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If dialogue comes after the actors’ lip movements, start with AV Sync/Audio Delay. If sound comes before the picture, reduce or disable an existing sync adjustment. If you hear an echo, select only one speaker output. Then use PCM, Pass-through/Bypass, and correct ARC/eARC routing to isolate processing and HDMI-chain problems.
Menu names vary by TV brand, model, region, and software version. The paths below use common labels and current brand examples rather than one universal menu structure.
Quick diagnosis: identify the symptom first
| What you hear | What to try first | Likely explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Sound is behind the picture | Increase Audio Delay or AV Sync in small steps; then test PCM | Audio processing is taking longer than picture processing |
| Sound is ahead of the picture | Reduce or turn off A/V Sync; test the TV speakers alone | An existing delay or picture-processing mode may be shifting timing |
| There is an echo | Disable either the TV speakers or the external speakers | Two separately processed outputs are playing together |
| The problem affects one app or channel | Test another app, input, or broadcast channel | The source, broadcast, file, or HDMI device may be responsible |
Use a close-up dialogue scene for testing. Change only one setting at a time, wait briefly for the sound system to switch formats, and check both speech and sound effects. Music videos and fast-cut scenes make timing harder to judge.
The Tool Desk
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This is the most direct setting for a steady, repeatable offset between sound and picture. Depending on the TV, it may be called AV Sync, A/V Sync, Audio Sync, Audio Delay, Digital Output Audio Delay, Lip Sync, or Match Screen and Sound.
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Look under Settings → Sound, Audio Output, or Expert Settings. On many Samsung TVs, the path is Settings → Sound → Expert Settings → Digital Output Audio Delay. Samsung says availability can depend on the connection, with some models limiting the control to HDMI eARC or SPDIF: Samsung’s audio-delay guide.
Adjust the value in small increments while dialogue is playing. If sound arrives after the picture, increasing the value may provide the needed compensation on models that use the slider for that direction. If sound arrives before the picture, reduce the value or turn the setting off. Sony notes that A/V Sync can delay the picture to match audio, so enabling it is not always the right response when the audio is early: Sony’s A/V Sync guidance.
A constant offset is a good candidate for this adjustment. If the delay drifts, appears only intermittently, or changes between apps and inputs, do not keep increasing the slider indefinitely. That pattern points more strongly to a source device, codec, wireless link, HDMI handshake, firmware issue, or changing audio-processing mode.
2. Temporarily switch Digital Audio Output to PCM
Find Digital Sound Output, Digital Sound Out, Digital Audio Out, Digital Output Audio Format, or HDMI Audio Format under the TV’s sound settings. Then try PCM and replay the same scene.
PCM can reduce the amount of decoding or format negotiation performed by the TV and connected audio equipment. LG recommends PCM as a way to reduce processing delay and help with echoing when internal and external speakers are involved: LG’s audio-sync and echo guidance. Sony also lists PCM as a troubleshooting option when a connected system does not support Dolby Digital or DTS: Sony’s digital-audio settings guidance.
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PCM is a diagnostic mode, not a universal best setting. On many systems it outputs stereo and can remove Dolby, DTS, Dolby Atmos, or other multichannel formats. If PCM fixes the timing but you lose surround sound, restore Auto, Bitstream, Dolby, or the previous format and investigate the soundbar, receiver, or HDMI path instead. Samsung explains the differences between PCM, Dolby, Auto, and Pass-through in its digital-audio format guide.
3. Try Audio Pass-through or Bypass
Pass-through or Bypass attempts to send compatible audio onward without having the TV decode or reprocess it. Look for Pass-through, Passthrough, Bypass, HDMI Input Audio Format, or an audio-processing bypass option.
LG’s newer menu guidance includes Match Screen and Sound → Bypass for sending broadcast or external-device audio without additional TV delay. LG also says that if the issue continues, you can turn Bypass off and adjust TV Speaker Delay carefully: LG’s audio and video sync instructions.
Samsung describes Pass-through as sending audio to an external device such as a soundbar, while Auto selects a format based on the content. It can help when TV-side processing is the source of the delay, but it does not remove processing performed by the soundbar or AV receiver.
If Pass-through produces silence, dropouts, or missing channels, return to Auto or PCM. The downstream soundbar or receiver may not support the selected codec. Pass-through may also be unavailable with internal speakers or certain connection types.
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4. Check eARC/ARC and HDMI-CEC routing
For a soundbar or AV receiver, connect it to the TV’s HDMI port specifically marked ARC or eARC. Enable the TV’s HDMI-control feature, which may be called HDMI-CEC, Anynet+ on Samsung, SIMPLINK on LG, or BRAVIA Sync on Sony.
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If a streaming stick or box currently runs through an AVR or soundbar, connect it directly to the TV as a test. Google specifically recommends bypassing an AVR or soundbar during diagnosis because devices in the HDMI chain can add processing delay or HDMI-control problems: Google TV’s audio-delay troubleshooting.
If direct connection improves sync, the problem is probably in the original HDMI chain or the receiver’s processing rather than a general TV setting. If it does not, compare the TV speakers with the external system.
5. Use only one speaker output
An echo is usually not the same problem as a single delayed soundbar. It often means the TV speakers and an external system are both active, with each path processing audio at a different speed.
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Open Settings → Sound → Sound Output and select exactly one output: TV Speaker, HDMI ARC/eARC, Optical, Bluetooth, or the relevant external device. Turn off modes such as TV Speaker + External Speaker, Dual Audio, Multi-output Audio, or Bluetooth combined with TV speakers.
LG recommends using only one output when simultaneous speakers create an echo. Samsung’s Sound Output documentation describes the controls used to select internal and external audio systems.
Bluetooth deserves special attention. Wireless audio can introduce its own latency and may expose different controls from HDMI or optical. Samsung notes that its soundbar sync feature is unavailable when Bluetooth or USB is the source: Samsung’s soundbar troubleshooting guide. Test Bluetooth separately rather than treating it like an ARC/eARC connection.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Brand menu examples
Samsung: Try Settings → Sound → Expert Settings → Digital Output Audio Delay. For format testing, look under digital output options for PCM, Auto, or Pass-through. Exact availability depends on model and connection.
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LG webOS: Common paths include Settings → All Settings → Sound → Advanced Settings → Digital Sound Output → PCM, or Match Screen and Sound → Bypass. Older webOS versions may use different labels.
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Sony and Google TV: Look under Settings → Display & Sound → Audio Output → A/V Sync or Settings → Sound → A/V Sync. Sony says not every Google TV or Android TV model exposes the control.
Roku TV: Look in the audio and HDMI settings for ARC/eARC and CEC options. Brand names for CEC differ, and the Roku menu on your TV may not match a Roku soundbar’s menu.
When the five settings do not solve it
Only one channel is affected
A channel-specific mismatch is more likely to be a broadcast or provider problem than a TV-wide setting. LG identifies channel-specific sync issues as likely broadcast-signal problems. Compare another channel before changing global audio settings.
Crashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
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Test another built-in app and at least one HDMI source. If the delay appears only in one app, a global AV Sync value may merely hide a source-specific fault. Restart or update the affected app and check whether the same title behaves differently on another device.
Downloaded files are out of sync
The file may contain incorrectly synchronized audio or use a codec the TV handles differently. Samsung recommends checking the file’s supported video codecs and the manual for the specific TV: Samsung’s troubleshooting guidance.
The issue began after an HDMI change
Do not confuse HDMI Delay Level with lip-sync correction. Samsung documents that control as a compatibility adjustment for poor HDMI signals; higher levels can slow source switching while the TV determines whether a signal is present: Samsung’s HDMI troubleshooting page.
Gaming is the only problem
Connect the console directly to the TV and compare TV speakers with the soundbar or receiver. Game Mode can reduce picture and input processing, but it does not universally remove audio latency from a soundbar, Bluetooth connection, or HDMI chain.
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Try recovery steps last
Restart the TV and audio system, check for firmware updates, and repeat the direct-connection test. If a previous configuration may be corrupted, reset the TV’s sound settings before considering a full TV reset. A full reset can erase custom picture, network, app, and other settings.
Quick Recap
A practical decision tree
- Is sound behind the picture? Increase AV Sync slightly, then test PCM.
- Is sound ahead? Reduce or disable A/V Sync, and test TV speakers alone.
- Is it an echo? Disable simultaneous TV and external speakers.
- Does PCM help? Restore the preferred surround format and investigate the downstream equipment.
- Does Pass-through help? Keep it only if the soundbar or receiver remains compatible; otherwise use Auto or PCM.
- Is an AVR or soundbar in the HDMI path? Connect the streaming device directly to the TV and compare.
- Does only one app, file, input, or channel fail? Treat the source as the leading suspect and avoid changing the whole TV’s timing.
- Does every source fail? Restart, update, reset sound settings, and contact the TV or audio-device manufacturer.
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