HDMI Input Audio Format Bitstream Or PCM

HDMI Input Audio Format Bitstream Or PCM

When we select HDMI Input Audio, is it Bitstream or PCM? What do we have to choose? In our comprehensive analysis of the selection of PCM or Bitstream, we had many questions in the comments about what specifically applies to a Samsung TV and what is different in the selection for PCM or Bitstream than other devices.

Now, I think that we have to go further because this Bitstream or PCM whole thing on Samsung TV applies when you use the Samsung menu setting called HDMI Input Audio Format. It is a menu label, not a separate Samsung audio technology or patent. It controls the preferred format for audio arriving through HDMI; Digital Output Audio Format is a different setting for audio leaving the TV.

There is no universal “Bitstream for 2.1 and above” rule. Select PCM when the HDMI source sends decoded PCM, and select Bitstream when it sends an encoded Dolby or DTS stream that a compatible device will decode. Then configure Digital Output Audio Format separately for the TV-to-soundbar or receiver connection.

PCM or Bitstream For The Samsung TV Through The HDMI Input Audio Format

This only applies when you connect an external device to your Samsung TV through HDMI architecture that is handled by Samsung through HDMI Input Audio Format. Otherwise, this setting does not apply to you.

HDMIs are, nevertheless, very common, and here we have used them in reviews of PC monitors, cable and satellite boxes, and home theater receivers to name a few.

To configure the input audio for your Samsung TV, go to the TV’s Settings menu, then pick Sound, and finally select “Expert Settings” from the drop-down menu that appears. After this, click on the HDMI Input Audio Format option, and then simply choose either PCM or bitstream from the list of supported audio formats, as seen in the image below.

So which one to use? First, let´s see when to select PCM and then when to select Bitstream for the HDMI Input Audio Format setting.

PCM stands for Pulse-Code Modulation; “Bitstream” in this menu means an encoded audio stream. The correct choice must match the output selected on the HDMI source. If a player or console outputs Linear PCM, choose PCM. If it outputs Dolby or DTS for downstream decoding, choose Bitstream.

Do not infer the final speaker count from this input menu alone. The TV’s internal speakers and the separate Digital Output Audio Format setting determine what happens after the signal enters the TV, and the available menu choices vary by Samsung model.

The statement that this HDMI input choice always turns audio into 2.0 PCM is too broad. Samsung distinguishes HDMI Input Audio Format from Digital Output Audio Format, and compatible Samsung soundbars can receive multichannel PCM over HDMI eARC. ARC and optical commonly carry stereo PCM instead.

A 2.1 soundbar does not receive a special “2.1 PCM” stream simply because it has a subwoofer. Its speaker layout does not decide whether PCM or Bitstream is correct; the supported input formats and the TV-to-soundbar connection do.

Now let´s see when to select Bitstream for this HDMI Input Audio Format, right below:

Choose Bitstream when the HDMI source sends an encoded Dolby or DTS soundtrack and the TV or downstream sound system supports that format. Choose PCM when the source sends decoded PCM or when it is the compatible troubleshooting option.

Bitstream does not inherently reduce loudness or sound quality through the TV speakers. Any difference can come from decoding, downmixing, dialogue normalization or volume processing, so compare at matched volume rather than treating one label as higher quality.

In short, match the HDMI input setting to the source, then set the separate digital output for the soundbar or receiver. Use Auto or Pass-Through on supported Samsung models when you want the TV to send the highest mutually compatible format.