You might be wondering if your TV has CEC capability. It’s not too tricky to figure out, but you will need to know what exactly CEC stands for to find the answer yourself.
CEC is an acronym for Consumer Electronics Control, and it allows compatible TVs or other electronics with HDMI ports to send remote commands over a single cable. So, does my tv have CEC? Read on to find out.
What Is CEC?
CEC is an acronym for Consumer Electronics Control. This allows HDMI-connected devices, such as a television and Blu-ray player, to communicate with each other.
CEC is an extension of the HDMI protocol that allows for one or more devices to be controlled by another device on the same remote control unit – so you can turn your TV on and off automatically when switching between watching something from different sources, for example.
It also allows for one device to control another in a daisy-chain configuration. CEC is usually enabled by default on most devices, so it should work without further setup when connecting the two. In some cases, it might have been turned off by default, and you’ll need to go into your television’s settings menu to switch this on.
CEC is a great way to make your home entertainment system more efficient and convenient. You can also use it with other AV devices, such as audio receivers – although this might require an additional setup depending on the exact model you’re using.
Does My Tv Have CEC?
If you’re not sure whether your TV supports CEC, the best thing to do is simply give it a try. The easiest way is with an HDMI cable. Plug one end of the cable into your TV and plug another end into any device that sends out video content over HDMI (such as a Blu-ray player or set-top box).
CEC is enabled and working if you can control the device with your TV’s remote (i.e., turn it on and off, change inputs or channels). If not, your TV does not support CEC. Another way you can tell whether your TV has CEC is by checking which brand of TV you have.
Different brands call CEC other branded names as follows:
- AOC – E-link
- Insignia – INlink
- LG – SimpLink
- Mitsubishi – NetCommand
- Onkyo – RIHD
- Panasonic – VIERA Link, HDAVI Control or EZ-Sync
- Pioneer – Kuro Link
- Runco International – RuncoLink
- Samsung – Anynet+
- Sharp – Aquos Link
- Sony – BRAVIA Link or BRAVIA Sync
- Toshiba – Regza Link or CE-Link
- Vizio – CEC
How To Enable CEC On Your TV
You can find this option in the menu, options, or settings of your television. To find the option, just use your TV remote to navigate to the settings menu. You might also try searching for “Enable HDMI-CEC” in your TV’s instruction manual or doing a web search for your TV’s model and “Enable HDMI-CEC.”
The option is found under menu> System > CEC on a Vizio TV. This is simple to locate and understand, though it is deactivated by default. Other devices do not have any HDMI-CEC enabled by default, so you’ll want to double-check the settings on each one.
How To Enable CEC On Other Devices Apart From The Television Itself:
Chromecast:
This is simple to locate and understand, though it is deactivated by default. Other devices do not have any HDMI-CEC enabled by default, so you’ll want to double-check the settings on each one. The Chromecast, for example, has CEC enabled by default which means “simply works” as long as your TV supports this feature.
Xbox One:
Go to Settings > System and find the menu that allows you to change the “TV & OneGuide” settings. There should be an option for enabling CEC on your Xbox One under ‘External Control within this menu.’ This is simple enough! Once enabled, just use any remote with HDMI-CEC support (like a TV remote) to control your Xbox One from across the room.
Roku:
All Roku devices should have HDMI-CEC enabled by default, but if you want to find out for sure, go into Settings > System on your Roku device and look for an option called “Enable CEC.” This will be found under ‘System’ within the ‘Advanced’ category.
Apple TV:
All Apple TVs should have CEC enabled by default, but if you want to find out for sure about your specific device. Go into Settings > Remotes and Devices and look toward the bottom of this menu where it says “Learning Remote,” then switches back to reading “Remote” after a moment. If the “Remote” option switches back after a second, the Apple TV does not support CEC. However, if it says “Learning Remote,” this means that your device is ready to be controlled by any remote with HDMI-CEC support.
There are other devices out there like blu-ray players and game consoles which you can check for a setting called HDMI-CEC or something similar. They usually have the option to enable it under a settings menu somewhere, so you’ll want to poke around within each device’s respective menus for this feature.
How Does CEC Work?
In a nutshell, it allows devices to communicate with each other wirelessly through an HDMI cable. This means that you won’t need as many wires or remotes for your devices because everything can be controlled from one source (such as the television itself!) This is done wirelessly because HDMI-CEC is a form of infra-red that uses pulses that are transmitted through an infrared LED built into the device.
This means that you’ll need to have a line of sight with your devices for this to work, but it also makes hardware setups easier than ever before! All you would need is another HDMI cable to connect the device to its next destination, and it would be ready to go. Let’s say you have a television with CEC support. You want your Chromecast hooked up so that you can stream Netflix shows through your TV rather than another device.
All you’d need is an HDMI cable running from the back of your TV right into the Chromecast. Once it’s set up, you can simply turn on your TV and control the Chromecast with any remote having HDMI-CEC support! There are many benefits to this type of technology which is why most televisions have chosen to implement it into their devices.
The main benefit is convenience for users since they won’t need extra cables or remotes to run their devices. This is especially helpful for televisions since most people use multiple devices with theirs at this point.
All that you would need is one remote, and your television itself could control everything. If you want the Chromecast on but don’t feel like getting up from your couch, no problem! You can simply use your television’s remote control to turn on the Chromecast and begin streaming with CEC. CEC is also beneficial for hardware manufacturers because they don’t need as many ports or cables running into their devices.
Features Of CEC
HDMI-CEC is an exciting feature that allows you to control your TV from another device. A great example of this would be if you had an Xbox One and wanted to use the remote instead of a controller for navigation but still want to play a Blu-ray movie on the console. With HDMI-CEC, you would be able to turn the Xbox One on from your TV remote and control it without a problem.
Another feature of HDMI-CEC is using a single remote for all devices connected via HDMI cables. So if you have an older DVD player or cable box that doesn’t have any other form of controlling it besides the remote, you can use HDMI-CEC to control that device from the remote for your TV.
HDMI-CEC also allows multiple devices to communicate with each other wirelessly through a single HDMI cable, which makes it very easy to set up systems in home theatres or even just have one. If you have an older DVD player and want to add a Blu-ray player in the future, all you would need is another HDMI cable and not even have to worry about getting new remotes for either device.
What Are The Disadvantages Of CEC?
The disadvantages of CEC are related to the fact that it is a proprietary technology. It limits maximum screen size, maximum frame rate per second and does not allow for local dimming.
All devices do not support CEC, and there are significant differences in its operation between manufacturers and devices.
It can pose issues with multi-screen distribution systems that use AV splitters or matrices since shutting off one screen can also turn off another on the system. However, turning off CEC in the device settings is a straightforward solution.
Conclusion
CEC is a great feature to use with your TV. It will allow you to control multiple devices through one remote and make it easier for future upgrades when adding new hardware into the mix (such as Blu-ray players or consoles).
If you’re not sure if your TV supports CEC, all you need to do is connect an HDMI cable from your TV to another device that can output videos, such as a Blu-ray player or console. If you can control the other device with your television’s remote, then CEC is enabled and working.
