR-1504 will not react to the TV when changes are made to power state and what not.

The Panasonic manual is incredibly vague and only mentions that it has ARC. It refers you to an e-manual available through the menu which I imagine would have more info, but obviously that does me no good now.

This leads me to my question. While I can change settings on the receiver so CEC doesn't mess with the receiver, can I do the same on the Panasonic TV? I presume CEC has to be turned on in the TV for ARC to function.

Will the TV react to the Apple TV or does turning off the power controls in the receiver effectively dam the flow of control triggers from connected devices as well?

Where this becomes very important is in the operation of Casatunes. Casatunes controls the receiver via IP. It will turn it on and off, switch it to the CD input as needed, and adjust the volume through it's control app.

I don't want the TV to see the receiver, or Apple TV, turning on and then turn it self on. If this will be an issue I'll run a separate audio connection. I would just rather not. It's extra expense for the client and bother for me.

That being said, I've only ever heard horror stories about ARC.

Please don't just tell me not to use ARC. I'm interested in knowing why. Until now I've just avoided it because everyone said to but I'm interested in experimenting for myself.

Or maybe I'll just find a bear and put my hand in it's mouth.

Thanks for the input everyone.

Craig

OH and PS, the customer will be using the handfull of remotes for control. He has no interest in a universal control system at this time!?! I know, right? That will change and will become a Pro-Control remote in about two months time, I'm sure.

Try it. It just might work. Have plan b with you in case it does not.

I agree, its worth a shot. But dont get caught up in it and waste a lot of time trying to make it work.

That's what I'm thinking. I have balluns with me as a rule anyway.

Thanks for the input.

Craig

Be careful though, because you are walking dangerous ground. My experience with ARC was that it seemed to work great while I was on site setting it up, and testing everything. But, once I was gone and everything was in the customer's hands, the problem popped up. Then they were unhappy. And you've got the type of customer that is most likely to be unhappy. The one that thinks he knows better than you (he won't buy a remote).

The most likely area for a problem is when turning the system on. Thoroughly test turning the system off, and back on again

These are what I have for my settings on my Panasonic TV and Pioneer AVR...

TV
Viera Link -- ON
Power on Link -- NO
Power off Link -- NO
Unselected device auto off -- OFF

AVR
Control -- ON
Control Mode -- PQLS (Pioneer exclusive, I have it set on this because of the CD/Blu-Ray player that I have.)
Display Power Off -- NO
TV Audio -- via HDMI

Even with the Control Mode set to PQLS, I am still able to use the ARC. I rarely use this. But when I do, it's usually because I am watching a movie that is on my local network drive. Watching World War Z right now in 5.1, so that goes through at least.

KOT

ARE YOU NUTS?!?!?

The upfront cost of the audio extender will save you 1-2 truck rolls before you end up putting them in anyway. Not to mention the 10pm emails - calls - texts.

If your going to attempt this disaster disguised as arc you better hope he doesn't have your cell phone number.

LOL!

I agree with the naysayer. We have two installs in which guys from our shop have tried ARC. In both cases it was to do a favor for a really nice customer. In neither case was the end result good for either us or the customer.

Both installs seemed to work perfectly at the time. One involved multiple trips back and a tough wire retro. Luckily the pre-wire wasn't ours, so the customer understood that we were just trying to help them out.

His comment after all was said and done was,"If I'd known it would have been that much of a hassle I would have just paid to do it right the first time."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because I haven't remembered to bring an optical cable inside, I use ARC and because I use the TV's tuner for local channels, I need to leave CEC on. In the words of Bart Simpson, "I didn't know it was possible for something to blow AND suck at the same time".

Why don't you sell them a Channel Master DVR+. HD ant into that and HDMI into AVR. No messing around with ARC or Baluns, plus they get a DVR for HD channels, and a good on screen TV guide. Plus Vudu and Pandora are now supported through this box.

I would agree a separate OTA tuner would work better for your situation.
Why not to use ARC? Because there are so many undocumented situations
like this that will waste your time.
Firmware, device incompatibility, control issues with CEC, and the list goes on.
I have got it to work in two installs. Equipment swaps were needed and I lost labor money, so I no longer travel down that path.
YMMV/ Good luck.

If the TV has a ton of HDMI inputs and all of the sources go to the TV, then to powered speakers, it might work, but even then, I think I'd avoid it like the plague.

Done! I couldn't find the Channel Master in my area (it might not be popular in Canada since we don't get access to the same number of streaming services available in the US) but I did find a similar product that will do everything I need and has 50 plus reviews of happy customers, many of whom are using it with OTA channels in the area where my customer is.

Thanks for the idea.

Craig.

One of the things that a programmed remote has is total control over the order in which things are turned on and off. You must tell him that if he wants to use several remotes, you cannot guarantee the way the different devices will interact with one another due to the order, and perhaps even the timing, of turning different things on and selecting sources.

Quote this to your customer:

Glad you've got it handled, but for others reading this later, don't forget the issue recently brought up, product swaps. Putting in the exact wires for a working system with ARC with the equipment that is there today says absolutely nothing about what will happen when one or more pieces of equipment get changed, as they always do.