TV & Soundbar Audio Sync Issues

BritishBean

Just trying my luck to see if any of you chaps can help please. I’ve been reading various articles online offering different advice but I am still struggling and it’s infuriating.

Before I go any further I have a fairly simple setup in the lounge. TV, Sky Q and a soundbar. Both Sky and the soundbar are connected to the TV via their own individual HDMI cables.

My existing TV (Samsung RU7470) and the soundbar has worked perfectly fine with Sky Q, however, I’ve just bought a new TV (Sony XH9005) and the problem has started.

The audio is no longer properly synced with the picture on the TV. The audio timing is behind the picture, and as the soundbar and Sky Q box only have settings that allow you to delay audio further ((not bring forwards) I can’t fix it this way.

Plenty of articles talk about making sure using Hispeed HDMI into the eARC port (which I am), change TV settings so that audio is sent to soundbar in its compressed format (so the TV doesn’t do any audio processing) which I’ve also tried but where I might get things lined up for Sky Q, I then find the smart apps on the TV suffer instead (I.e. Netflix).

TV new TV has an AV Sync setting which you can turn on which again seems to work for Sky to a degree, although I’d argue it struggles to keep in sync with fast moving lips, but again something like Apple TV will be out of sync still.

Ive also tried using the HDMI in on the soundbar for sky and letting ARC/eARC take the video up to TV but doesn’t seem to make much difference.

I have tried optical but I’d like to stick to HDMI if possible for the Atmos features.

DrDamn

BritishBean I have tried optical but I’d like to stick to HDMI if possible for the Atmos features.

Is this something you’ve just turned on with the TV update or has it always been on?

I never managed to get Atmos from the X1 working well via ARC. Always a noticeable delay. Only by putting the Xbox into the sound bar and on to the TV would it work, but then I’d lose the HDMI 2.1 features.

BritishBean

DrDamn the soundbar is new hence trying to keep access to Atmos for Netflix etc but the issue was there when I swapped tv and was using the old soundbar too.

It is frustrating how they advertise Atmos etc but in reality it’s unlikely you’ll be able to use it because of audio sync.

Deej

I had this with my previous tv, which was a Sony. Trying to remember what I did to fix it.

Have you tried changing to sound format to PCM in the TV just to see if that syncs it? Sounds like you might have already tried, you mentioned compressed sound, but just in case you haven’t that’s my only suggestion.

I don’t have an Atmos sound system unfortunately.

edit: Is there an eArc mode setting on the tv? I’ve seen suggestions that needs to be set to auto if there is.

BritishBean

Deej I think I’ve tried it all now tbh. eARC has been on auto and off as I try different things. The frustrating thing is Sony’s own setup guide for the soundbar for my setup is: Sky to soundbar via HDMI in, soundbar to TV via HDMI arc/eARC. With it being Sony for both TV and soundbar you’d like to think it’d just work wouldn’t you…

Simply changing the format to PCM on the TV settings doesn’t resolve it, but if I connect Sky Q to soundbar via Optical cable it will also play LPCM I think it was, I’ve had more luck there if I recall correctly, however, in order for that to work I have to go into the soundbar settings, into a sub menu and another sub main menu to tell it for TV source to use Optical. That then means my HDMI from TV to soundbar for the smart apps isn’t sending sound so when I want to watch Netflix I have to go back into the sub sub menu to enable HDMI arc again which isn’t a particularly elegant solution.

I’ve been into the soundbar settings to turn off all sound formatting/processing/etc such as different sound modes to see if that helped but doesn’t look like it.

To be honest a week later I’m getting to the point where I feel like I’m losing my marbles. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s just me.

DrDamn

I got to the point with mine where it works ok, (LG/LG) combo. Like you I felt it really should have just worked a lot better without all the faff and I still don’t feel like I’m getting the best out of it all. Certainly not Atmos and Xbox which has an extra layer of faff with apps and having to pay if you want to use headphones. I can’t work out where the delay is, Xbox, TV, soundbar or connection but I’ve given up for now.

Gordon

DrDamn I can’t find the link but I read somewhere that the newer LG OLEDs have audio sync issues with some sound bars. Was probably on Rtings somewhere. Sorry, that’s not terribly helpful.

BritishBean

It’s extremely frustrating. We spend all this money and what’s the point if you can’t even get the audio to line up.

As it worked fine on my old TV I’m pretty convinced it’s the new TV rather than soundbar. I’m going to buy a couple of high speed hdmi 2.1 cables to see if that helps then if not I’ll be contacting Sony. I’m nearing the point where they can just have it all back.