Audio that arrives after the picture is distracting, but a TV audio delay is usually caused by a small number of settings, connections, or processing steps. Work through the checks below in order so you can identify whether the TV, an external speaker system, or one particular source is responsible.
Confirm what is actually delayed
First, determine whether the problem affects everything you watch or only one source.
- Test a live broadcast, a built-in streaming app, and an HDMI device such as a game console or Blu-ray player.
- Listen through the TV’s built-in speakers, even if you normally use a soundbar or receiver.
- Try a different channel, program, or app. Some programs can have poorly synchronized audio from the broadcaster or streaming service.
- Watch a scene with a clear visual cue, such as a person clapping or speaking close to the camera.
If the delay disappears when you use the TV speakers, the external audio system or its connection is the likely cause. If only one app or HDMI device is affected, start troubleshooting that source rather than changing every TV setting.
Also note whether the audio is late or early. A late voice means the sound follows the person’s mouth movement. An early voice means the sound is heard before the matching movement. Many TV menus call the correction “audio delay,” “lip sync,” or “AV sync,” but the direction of the adjustment differs by manufacturer.
Restart the complete system
Temporary processing errors can create lip-sync problems. Restart every device involved instead of using only the remote’s power button.
- Turn off the TV, soundbar or receiver, streaming box, cable box, and source device.
- Unplug the TV and external audio equipment from power for about 60 seconds.
- Disconnect and reconnect HDMI, optical, or other audio cables firmly.
- Plug the TV back in first, then turn on the soundbar or receiver and finally the source device.
- Select the correct input and test the same program again.
If your TV has HDMI-CEC enabled, devices may power on in an unexpected order. After restarting, manually select the TV input and sound output you want. A restart may clear a temporary fault, but it will not correct a persistent delay caused by an unsuitable audio format or an incorrect soundbar setting.
Adjust the TV’s lip-sync setting
Look in the sound menu for a setting named Audio Delay, AV Sync, Lip Sync, Digital Audio Delay, or similar. Menu names vary, but it is commonly found under Settings > Sound > Advanced, Expert, or Digital Audio Output.
Because the exact scale differs, change the value in small steps. If voices are late, try the setting that delays the picture relative to the sound only if your TV describes the control that way. On many televisions, increasing Audio Delay delays the audio further, which would make a late voice worse. On others, the control is designed as a synchronization correction and may behave differently.
Use this method:
- Change the setting by 10 milliseconds or one small menu increment.
- Return to the same scene or use a spoken broadcast for comparison.
- Continue until the movement and speech appear aligned.
- If the problem becomes worse, move the setting in the opposite direction.
- Write down the working value in case a reset or firmware update changes it.
Some TVs offer separate synchronization controls for TV speakers and digital audio output. Adjust the output that you actually use. If the delay changes when you switch from stereo to surround sound, the audio format or external decoder may be contributing to the problem.
Test digital audio output formats
Modern TVs can pass audio to a soundbar or receiver using HDMI ARC/eARC, optical audio, or Bluetooth. The TV may be converting the original signal before sending it out, and that conversion can add delay.
Open the TV’s Digital Audio Output or HDMI eARC Mode settings and test these options one at a time:
- PCM or stereo
- Auto or Pass-Through
- Dolby Digital
- Dolby Digital Plus
- Bitstream, if offered
PCM is a useful diagnostic option because it generally sends uncomplicated stereo audio. If PCM removes the delay, the problem may involve surround-sound decoding, a format that the soundbar does not handle efficiently, or a compatibility issue between devices. You may lose multichannel surround sound while using PCM, so treat it as a test or a practical alternative rather than an automatic permanent solution.
Pass-through can reduce unnecessary processing when the soundbar or receiver is capable of decoding the source format. However, it may expose a different compatibility problem, such as silence, missing channels, or an unsupported format. If pass-through causes audio to disappear, return to Auto or PCM and check the external device’s supported formats.
Troubleshoot a soundbar or AV receiver
Soundbars and receivers often include their own audio-delay control. Check the device’s remote, mobile app, or on-screen menu for Audio Sync, AV Sync, Lip Sync, or Delay.
Make only one correction at a time. If you add 100 milliseconds in the TV and another 100 milliseconds in the soundbar, the total delay may become much worse. Return both devices to zero or their default settings, then adjust the device that is closest to the audio path.
Try these soundbar-specific checks:
- Use the soundbar’s TV input rather than Bluetooth for television audio.
- If the bar has a Game, Movie, Voice, or Pure mode, test a mode with less sound processing.
- Turn off surround enhancement, virtual surround, dialogue enhancement, or similar effects temporarily.
- Confirm that the bar is not receiving audio from a second active connection.
- If using HDMI ARC/eARC, verify that the cable is connected to the TV port labeled ARC or eARC and to the soundbar’s matching port.
- If optical audio is connected, set the TV’s optical output to a format the soundbar supports.
Bluetooth speakers and headphones commonly introduce more latency than wired connections. If Bluetooth is the only practical option, look for a low-latency mode on both the TV and headphones. The TV and headphones must support compatible low-latency technology for that mode to help; enabling it on only one side may not solve the problem.
Check HDMI, optical, and source connections
A damaged or unsuitable connection can cause intermittent audio, handshaking problems, or format changes. It does not always create a steady delay, but checking the signal path can isolate the fault.
| Connection | What to check | Practical alternative |
|---|---|---|
| HDMI ARC/eARC | Correct labeled ports, secure cable, CEC/eARC settings | Connect the source directly to the soundbar, then pass video to the TV |
| Optical | Firmly seated cable and supported audio format | Use PCM or HDMI ARC if supported |
| Bluetooth | Pairing, distance, low-latency support | Use HDMI, optical, or TV speakers |
| Streaming box | Audio output and surround settings | Test the TV’s built-in app |
| Game console | Audio format and TV passthrough | Test stereo PCM and Game mode |
If a source device is connected to the TV and the TV sends audio to a soundbar, there may be several processing stages. When possible, connect the source directly to an HDMI input on the soundbar or receiver, then connect its HDMI output to the TV. This arrangement can let the audio system process the sound directly, but it may not support every video resolution, refresh rate, or HDR format. Confirm that the soundbar or receiver supports the video signal from the source before using this setup.
Replace the cable only when you have a reason to suspect it, such as intermittent sound, black screens, or repeated connection drops. A more expensive cable is not automatically a solution to lip-sync delay.
Troubleshoot streaming apps and external devices
If the delay occurs only in one app, close it completely and reopen it. On a smart TV, sign out and back in only if restarting the app does not help. Check whether the app and TV software are current, because an app update or TV firmware update may correct compatibility problems.
For a streaming stick, set-top box, or game console, open its audio settings and test stereo, PCM, or an automatic output mode. A device forced to Dolby, Dolby Atmos, or another surround format may add processing time when the television or soundbar converts it.
You can also compare these signal paths:
- Built-in TV app through TV speakers.
- Built-in TV app through the soundbar.
- External source through TV speakers.
- External source through the soundbar.
The first combination that introduces the delay identifies the part of the chain to investigate. If every app and source is delayed through the soundbar, focus on the soundbar, its audio mode, and the TV-to-soundbar connection. If only an external source is affected, adjust that source’s audio format and video settings.
Consider picture-processing settings
Televisions often process the picture through motion smoothing, noise reduction, sharpening, upscaling, or HDR tone mapping. These features can make the picture take longer to display while the audio continues sooner, creating apparent synchronization problems.
For a test, select the TV’s Game, PC, Standard, or Movie picture mode, depending on which is available. Temporarily turn off motion interpolation, noise reduction, and other advanced picture enhancements. If lip sync improves, re-enable features one at a time to identify the setting that adds the most processing.
Game Mode is especially useful when the problem affects a console, because it is designed to reduce input and picture-processing latency. It may change image brightness or disable some enhancement features. That trade-off is normal, and you can choose a different mode for films if synchronization is acceptable there.
Update, reset, and isolate the fault
Check for firmware updates on the TV, soundbar, receiver, streaming device, and console. Updates can improve HDMI-CEC, ARC/eARC, Bluetooth, and audio-format compatibility. After an update, recheck the audio-delay values because some devices restore default settings.
If nothing works, isolate the system with the simplest setup:
- Disconnect the soundbar and use TV speakers.
- Disconnect external source devices and use one built-in app.
- Use PCM or stereo.
- Turn off Bluetooth and HDMI-CEC temporarily.
- Test a different HDMI input and, if available, a different audio cable.
Do not factory-reset the TV as a first step. A reset removes network settings, app logins, picture adjustments, parental controls, and other preferences. Use it only after recording important settings and confirming that the issue is not limited to one device or connection.
A delay limited to one broadcast or streaming title may be part of the source itself and may not be correctable through the TV. A delay that appears on every source, including the TV’s own speakers, can indicate a firmware or hardware problem. Contact the TV or audio-device manufacturer if the issue remains after updates, a full power cycle, simple audio output settings, and testing without external equipment. When contacting support, provide the TV model, connected devices, connection type, audio format, and the exact sources that reproduce the problem.