Big Sur 11.4 and latest TvOS audio problems

Question

Level 1

93 points

Big Sur 11.4 and latest TvOS audio problems

Since the 11.4 Big Sur update and the latest TvOS update on the same day my audio is out of sync on my movies and TV shows both on the Mac and the AppleTV 4HD. I have a collection of 450 movies plus TV shows etc and all were perfectly fine before these updates. Now the audio starts out ok but after a few minutes its at least a second off and progressively gets worse. On files that don't have out of sync audio some have distorted popping noises while some seem to be ok. Does anyone else have these sound issues since the updates?

Im in conversation with a developer that produces a video conversion app that also now only produces files with out of sync audio because of the BigSur update when previously it worked perfectly fine. Something has definitely changed in MacOS and TVOS regarding audio.

iMac 27″ 5K, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jun 10, 2021 3:49 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Stuart Luff Author

Level 1

93 points

Jun 11, 2021 10:46 AM in response to SnickZ.

Hi. Despite searching quite a bit, not just these forums but around the web I didn't find much about the issue hence why I posted here. That being said since posting I have now found the following thread regarding the same issue... https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252705782

My situation is very much the same as the many people in the linked thread. For years I've built up a big movie library in iTunes and always meticulously made sure formats were correct to be viewed on my AppleTV. I always manually added the meta tags and artwork myself too. Never had any real issues until I upgraded to Big Sur 11.3 and whatever the latest TVOS is. They came out the same day and from that day I've had audio sync issues. If I open the files in VLC player everything is fine. Its just Quicktime, Quicklook and TV app on Mac and when streaming to the AppleTV I have problems. Youtube and Amazon on the AppleTV are fine just my library through home sharing that has issues. I have not changed any settings other that the colour balancing thing on the AppleTV that came in the latest update. I have reinstalled both MacOS (twice) and reset my AppleTV twice.

I've also just found while typing this people on Reddit with the same problem.

My guess is the ground work for the upcoming Spatial Audio in OS15 has broken audio across the board for many people?

A full transcode in Handbrake seems to fix the issue but when you have hundreds of huge files its simply not an option. Also if Apple fix the issue will these newly transcoded files become out of sync again?!

Reply

Answer 2

SnickZ.

Community Specialist

Jun 11, 2021 8:28 AM in response to Stuart Luff

Hello Stuart Luff, Thanks for reaching out to us for support. This is certainly not the experience that we want you to have with the audio on your Mac and Apple TV, and we are going to do everything we can to help you. When you have a free moment, can you please tell us if you have made any changes to the settings on your Apple TV or Mac? For now, let’s shift our attention towards the Apple TV. Once we resolve the issue, we will then transition to your Mac. Lastly, please check out the link below for steps that can potentially help you to resolve your audio problem, and let us know the outcome.

Set up Wireless Audio Sync with Apple TV

Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities. Cheers!

Reply

Answer 3

Jun 12, 2021 10:30 AM in response to Stuart Luff

Stuart Luff, Thanks for providing us with those details. Next, do you have access to a different wireless network that you can connect to? If so, try connecting your Mac and your Apple TV to a different wireless network followed by testing. The reason we ask you to give that step a try is because it can potentially resolve your issue. If you’re still experiencing the same problem after completing that step, please do not hesitate to reach back out to us with some specifics on what you’re seeing so that we can continue troubleshooting with you.

Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities. Cheers!

Reply

Answer 4

Stuart Luff Author

Level 1

93 points

Jun 12, 2021 12:27 PM in response to melissa_m77

Hi. It’s definitely not the network. The issue happens on my Mac running video files natively (might not of made that clear) but also on the AppleTV. If I use VLC player or any other third party player the files work fine. It’s something in MacOS and TVOS that’s changed.

Reply

Answer 5

i_rina

Community Specialist

Jun 13, 2021 6:01 AM in response to Stuart Luff

Stuart Luff, Thanks for the additional details. Next, when you have a chance, check out the thread below. The reason we ask you to take a look at the thread below is because the discussion is similar to the audio sync issue that you were describing.

Apple TV out of sync

If you’re still having the same problem after looking at the thread we provided, we recommend that you Contact Apple Support using the link below so that they can help you find a solution to the issue that you’re experiencing.

Contact Apple Support Thanks for using the Apple Support Communities. Cheers!

Reply

Big Sur 11.4 and latest TvOS audio problems

Similar questions