And both of my devices claim to do the ARC thing. I'm inclined to believe them, I'm just doing something wrong.

Of course, the Sony manual is so poorly written that it makes me want to go kick people who work for Sony.

Voice Control on the iPhone 4, I don't use it. Yet it activates almost everytime I get up from a smoke on the patio. I'll be reading something on the phone, get ready to head inside and lock it, get up, click the button to illuminate my walk to the door, step up the stoop, and boom, it's calling somebody at midnight as I frantically try to shut it down. Can I deactivate this function completely? And any clues as to why it does this in total silence?

Instead of TiVo →TV →Receiver, can't you go TiVo → Receiver →TV?

I don't have a Tivo, either. All I have is SmartTV and receiver. What I'm trying to get working is:

SmartTV ← → Receiver with a single cable. I can do it with two cables (HDMI & optical), but I'd like to (and should be able to) do it with a single HDMI cable.

Right. Like I said, I KNOW they're *supposed* to work with just HDMI, but it doesn't. I guess I don't understand why using two cords if if works is a problem.

I guess I don't understand why using two cords if if works is a problem.

My HDMI cable is 10' long, while my optical cable is only 3' long. This considerably limits my choices of placement.

ETA: This is WAAAAAY WAAAAAAY up there on the list of First World Problems, I know. Believe, I'm really not shedding a lot of tears or losing any sleep over it. I just want to kick people who work for Sony. And possibly Vizio (their onboard manual just says, "I'm ARC ready, if your receiver is ARC capable, just plug us together with an HDMI cable we'll work!)

A (small) part of what was appealing about the new equipment was the possibility to place things in more convenient and aesthetically pleasing arrangements. Unless I go out and buy a new cable, I don't have that option currently.

Have you RTFM'd? Maybe there is a setting. A button you need to push. Like "monitor" or only plug into HDMI #2 or something wacky.

Have you RTFM'd? Maybe there is a setting. A button you need to push. Like "monitor" or only plug into HDMI #2 or something wacky.

Did you RMFPs? Because I mention that. Neither manual is particularly helpful, Sony's significantly less so than Vizio's. But to the extent that either manual says I need to do things to make it work, I have done that. The input/output that has the ARC is clearly labelled on both devices, and that is the I/O I'm using. I've dug through the various device menus the hard way to no avail. Even the HDMI cable is brand spanking new, and supposedly carries ethernet as well (not that I'm running ethernet over the cable).

Sean, try changing the digital output to "bitstream" or Dolby Digital on your TV and see if that somehow makes a difference. Also try turning on CEC in the settings section of your TV.