What HDMI-CEC Means On Your TV (And Why You Should Turn It On)

Most of us know all too well: the more devices we have, the more remotes we have to deal with. If you have a Fire TV Stick 4K, there's a remote for that. Then there's a remote for your soundbar or any speakers you have, and that's without mentioning the remote for your TV. Many people buy a universal remote in hopes of solving the problem, and while it gets the job done in many cases, it might not be the best choice for every home entertainment setup.

If most of the devices you use are HDMI compatible, there's an easier way. You can use a built-in feature called HDMI-CEC, short for HDMI Consumer Electronics Control, to control your devices with a single remote. You'll need to check your TV's settings to get started with HDMI-CEC, as it's often disabled by default. Once you've enabled HDMI-CEC, your devices will be able to communicate with your TV and with each other through its HDMI ports. That means you can do things like use your TV's remote control with your Xbox Series X/S when HDMI-CEC is enabled. For many consumers, the biggest benefit of HDMI-CEC is that it eliminates the need to keep up with multiple remotes from different devices.

HDMI-CEC works by using the communication capabilities that are built into the HDMI standard, making it possible for devices to send and receive control commands over the same HDMI connection used for audio and video. With HDMI-CEC, your devices can work together to handle everyday tasks. In practice, this looks like your TV turning on when you power on your gaming console or switching to the correct input when you start streaming, all without you having to go through your TV' menu to find the right HDMI input.

In a perfect world, HDMI-CEC would just work. In reality, it can sometimes be hit or miss when trying to use it across brands because manufacturers implement it differently. It also may not be immediately obvious if a device supports HDMI-CEC because different manufacturers refer to it by other names. If you're unsure of whether your device has HDMI-CEC or if it's listed under a brand-specific name, check the user manual or contact the manufacturer.

When it works correctly, HDMI-CEC can make your life easier, allowing you to use one remote to control all of your HDMI-compatible devices, and that's the biggest reason you should consider enabling it. If you later find it doesn't work for you, you can turn it off. There's a lot you can do with HDMI-CEC; for example, with the one-touch play feature, if you turn on your gaming console, your TV will automatically switch to the correct HDMI input. Similarly, your devices can turn each other off when you're not using them. So, if you power off your TV, you can set it up so your other devices turn off at the same time, limiting how much energy they consume.

There's also the remote control pass-through, which makes it possible to control multiple devices with just one remote, and device menu control, which lets you use your TV to control the settings menu on connected devices. With HDMI-CEC, you can also use your TV's remote to control a soundbar or speakers to do things like adjust the volume or mute the audio. It's hard to argue with all of the advantages that come with enabling HDMI-CEC, and that's why just about everyone who wants to simplify their home entertainment setup should consider enabling it.