Wondering if I can do this? Component closet 30 ft away. all I have is the hdmi cable out to TV at this time. Is there a way to use the smart features on the set and get them back to the outlaw for sound processing?
thanks...

TVs aren't that smart yet.

Sure. In the audio input set up menu, for example, the TV input, you should set the audio choice to HDMI ARC. But, you'll need to leave the video choice blank (---). Then the sound from the TV (such as from Netflix) will be sent to the 975.

I have a 976 and am wondering the same thing. How would one go about programming this for a Harmony remote?

Once you set the TV to output to its HDMI ARC and that cable is input to the 976 HDMI ARC feature, when the TV is on with the 976 the audio will be sent to your system. Should just be a matter of programming the Harmony to have the TV on and the 976 on at the same time.

Xenonman is correct. But, the only input on the 976 that is capable of HDMI-ARC is the TV input. You would just have to program the Harmony to switch the 976 to the TV input and have the HDMI-ARC choice selected in the 976 input settings menu.

I would think that the default setting for the 976 would be the HDMI/ARC port.

Yes,for the TV input.

hello. this discussion has brought me to a question. if i was to purchase a 976, i'd only plan on hooking a tv, samsung un60f8000, to it as i use the internal apps and an antenna. well, i have a chromecast too. for this set up i've been told not to use the hdmi arc ("professional installers never use arc", whatever that means) and to just use the digital audio out on the tv to something like the 976. so my question is: hdmi arc or digital audio out/toslink from tv to something like the 976? in case it might be helpful. i only have 3 large speakers (b&w 803's, htm 1), fronts and center and don't plan to expand beyond that for the time being. appreciate any thoughts. thank you.

In order to set up the 976, or even the 975, you do need an HDMI connection to the TV (Samsung), to view the setup menu, in order to set it up for three channel use and such. Why not take advantage of the HDMI-ARC to send the audio to the processor?

Definitely use the HDMI-ARC feature to connect your TV to the 976. It is true that professional installers from the 1990s would use the toslink or digital audio but the audio processing codecs are way beyond that now and HDMI will handle all of the signals. That way if any of the programs or apps on your TV are able to output discrete audio you would be all set. At least part of the techno advantage you are paying for is the HDMI-ARC feature so you might as well use it. As far as the Chromecast it connects to your system as a two channel source through a 3.5 mm jack. You would need an RCA splitter to connect to one of the 976 analog inputs.

Thank you Helson and XenonMan. I'm not sure why the advice I was given was for digital audio. I thought maybe since I have only three speakers it didn't matter whether hmdiarc or digital audio was used.

And to confirm... Is that two Hmdi cables one for set up and one for arc connections or can I get the job done with just one connection, if we are talking the 976? And, XenonMan, I'm not sure I get your chromecast info. My chromecast hooks into an hdmi port on my tv as well as a power plug to a power strip.

Just the single HDMI cable. It would need to be connected to HDMI out #1 for the ARC feature which would also be for the on screen display menu.
I think what Xenonman is talking about is 2-channel PCM from the Chromecast.

I was looking at the older model which just had the 3.5mm connector. How do you plan the connect it to your system, at the TV or with the 976 directly.

Should I wind up with a 976, I guess I would inquire here if anyone had suggestions what would be best, or if it even matters. Do you know if there would be a benefit connecting one way or another? It's not the latest chromecast, nor the chromecast audio. But as mentioned it has an hdmi connector. I don't use it often but on occasion will cast a movie to the tv.

Connecting it to the 976 would allow all the Dolby and DTS surround matrices to be used to change two channel to surround sound . I don't think a TV will do this for you but it may just pass the signal through the ARC to allow the 976 to come into play.

Once again, thank you Helson, thank you XenonMan.