TVs, Sound bars and Loss of Synchronization

[Bobonli]

I have a new Samsung 4k television with the Samsung sound bar. My internet provider is Verizon and I have their top tier internet service. Right out of the box, the audio and picture were not in sync on certain television channels. Just some not all. The Smart TV apps like YouTube and Netflix were fine. I followed the Samsung troubleshooting: power down the system, reconnect the sound bar, even bought a new HDMI cable. Things were good for awhile. I concluded that my Verizon cable box probably isn't the most modern version and it was somehow restricting the signal to the tv, since the apps worked fine.

{By "app" I mean the native Netflix, Youtube, Amazon Prime apps on the tv}

The sound bar is connected via the HDMI Arc port on the tv as per the instructions. So sync should happen seamlessly.

In the last week, even the streaming apps like Netflix are falling out of sync. Like off by a second or more...sound ends and the lips are still moving! If I pause the app, then resume, the sync is better for awhile then it falls off again. I've found others complaining that the sound falls out of sync the longer you stay on a particular channel or app. So that leads me to believe I don't have a unique problem specific to my cable box or WiFi.

The only thing that comes to mind is that other people in the house might be watching Netflix and it's slowing down the signal to the television.

I'm not alone. There are many such questions on Reddit but for some reason when you admit you have a sound bar, you're ostracized! Not sure why all the hate. Samsung's tech support video says to adjust the sound bar latency....but if you do that for one channel or app, then the others that are not out of sync will become out of sync.

Any thoughts?

[Too Tall]

I'll echo much of what you are experiencing. The solution was to be dismissed by the cable company for owning "out of date" equipment...excuse TF out of me? For a wee bit more coin they gave me their new setup which works just fine.

The dogs.

[Bobonli]

So the new cable box would only address the tv channels. I already have top tier internet. The tv’s smart apps stream directly from the Wi-Fi router not the cable box.

[robin3mj]

May not be helpful but we have two Samsung “smart” TV’s in the house and keep them unconnected from the internet and just use Apple TV. Is that or another external smart box an option? We’ve had multiple generations of Apple TV and zero audio issues.

(We actually just gave away our sound bar and put an Audio Pro Wi-Fi bookshelf speaker and subwoofer on the big TV in the basement. Sounds way better and integrates with the music in the rest of the house.)

[sk_tle]

Not really answering to the question but smart TVs only exist to sell your user data and preferences and force you to watch annoying ads. They are all better kept off the internet, used as dumb monitors and feed video stream out of a personal media center (which the apple TV or a roku box is). You shouldn't even use the builtin apps.

[gt6267a]

If you are trying to figure out if there is some issue between the TV and soundbar or its something else, maybe try a few debugging steps like ...

1) switch hdmi cable to non arc hdmi port. if memory serves the arc allows a device to communicate back to the tv. maybe that is not helping.
2) turn off / disconnect the soundbar and see if you have this problem with the TV solo.
3) use an optical cable between TV and soundbar and not HDMI.
4) do you have the tv speakers turned off?

BTW, I agree with the people suggesting an appletv or similar product and not use the smart tv apps.

[NCC1701]

Have your internet provider rehome you! ISP's make money on oversubscription - they suck on so many levels

[j44ke]

Have your internet provider rehome you! ISP's make money on oversubscription - they suck on so many levels

I don’t know what rehoming is, but locally our IP added a big box and giant cables after complaints about connectivity and laggy performance on TV. I’ve been told the box is actually the beginning of gigabit internet, which has yet to be switched on, but it replaced a box that had significantly less capacity to manage local data traffic. So whether we actually ever get gigabit internet or not, problems cleared up afterwards. Our neighbors think it is because we moved into the neighborhood and tipped the number of subscribers over some threshold, but I think it is actually because the family who runs the local hardware chain lives on our road and they have some political pull. It is a big box and hums like a beehive. Just saying that if your area is under-provisioned (or under-maintained) for the number of users around you, then you may experience problems. However the IP will never admit this.

[rec head]

Bob, Just to be clear you are only using the apps built in to the TV right? Cable boxes are usually the worst culprits in all sorts of issues. I know people hate built in apps but it is usually best to test everything with them because the HDMI chain is shorter. Every HDMI device added to a system makes the chain longer even if it is powered off. But HDMI can be a complete nonsensical fiasco so trying something like a streamer box like an apple box, google box, amazon box, laptop might actually solve the problem. Out of those the laptop will probably be the flakiest. The key is not to think logically but to try things.

A slow internet connection or shared bandwidth should result in a loss of resolution not AV sync issues. Temporary AV glitches might happen as the app decides it needs to ask for lower resolution but it shouldn't be a sustained AV sync loss.

I'm guessing that if your TV and soundbar have a Auto-sync feature you have tried enabling it on both.

Have you tried playing downloaded content? Do you have a dvd player? If you play those and they are out of sync you can rule out the internet connection. You can download demo material here if your TV will play them from a USB key. I don't know if any of them have dialogue though. https://thedigitaltheater.com/dolby-trailers/

I'm typing these as I go so not in any particular order. Is your soundbar Atmos compatible? If yes can you disable it?

These are all things to try but I think that gt6267a had very good advice.

[NCC1701]

rehoming is the process of moving you over to another "node" or switch which is not as densely populated. It's a process to accomplish with any ISP but worth your time and effort in the end

[j44ke]

rehoming is the process of moving you over to another "node" or switch which is not as densely populated. It's a process to accomplish with any ISP but worth your time and effort in the end

Aha! That’s great. Thanks.

[Bobonli]

More info as you all graciously help me.

I have Gigabit internet and WiFi extenders at each end of the house. I added that at the start of the pandemic when everyone was working and schooling from home. The cable box is the same vintage; about 3 years old. Other WiFi dependent activities like YouTube and Netflix streamed to computers works fine.

I understand that buffering issues would effect both audio and video.

I'm using the Amazon, Netflix and Youtube apps that came installed on the television. I have no interest in adding another device to solve a problem that shouldn't exist in the first place.

Samsung 4k TV and sound bar. Yes, I think I have tv speakers and sound bar on. I tested and it didn't seem to matter if I shut off the tv speakers...other than the sound wasn't as 'full" without them. I'm about to order optical cable; and will try to switch from the HDMI ARC port to another; maybe swap spots with the rarely used BluRay player.

[rec head]

Since you have a bluray player have you tried it to see if the issue is related to streaming only?