Of the many emails I get regarding Video and Audio problems, Sync problems are a common one- the sound and vision of a program are not in sync, often referred to as Lip Sync.
By far the most common reception with this problem are the ones with encryption. Including Fransat or TNT which use a card but have no subscription, and Paid Cards ie. With a subscription like Nova, Sky Italia etc. Sync problems are by no means limited to these, free-to-air boxes too, can exhibit the same problems.
The problems is nearly always due to the TV and not the satellite box ! However be sure of the size of your problem before attempting to change things. If only one channel exhibits the sync problem is must be due to that broadcaster and not your equipment. In my experience some middle eastern broadcasters can sometimes be guilty here.
This article only applies to boxes connected with HDMI cables.
First Steps to find a Cure
Before changing any settings, it is advised to try a different HDMI cable !
Is it really caused by the TV? This is usually a big effort to prove as it means moving everything, but its worth the effort to get on the right track. I have a small 19″ Samsung TV, I first substitute that for the TV in question and test again.
Ensure you shut the TV down at the power socket for at least a minute! Then reboot. Do this after any change to check the results.
Next make sure that your TV has the latest software version for that model. This is often overlooked and as features are added, new problems can occur.
TV Settings
So, having eliminated possible easy solutions to sync problems outlined above, what else can be done? As you can imagine, decoding and video processing takes far longer to do, than sound processing. Plus there are several types of audio output nowadays, via the TV sound, via a sound bar or via optical output. All these must be catered for by the TV. Normally the sound and vision are in sync adjusted automatically. But there is usually a method to adjust the sound delay from 0 to 250mS manually to achieve sync.
HDMI and Games Modes are necessary to process the Picture (and sound) differently according to the requirements. Games players want speed, over picture quality, so in that case the TV diverts the signal and no longer does the full picture quality processing. Note that some of the more recent tvs do this automatically when they detect a games console is connected. In general ensure Games mode is OFF.
HDMI mode
Samsung and Sony ( others too) have an HDMI mode switch, the setting is always hidden away in the menu, simply try each setting to see if sync is affected.
Games Mode
Some brands have a games mode, with Samsung TVs go to Setup / General then choose Game mode
With LG the Picture Menu has a mode option including Game Mode
Sony can be difficult to find – its usually hidden within <Scene> which is a button on the remote, select ‘Game’ to enter that mode
Panasonic, LG and Sharp – Game mode is under the Picture Menu
Last Chance!
Warning this option should be the last one you try as it will delete all your TV settings
When all else fails, do a factory reset on the TV. Navigate to the settings find system or something similar and look for Factory Reset. All your personalised settings and tunings will be eliminated, the TV will be as it was when delivered. Hopefully any software corruption will also be gone.
Sony TV Helpline on their own site
The article here addresses the issue of audio and video sync problems when using HDMI connections on certain Sony TV models. It suggests that this problem may arise if the HDMI device is set to output audio in bitstream format (like Dolby Digital). To resolve the issue, users are advised to change the audio format to PCM via the device’s manual.
For TVs with sound mode settings, switching the sound mode from “Dolby Audio” to a different option, such as “Standard,” can help improve synchronization. The article provides steps for accessing sound settings through the TV remote and recommends trying a different HDMI cable if issues persist.
My thanks to David Wilkinson for finding the Sony info.
Any other problems with your satellite TV system please see Checklist