Hi everyone,
I am an audiophile noob and I am looking to upgrade my TV stereo setup. I have done some research and my situation and thoughts are below.
**Now:**I rent and my landlord left a 55-inch LED TV that only comes with 2.0 HDMI and one Coaxial input. I know all my troubles would be solved if I get a better TV but that's not a preferable option as I do not want to move a TV around when I move in the future.
I bought an S800B yesterday hoping to connect an external device -> TV -> WiFi -> S800B. I found out today this does not work as the LED TV does not have a WiFi card. Therefore I am out of luck and tested Bluetooth for a day. There's a slight delay and the sound just isn't as good as I heard it at the store I bought the S800 for $400. I am going to return this tomorrow and I am looking at a Q700C or Q800B both with HDMI IN.
What I researched and planned: I only plan to watch via streaming services like Disney+ so Dolby Digital+ Atmos is what I'd like to achieve. I don't own an external device right now but I plan to purchase an Apple TV 4K. The general idea is to return the Samsung S800B and purchase a Q700C. I do not plan to buy rear speakers right now, but may add this in the future.
Plan A: Connect Apple TV 4K -> ARC HDMI -> Q700C -> HDMI 2.0 -> LED TV. (External device -> soundbar -> TV)
Question 1: If LED TV does not support ARC, does playthrough via soundbar work? There are no settings on the LED TV regarding the audio input channel. I cannot select anything regarding which audio input.
Plan B: Connect Apple TV 4K -> HDMI 2.0 -> LED TV -> Coaxial to optical cable transfer -> connect optical of Q700C. (External device -> TV -> soundbar)
Question 2: With some research, I believe Optical can carry Dolby 5.1 sound but not Dolby Digital Plus. Will this work? Is Dolby 5.1 fine to enjoy some movies?
TDLR: I rent and I do not wish to buy a new TV and continue using landlord's TV. LED TV does not have eARC/ARC and only coaxial. Is plan A or plan B a better choice? Or maybe a plan C! Thank you thank you very much. My wife is going nuts over how I purchased something without thinking ahead about the WiFi card.
Thank you for reading and for all your feedback.