How do I fix audio sync delay?

What is Audio Sync Delay?

Audio sync delay, also known as lip sync error or audio lag, is when the sound coming from your TV’s speakers or audio system is out of alignment with the video on the screen. This means you’ll notice that the audio and video are not perfectly synchronized – the sound does not match up with the characters’ mouth movements or actions on the screen.

There are a few common causes of audio sync issues:

Problems with the HDMI connections between devices like your media player, AV receiver, and TV (Source 1).

Incorrect audio delay/offset settings on the TV, amplifiers, or media players (Source 2).
Outdated firmware or software on media devices that is causing timing errors.
Issues transferring and decoding audio signals between components.

Using variable refresh rate technologies like VRR/ALLM on HDMI 2.1 devices.

Check Your Hardware Connections

One of the most common causes of audio sync issues is a loose hardware connection between your TV and audio system. Carefully check that all cables connecting your TV to speakers, soundbars, receivers, or other audio devices are securely inserted into the correct ports on both ends. According to Sony’s support article The audio and video are out of sync or there is a lip sync error, loose connections are a frequent source of sync problems.

Inspect the physical condition of all your HDMI, optical, RCA, and other cables for any damage or bent pins. Damaged cables can cause signal loss and lead to intermittent audio delays. If you find any loose ports or damaged cables, securely reconnect them or replace the faulty cable. Using high-quality, undamaged cables that firmly click into the ports can help prevent loose connection issues that throw off sync.

Update Your Drivers

Outdated or corrupted drivers are a common cause of audio sync issues. Updating your audio and video drivers can often resolve the problem.

First, update your audio drivers. Right-click the Start button and select Device Manager. Expand the Sound, video and game controllers section. Right-click your speaker or audio device and select Update driver. This will search for and install the latest audio driver from the manufacturer.

You should also update your video card drivers. Again open Device Manager, expand the Display adapters section, right-click your video card, and select Update driver. Download and install the latest video drivers from your graphics card manufacturer’s website [1].

Updating the audio and video drivers ensures your hardware is running the most optimized software to process and sync the audio and video streams properly. This often resolves sync delay issues.

Adjust Audio Settings

One of the easiest ways to fix audio sync issues is by adjusting the audio offset or delay settings on your TV, receiver, or soundbar. Most modern devices have settings that allow you to increase or decrease audio delay to resync it with the video. For example, on a Samsung TV, go to Settings > Sound > Expert Settings > Audio Delay to adjust the delay.

You may also want to check if your device’s default audio format is causing sync issues. For instance, Dolby formats like Dolby Digital Plus have more audio processing which can introduce delay. Try changing the audio output format to PCM and see if it improves sync. Refer to your device’s settings to change audio format – on Samsung TVs, go to Settings > Sound > Expert Settings > Digital Output Audio Format and try changing from Dolby Digital Plus to PCM.

If you can’t find these settings on your device, check the instruction manual or contact customer support. With some tweaking of the audio delay offset and output format, you should be able to resolve many sync issues.

Use Audio Sync Tools

One of the easiest ways to fix audio sync issues is by using software tools designed specifically for synchronizing audio and video. There are both free and paid options available. Some popular audio sync software choices include:

Wondershare DemoCreator – This free tool allows you to record your screen and webcam simultaneously while also capturing audio. It has an audio sync feature to align any mismatch between the audio and video sources.

FlexClip – FlexClip is a free online video maker that provides options to detach audio from video clips and shift the audio earlier or later to sync it properly.

VLC Media Player – The popular free VLC media player has an audio sync adjustment setting allowing you to delay the audio to match up with video. This can be useful for playback of files with sync issues.

Paid options like PluralEyes offer more advanced auto-syncing capabilities for fixing even complex sync issues in post-production. Overall, specialized audio sync software provides the best results compared to manually adjusting settings.

Change Video Playback Settings

Some video players like VLC allow you to adjust the video playback speed or delay to fix audio sync issues. Here are two options:

Adjust video playback speed:
You can slightly slow down or speed up the video to get the audio back in sync. In VLC, go to Playback > Speed and adjust the speed up or down until the audio matches up with the video. The default is 1.0x normal speed. For example, try 0.95x if the audio is ahead of the video.

Use VLC video delay feature:
VLC has an audio sync offset feature that will delay the video to match the audio. In VLC, go to Tools > Track Synchronization (or hit Ctrl+J). Adjust the audio sync slider until the audio and video are in sync. Positive values delay the video, negative values delay the audio. Start with small adjustments like 50ms.

Slowing down playback speed or delaying the video essentially gives the audio a chance to catch up, fixing misaligned audio sync. Just be careful not to overadjust the speed/delay.

Convert File Formats

One option to fix audio sync issues is to convert your video or audio file into a different format. The process of encoding the file to a new format can sometimes resolve timing mismatches between the audio and video tracks.

For video, try converting the file to a different format like MP4 or MKV. You can use free video converter software like Handbrake ^[1] to transcode the video into a new container. This may realign the audio sync.

For audio, you can try extracting the audio track and converting it to a consistent format like WAV or FLAC. Software like FFmpeg can demux audio and encode it separately from the video. Matching the audio format to the video codec may improve sync.

Converting either the video or audio format takes some technical skill but can be an effective troubleshooting step for stubborn audio delay issues.

Use a Different Player

One solution for audio sync issues is to try using a different media player. Different media players handle synchronization differently, so switching players may help resolve out-of-sync audio.

For example, if you are experiencing sync problems with Windows Media Player, try using a player like VLC media player instead. VLC is known for having robust audio synchronization capabilities and may sync better than other players.

Additionally, more advanced media center apps like Plex or Kodi tend to have settings to adjust audio sync and offset. This can help manually line up the audio track properly. Their audio handling algorithms may also avoid sync drift issues altogether.

So if one player exhibits sync lag or drift, experiment by switching to another player before troubleshooting other factors. Finding a media player that handles sync well with your particular files can often fix the problem without other adjustments.

Adjust Display Settings

One common cause of audio delay is mismatched display settings between devices. Both your TV and any external devices like Blu-Ray players, game consoles, etc. have their own display settings that control timing. If these get out of sync, it can cause the video and audio to gradually drift apart.

To fix this, you’ll want to check the display and sync settings on both your TV and any devices connected to it. On your TV, look for options like “Audio Delay” or “AV Sync” and adjust the timing in small increments until the audio matches up with the video. Many external devices also have an “Audio Delay” option in their display or audio settings you can tweak as well.

For example, on a Samsung TV try going to Settings > General > System Manager > Time > AV Delay and adjusting the slider until the audio syncs up properly. If using a gaming console, check its display/audio delay settings too. Slowly tweak the timing on both devices until you find the right alignment.

Getting the display settings matched on all your video sources is key to preventing gradual audio drift over time. Consult your device manuals or search online to find the audio delay/AV sync controls on your specific model.

When to Seek Professional Help

If you have tried all the troubleshooting steps listed in this guide but are still experiencing severe, unfixable audio sync delays, it may be time to consult an audio/visual professional.

An experienced technician can perform diagnostic tests to pinpoint the exact cause, which may be due to faulty hardware that needs replacement or complex software/configuration issues. They have specialized equipment, software and expertise to properly diagnose and resolve stubborn audio sync problems.

Seeking professional help is recommended if:

You have already tried all the DIY troubleshooting tips with no success
The audio delay is very large (over 1 second)

The problem happens across multiple video files and media players
You have the latest drivers and OS updates installed
Resetting and changing settings does not improve the issue

The problem started suddenly for no apparent reason

An experienced technician can often resolve the underlying cause and recommend solutions like hardware repair/replacement, driver rollback or update, software reinstall and configuration changes. While DIY troubleshooting may work, some complex AV sync issues require a professional eye.