Your TV can connect to half a dozen different devices — a soundbar, streaming stick, external drive, AV receiver, gaming console and even a PC. You probably have a few of these devices hooked up right now, and there’s a good chance at least one is plugged into the wrong port.
I don’t blame you. Most TVs don’t make this easy. They might have multiple HDMI and USB ports, but not all of them are ever the same. One HDMI can carry ARC, another might only be capable of 4K at 120Hz, and a USB port that looks normal could be locked to firmware updates only. All of this means it’s up to you to pick the right port for every device you connect to your TV.
Soundbar
eARC or bust
This is one of the most common mix-ups I see. If your TV has an HDMI port labeled eARC or ARC, that’s where your soundbar cable should go and not anywhere else.
The reason is simple. Normally, HDMI sends video and audio only in one direction, from source to display. But ARC and its newer sibling eARC also let audio travel the other way, from the TV to a soundbar over the same HDMI cable. That means you don’t need to run a separate cable to divert sound from your TV to the soundbar.
Another benefit is that you can use your TV’s remote to control the soundbar through HDMI-CEC. Of course, this requires the soundbar to support the HDMI-CEC feature, and it should be enabled on your TV too.
Gaming console and PC
Stop capping your games at 60Hz
Your PS5 or Xbox can output 4K at 120fps, but that’s only true if you connect it to the right HDMI port. Most TVs have four HDMI ports, but not all of them are built the same. Usually, just one or two support the full HDMI 2.1 bandwidth that’s needed for 4K at 120Hz. The rest are typically HDMI 2.0 ports, which can do 4K but only at 60Hz.
Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) is another thing that requires HDMI 2.1. It basically lets your TV’s display refresh rate sync with what your console is putting out in real time. If you’re using your TV as a monitor for your gaming PC, the same logic applies here too. You need to stick to the HDMI 2.1 port to get the full experience.
Streaming stick
Save your HDMI 2.1 ports
Unlike your gaming devices, your Fire TV Stick or Chromecast doesn’t need much from the port it’s plugged into, so it’s wasted on an HDMI 2.1 port. The other HDMI 2.0 ports on your TV can handle those, and they still support 4K at 60Hz with HDR.
Even when picking that HDMI 2.0 port, go for the one that’s closest to a USB port so you can power the stick directly from the TV. Of course, you need to ensure that the USB port is capable of delivering enough power to the stick. That last part is important because not every USB port on your TV might not have the same output. If you run it off a weak port, it might fail to turn on or even stutter when streaming.
External drive
Your TV can handle them if you plug them right
If you’ve ever plugged in a USB drive to your TV, and it failed to show up, the port might be the issue. Much like HDMI, not every USB port on a TV is the same. Some are only for installing firmware updates or diagnostics, and these are usually labeled “Service Only.”
TVs that support USB playback or recording usually label the right port with “USB (HDD)” or “USB (Media)” marking. This matters even more if you’re using the USB drive to record something, since that feature is usually only tied to a specific port.
Power draw is another thing to watch. External hard drives pull more power than a USB stick, and if your TV’s USB port can’t supply that, the drive won’t be detected at all. This isn’t an issue if your external drive can be powered separately, though.
AV receiver
The old-school port that refuses to die
Older AV receivers throw people off because the usual instinct is to reach for HDMI, the same way you’d hook up a soundbar. But that’s not the right move if the receiver is old and doesn’t support HDMI ARC.
A lot of AV receivers, especially older or budget models, are built for basic 5.1 setups. You don’t need to force those through an HDMI connection. The optical (TOSLINK) port on your TV can work just fine. This also frees up the HDMI ARC/eARC port for something that actually needs it.