Streaming Passthrough

Explanation

Streaming passthrough refers to an AV receiver, soundbar, or switch sending an audio or video signal through to its final destination (the TV or speakers) without decoding, processing, or altering it. HDMI passthrough is the most common form — an AV receiver accepts HDMI input from a streaming device and passes the video signal to the TV while routing the audio to its own speakers. Audio passthrough occurs when a device forwards a compressed audio bitstream (Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Atmos) to a downstream decoder (AV receiver or soundbar) rather than decoding it internally. For streaming, passthrough matters when using a streaming stick connected through an AV receiver: the receiver must support HDMI passthrough at the source's output resolution (4K HDR, Dolby Vision) or the video quality will be downgraded. Modern AV receivers support 4K/120Hz and Dolby Vision passthrough; older receivers may cap at 1080p or HDR10 only.