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OREI HDA-929 Troubleshooting Guide

Dhiraj
Updated

1. Product Overview 

The OREI HDA-929 is an HDMI ARC/eARC Audio Extractor designed to extract high-quality audio from HDMI sources while passing video to a TV or projector. It supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, Dolby Digital, DTS, PCM, and other common audio formats. It can be used with soundbars, AV receivers, amplifiers, TVs, and projectors. 

This guide covers the most common issues, their possible causes, and the recommended troubleshooting steps. 

2. Before You Begin (Quick Checks) 

Complete these quick checks before starting detailed troubleshooting. They can resolve many common issues. 

  • Confirm that the Power LED is ON. 
  • Verify that all HDMI cables are securely connected. 
  • Use high-quality HDMI cables. 
  • Power cycle all connected devices. 
  • Confirm that the TV, soundbar, AVR, or amplifier has the required standard HDMI or ARC/eARC connection. 
  • Whenever possible, test the source directly with the TV and/or audio device. 

3. Common Troubleshooting 

A. No Audio / No Sound / Soundbar Not Working 

Covers: 

  • No audio 
  • No sound from the soundbar 
  • No HDMI audio 
  • No audio from the AVR 
  • Video works, but there is no audio 
  • Audio extractor is not working 
  • Audio works only when ARC/eARC is OFF 
  • No signal is delivered to the AVR 
  • No sound from a Sonos soundbar 
  • No sound from a Bose soundbar 
  • No sound from a Sony soundbar 
  • No sound from an older soundbar 
  • No audio with Apple TV 
  • No audio with Fire TV Stick 
  • No audio with Roku 
  • Soundbar output is not working 

Possible Causes 

  • Damaged or low-quality HDMI cable 
  • HDMI cables are too long. For 4K@120Hz, we recommend HDMI 2.1 cables under 15 feet. 
  • The selected audio format is not supported by the connected audio device. 
  • A compatibility issue may exist between the source device and the audio device. 

Troubleshooting Steps 

  • If your TV does not support ARC/eARC, or you do not want to use the TV's ARC/eARC function, make sure the eARC LED on the front of the HDA-929 is OFF. 
  • When extracting audio from an ARC/eARC TV, press the eARC button on the front of the HDA-929 and confirm that the eARC LED is ON. 
  • If the issue occurs with a specific source device, such as an Apple TV, Fire TV Stick, or Roku, change the audio settings on that source device as a test. 
  • Connect the Soundbar ARC/eARC port on the HDA-929 to the ARC/eARC port on the soundbar, AVR, or amplifier. 
  • For an AVR or amplifier using a standard HDMI input, connect that HDMI input to the AMP Audio Only port on the HDA-929. 
  • If two audio devices are connected at the same time, such as an AVR and a soundbar, set the source device or ARC/eARC TV to an audio format supported by both devices. 
  • Test the HDA-929 with a different source device connected to the input. 

If the issue continues 

Go to Section 5: Before Contacting Support. 

B. Dolby Atmos / Audio Format Issues 

Covers: 

  • Dolby Atmos is not available 
  • Dolby Atmos is missing 
  • Dolby Digital 5.1 is not detected 
  • Only Stereo PCM is available 
  • Only PCM 2.0 is available 
  • DTS is not working 
  • The detected audio format is incorrect 
  • Windows only outputs Stereo 
  • Apple TV only shows Dolby Digital 
  • Fire TV Cube does not detect Dolby Atmos 

Possible Causes 

  • The audio device does not support Dolby Atmos. 
  • The audio device does not support ARC/eARC. 
  • The ARC TV does not support Dolby Atmos or the selected Dolby audio format. 
  • The eARC LED on the front is ON when ARC/eARC is not being used. 

Troubleshooting Steps 

  • Turn OFF the eARC LED on the front of the HDA-929, and then power cycle all connected devices. 
  • If the ARC TV or projector is being used as the audio source, the available audio format is limited to the highest format supported by that TV or projector. 
  • When using a PC or laptop as the source device, confirm that it supports Dolby audio output and that the Dolby Access app is installed. 
  • Set the source device to an audio format supported by the connected soundbar, AVR, or amplifier. If no higher audio format is available, test with a different source device. 

Audio Format Compatibility Notes 

If the soundbar or AVR does not support Dolby Atmos or another audio format, it will not support that format through the HDA-929. The HDA-929 cannot enhance the audio quality or add support for an audio format that the connected device does not support. 

If you have an ARC TV, audio is limited to Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. ARC does not support higher-bandwidth formats such as Dolby TrueHD or Dolby Digital Plus (DD+). This is a limitation of ARC technology. For 7.1-channel surround sound and Dolby Atmos, an eARC TV is required. 

C. ARC / eARC Issues 

Covers: 

  • Audio disappears when eARC is enabled 
  • ARC mode ON results in no sound 
  • Audio works when ARC mode is OFF 
  • eARC handshake fails 
  • Unexpected eARC LED behavior 
  • The TV does not support eARC 
  • ARC configuration problems 
  • Audio works only after reconnecting the HDMI cable 
  • Unstable eARC operation 

Possible Causes 

  • The TV does not support ARC/eARC. 
  • The HDMI cable is connected to the wrong port on the TV. 
  • The HDMI cable is low quality or not certified. 
  • A hardware or firmware issue may be present, although this is unlikely. 

Troubleshooting Steps 

  • When using a TV that does not support ARC/eARC, press the eARC button to turn the eARC LED OFF. This allows the HDA-929 to extract audio directly from the connected source device. 
  • If eARC is enabled but no audio is heard through the soundbar, confirm that the HDMI cable is connected to the ARC/eARC port on the TV. 
  • Confirm that ARC/eARC is enabled in the TV settings. 
  • If the eARC LED is stable but there is still no audio, change the TV audio format to Dolby Digital or PCM/Stereo. 
  • If audio works only after reconnecting the HDMI cable or rebooting the device, connect the TV and soundbar or AVR directly to confirm that they work correctly without the HDA-929. 
  • If the TV does not support eARC and a separate source device is connected for audio extraction, make sure the eARC LED on the front of the HDA-929 is OFF. 
  • Use Ultra High Speed Certified HDMI 2.1 cables. 

If the issue continues 

Go to Section 5: Before Contacting Support. 

D. No Video / No Signal 

Covers: 

  • No signal 
  • No picture 
  • The HDMI input LED does not light up 
  • The projector displays No Signal 
  • Video works when the HDA-929 is bypassed 
  • The TV loses the HDMI signal 
  • 4K passthrough is not working 
  • The setup is not detected 

Possible Causes 

  • The TV does not support ARC/eARC. 
  • The HDMI cable is connected to the wrong port on the TV. 
  • The HDMI cable is low quality or not certified. 
  • A cable is connected to the wrong port on the HDA-929. 

Troubleshooting Steps 

  • When using an ARC/eARC TV as the audio source, connect the TV to the TV (ARC/eARC) port on the HDA-929, not the HDMI Source IN port. Connecting the TV to the wrong port is a common cause of the HDMI IN LED blinking or remaining OFF. 
  • Lower the output resolution in the source device or TV settings. 
  • If 4K passthrough is not working, connect the source device directly to the TV or projector and confirm that 4K works through a direct connection. 
  • Test the setup with a different source device. 
  • Replace the HDMI cables. For best performance, use Ultra High Speed Certified HDMI 2.1 cables. 

E. Audio or Video Drops / Intermittent Problems 

Covers: 

  • Audio stops randomly 
  • Audio works after a reboot and then stops 
  • Video drops briefly 
  • Audio and video both drop 
  • The screen goes blank intermittently 
  • The HDMI handshake keeps resetting 
  • The signal cycles continuously 
  • Random instability 
  • The unit repeatedly shows No Connection 

Possible Causes 

  • The HDMI cable is connected to the wrong port on the TV. 
  • The HDMI cable is low quality or not certified. 
  • A compatibility issue may exist between the source device, TV, soundbar, or AVR. 

Troubleshooting Steps 

  • Replace the HDMI cables. Damaged, low-quality, or unsuitable cables are a common cause of audio and video dropouts. 
  • Change the video resolution in the source device or TV settings. 
  • For audio dropouts, change the audio format in the source device or TV settings. 
  • If audio is being extracted from a source device, make sure the eARC LED is OFF. If a non-ARC TV is connected while the eARC LED is ON, the LED may blink and cause unstable behavior. 
  • Test with a different source device. If the second source works normally, the original source device may have a compatibility issue. 
  • Connect the source device or soundbar directly to the TV or projector and check whether the dropouts still occur. 

F. Device Stops Working 

Covers: 

  • The device stopped working 
  • The device previously worked correctly 
  • The LEDs no longer illuminate 
  • Audio stopped working after several weeks or months 
  • The device suddenly stopped passing audio 

Possible Causes 

  • Power failure 
  • A firmware or hardware issue, although this is less likely 
  • HDMI cables are too long 

Troubleshooting Steps 

  • Replace the HDMI cables. HDMI cables under 30 feet are recommended. Longer cables may work at first but can later cause the device to stop working or become unstable. 
  • Change the audio format in the source device or TV settings. 
  • Connect the power adapter to a different wall outlet to rule out a power issue. If possible, test with a compatible replacement power adapter. 
  • Disconnect all cables and power from the HDA-929. Allow the unit to rest for a short period, reconnect everything, and turn it back on. 
  • Install a firmware update if one is available. 

G. Low Audio Volume 

Covers: 

  • Audio volume is much lower than before 
  • Reduced gain 
  • Sound level has decreased significantly 

Possible Causes 

  • Low-quality or damaged HDMI cable 
  • Incorrect audio format selected on the source device or TV 
  • EQ or other sound-processing settings enabled on the source device or TV 

Troubleshooting Steps 

  • Replace the HDMI cables. 
  • Change the audio format on the source device or ARC/eARC TV. 
  • Disable special audio settings on the source device or ARC/eARC TV, such as Cinema Mode, Sports Mode, Music Mode, or other sound-processing modes. 
  • Connect the source device or TV directly to the soundbar or AVR and check whether the volume is normal through a direct connection. 

4. Recommended Installation Practices 

  • Use Ultra High Speed Certified HDMI 2.1 cables. 
  • Connect an ARC/eARC soundbar or AVR only to the dedicated Soundbar ARC/eARC port. 
  • Connect the TV to the dedicated TV (ARC/eARC) port, whether or not the TV supports ARC/eARC. 
  • For a soundbar or AVR using a standard HDMI input, connect that input to the Audio Only (OUT 2) port. This is a standard HDMI audio output and should not be connected to an ARC/eARC-only input. 
  • Turn the ARC/eARC LED OFF when using a TV that does not support ARC/eARC, or when you do not want to use the TV's ARC function. 
  • Turn the ARC/eARC LED ON when using a TV that supports ARC/eARC and you want to play audio from the TV. 
  • Keep HDMI cables as short as possible. 
  • Use audio and video formats supported by all connected devices. 

5. Before Contacting Support 

If the issue continues, contact our support team at info@orei.com. Before contacting support, please have the following information ready: 

  • Product model 
  • Issue description 
  • Order number or invoice 
  • A description or photo showing how all devices are connected 
  • Source device model 
  • TV model 
  • Soundbar or AVR model 
  • HDMI cable lengths 
  • Audio format being used 
  • Troubleshooting steps already attempted 

Having this information ready will help our support team diagnose and resolve your issue more quickly. 

 

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