Connecting what device to what port??

[Akshit Kanwal]

Hey everyone! I need some help in figuring out what component of the entertainment setup should be connected to what port of what device. 

 

The setup includes

1. LG 4K TV with 3 HDMI ports, one of them is ARC and another is HDCP 2.2. All of them are 4K 60. 
2. Sony HT-Z9F (Atmos) with 2 HDMI in and one out. The out supports ARC. The spec sheet says it supports HDCP 2.2. 
3. Amazon 4K FireStick. Almost all of the content that I consume is via the FireStick. 

Now what I am thinking is connecting the FireStick to one of the inputs of the SB, keeping the other input free (I might connect it to my laptop/PC if in case want to watch 4K Atmos content that I have on them). And then connecting the Soundbar to the TV, via HDMI of course but not sure on the ARC port or the HDCP port. I know most 4K content can only be played on the HDCP port and that the entire chain of connections should be HDCP compliant else it won't work. Content that is streamed from the stick will only be in 4K if it's on HDCP. 

 

Will this setup work? Will I get the most out of all the devices. Will the content from the stick be 4K Atmos with this setup, or should I do something else? 

 

One more thing that is not that critical to me but useful. I might connect my PC to the second HDMI input of the SB. I can do that but I want to avoid that. Is there any other way I can stream 4K Atmos content from my PC to the system? I am already running a PLEX server on that same PC.

 

PS: All the information and details I have gathered about ports and standards and stuff seems right. Correct me I am wrong though. 

[Akshit Kanwal]

Soundbar specs : https://www.sony.co.in/electronics/sound-bars/ht-z9f/specifications

 

[Donut417]

1 hour ago, Akshit Kanwal said:

I am already running a PLEX server on that same PC.

Not an expert, BUT I use Plex. When it comes to Plex, your files need to be formated in a way that the streaming device understands. https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-4k-transcoding-and-you-aka-the-rules-of-4k-a-faq/378203

The link is to the rules about 4K on Plex. It might give you more of an idea. BUT basically you need to see what the Fire Stick supports. Im not 100% sure how Atmos works, or the format it uses. If the Firestick doesnt support it, then your out of luck with streaming it. 

 

"The fifth rule of 4k is

• To direct play 4k, your entire playback chain must be compatible with both the VIDEO and AUDIO codecs of the content you are trying to play.
• 4k bluray ripped content typically includes HD audio (ie lossless truehd/atmos), which must have a compatible audio player (ie a truehd/atmos compatible receiver)" 

Thats from the forum post at Plex. So you just need to verify that every thing in line has support. Make sure the video is in the proper format. ALSO just be aware that in some cases 4K streams can hit over 100 Mbps of usage on the network, so hopefully you have a solid network connection to the Plex server and the Firestick. GOOD LUCK. 

[Akshit Kanwal]

I guess I can transcode the files in handbrake to make them compatible. That resolves the in house streaming solution. Thanks! 

 

The primary concerns still stays. How should I go about when it come to connecting the equipments?