The VRROOM was added recently to solve lossy S95F eARC audio. It broke video on every source — the documented "black screen on format switch" pattern from a chain that demands QMS support throughout (which VRROOM doesn't have). Removing the VRROOM and routing audio natively through the Denon's HDMI input gets you the same lossless audio without the video problem.
Video works on every source through the documented Sources → Sync Box → Denon → S95F topology (PracticalHomeKit-confirmed working).
Lossless Atmos / TrueHD / DTS-HD MA preserved — Denon decodes the original bitstream natively. No eARC on this path.
One-tap wake-up for the whole chain on Apple TV remote press or Switch 2 dock, via CEC One Touch Play.
What changes — visualized
Now (broken video)
VRROOM splits video + audio. Video to TV via Sync Box is fragile — handshake collapses on format change.
Target (everything works)
One linear chain. Denon decodes audio first (lossless), then sends video to TV. Hue sync preserved.
Will the UX feel right?
Tap Siri Remote → everything wakes?
Yes. CEC One Touch Play. Apple TV "Control TVs and Receivers" ON + "Sleep After" Never. Apple TV runs idle around three watts; small cost for one-tap wake.
Switch dock → everything wakes?
Yes. Match TV Power State ON. Sync Box passes CEC power-on through Denon → S95F. Cascade-mitigation settings (below) prevent the prior random-power-off.
Lossless Atmos preserved?
Yes — better than before. Denon receives the original bitstream on HDMI input. No eARC, no S95F transcoding.
S95F native-app audio?
Lost. ARC return is broken in this topology (documented Bug B4). Use Apple TV's Netflix / Disney+ apps instead of S95F native apps.
The citation that backs this:"A confirmed-working Sources → Sync Box → AVR → TV implementation exists with correct CEC settings" — setup.md:16 citing PracticalHomeKit blog. The settings sequence below comes from your existing research, not pattern-matching.
Phase 1 — Cable plan
Phase 1
Cable plan
about fifteen minutes · before any settings change
Every cable in the new video path must be HDMI Forum Ultra High Speed certified (the official label, not just "HDMI 2.1" branding). Uncertified "HDMI 2.1" cables routinely fail at 48 Gbps. Use sub-ten-foot passive copper.
From
To
Spec
Strato V HDMI out
Sync Box HDMI input one
UHS 48 Gbps
Apple TV 4K HDMI out
Sync Box HDMI input two
UHS 48 Gbps
PS5 Pro HDMI out
Sync Box HDMI input three
UHS 48 Gbps
Switch 2 dock HDMI out
Sync Box HDMI input four
UHS 48 Gbps
Sync Box HDMI out
Denon HDMI input (label "SyncBox")
UHS · highest-bandwidth leg
Denon HDMI Main Out one
S95F One Connect HDMI one
UHS 48 Gbps
S95F One Connect HDMI four (eARC)
Denon eARC input
Optional · only if you want S95F native-app audio (will be lossy)
Phase 2 — Per-device settings
Phase 2
Per-device settings
about twenty minutes · tap a device to expand its checklist
Denon AVR-X3800H · the CEC anchor
The Denon now sits in the middle of the CEC chain. Setting HDMI Control = Power On only (not Auto Source Switching) gives you the one-tap-wake behavior while preventing the cascade chaos that drove the prior CEC bugs.
Hue Sync Box 8K · firmware + power + HDMI compat
Three settings resolve nearly every documented Sync Box failure. The "Enhanced HDMI Compatibility" toggle lives in the Philips Sync app, not the main Hue app.
Samsung S95F · port labels + HDR acceptance
S95F has a few documented landmines: the "PC" label suppresses HDR, "Anynet+ Off" kills CEC, and "Input Signal Plus" must be On to accept high-bandwidth HDMI.
Apple TV 4K · one-tap wake recipe
Path B from home_theater_v2_20260510.md R4: keep CEC ON, never sleep. This is the setting combo that gives Tom the "tap Siri Remote → everything wakes" behavior at the cost of a few watts idle.
Switch 2 · dock-to-wake recipe
Match TV Power State = ON is the setting that gives you dock-to-wake. It's also the setting that previously caused random power-offs — but with the Denon HDMI Control set to "Power On only" (above), the cascade path that triggered those offs is broken upstream.
Kaleidescape Strato V · simple HDR10 output
Without the VRROOM doing LLDV-to-HDR10 conversion, just force Strato V to output HDR10 directly. The S95F accepts HDR10 cleanly. You lose dynamic per-scene metadata but keep working video — and on a non-DV display you wouldn't see the dynamic-metadata benefit anyway.
PS5 Pro · CEC + game settings
PS5 Pro CEC One Touch Play works out of the box. Bitstream audio + Auto RGB is the right combo for the Denon-in-chain topology.
Phase 3 — Verification
Phase 3
Smoke tests
about ten minutes · run each test, confirm before moving on
Cold boot — everything wakes together
Plug Sync Box, Denon, S95F all into power simultaneously. Wait sixty seconds.
S95F powers on automatically (CEC One Touch Play from Sync Box), Denon front display shows the Sync Box input source.
Apple TV one-tap wake
From idle (TV off, Denon off), tap any button on the Siri Remote.
S95F powers on, Denon powers on + switches to Sync Box input, Apple TV interface appears within about five seconds. Siri Remote volume adjusts the Denon.
Switch 2 dock wake
From idle, dock the Switch 2.
S95F powers on, Denon switches input, Switch 2 home screen appears.
Strato V menu transition (the prior failure mode)
Wake Strato V, watch the splash → Library menu transition.
Menu displays HDR10 picture. No black screen. If this passes, the migration succeeded.
Apple TV format switch
Play a twenty-four-fps title on Apple TV. Match Frame Rate triggers a refresh-rate change from sixty hertz down to twenty-four.
Brief HDCP renegotiation, then continuous playback. No persistent black.
Atmos audio verification
Play an Atmos-encoded title (Apple TV, Strato V, or PS5).
Denon front display shows Dolby Atmos (or TrueHD Atmos). NOT 2.0 L-PCM.
Half-hour idle soak
Leave the system on with Apple TV idle for a long break.
No spontaneous power-offs. Sync Box LED solid. Switch 2 (if docked) still responsive.
Troubleshooting
Switch 2 randomly powers off mid-session
Cause: Sync Box EDID event → S95F standby → Switch CEC obey cascade. Mitigation: verify Denon HDMI Control = Power On only (NOT auto source switching), and Apple TV Sleep After = Never. If still failing, set Switch 2 Match TV Power State = OFF — you lose dock-to-wake on Switch but keep stability.
Audio drops to 2.0 L-PCM on Atmos content
Cause: Denon HDMI Format on Sync Box input set to Standard (not Enhanced). Fix: Setup → Video → HDMI Format Setting → [Sync Box input] → 8K Enhanced. Power-cycle Denon.
Black screen on first format change (the prior bug)
Cause: if this recurs after migration, the most likely candidate is a non-UHS HDMI cable on Sync Box → Denon or Denon → S95F. Fix: swap the suspect cable for a known-good HDMI Forum Ultra High Speed certified cable. Test individually to isolate.
Siri Remote volume doesn't control Denon
Cause: Apple TV CEC re-pairing needed after rack changes. Fix: Apple TV → Settings → Remotes and Devices → Volume Control → set explicitly to HDMI (not Auto). If still not working, "Learn New Device" + point Siri Remote at the Denon.
S95F native app (Netflix on TV) has no audio
Expected — Bug B4. ARC return is broken in Sources → Sync Box → AVR → TV topology. Fix: use Apple TV's Netflix app instead. You'll get full Atmos via the new chain instead of the lossy eARC return.
Hue Sync stops responding
Fix: documented restart sequence — power off source via remote, power-cycle Sync Box via Hue Sync app (Settings → Restart), power-cycle TV (full off, not standby), power on TV → Sync Box → source in that order. If Apple TV, use Settings → System → Restart, not remote power off.
Honest calibration note: the research strongly supports this working, but no single end-to-end user report nails the exact UX (universal one-tap wake + Switch dock + zero random offs) all at once. We're inferring from a confirmed-working topology + each UX component being documented separately. If something subtle surfaces, troubleshoot from a working-video baseline — far better debug position than what you had this morning.
Sources
PracticalHomeKit blog (working Sources → Sync Box → AVR → TV setup) — cited in setup.md:16