Level 1

30 points

Apple TV audio/video sync issues

Lately I’ve been having difficulty with lagging audio to video syncing with my Apple TV 4K. If I restart it, the problem is temporarily fixed, but after about 5 minutes of watching Netflix or hbo now, the audio will start lagging. This doesn’t typically occur with Disney plus or streaming movies from iTunes. Once the audio starts to lag with the service, it continues to lag once I exit the app. The sounds you hear when hovering over different apps lags significantly. Again, this is only fixed by resetting the Apple TV. I have run Netflix through my (smart) TV and had no problems with audio (it’s the same TV I have the Apple TV connected to). I’ve also ensured my internet connection/speed is good (>300Mbs), and have tried connecting my Apple TV to my router via Ethernet cable, with no improvement. This problem has been present for months but has gotten significantly worse recently. Changing between audio formats doesn’t do anything (a suggestion I saw when researching the topic). Please help.

Apple TV 4K, tvOS 14

Posted on Aug 11, 2021 10:12 PM

Top-ranking reply

RLeifield

Level 1

18 points

Posted on Feb 11, 2022 4:32 PM

I’ve had an intermittent audio video synch issue with my Apple TV 4K and my LG OLED TV. The issue seems to happen across many different apps and only on the 4K version of the Apple TV. Apple checked into it and said to check with LG. I called LG and was told it is a known issue. The solution they recommended was to turn off the Dolby Atmos and smart sound settings on the LG OLED T V.

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120 replies

Mar 16, 2022 4:34 AM in response to Ccastle84

Sound doesnt start when watching most apps for the first 5-15 seconds. Quite frustrating. Just updated to last OS as well.

Vc11

Level 1

8 points

Oct 6, 2021 7:15 PM in response to dfried1

I have the same issue but only if I use airplay to direct the audio to my speakers. However, if the audio is transmitted through bluetooth, then I get perfect synchrony. This problem only happened after my Apple tv HD had it last update on September 20, 2021.

Ccastle84 Author

Level 1

30 points

Oct 9, 2021 11:52 AM in response to sandlerb

Unfortunately it doesn't seem like they are doing much. You can see their response to me originally was to tell me to do something that I had already tried and not had success with.

To get very specific, shows like Star Trek DS9 (Netflix) and John Oliver (HBO) go out is sync almost immediately. Any live streaming app also. Newer shows and movies go out of sync less frequently. I have no problems with streaming directly through the TV (LG CX). I think this is my last apple TV.

Oct 16, 2021 1:11 PM in response to Darryl0289

My Problem Solved

This turned out to be my Sony AV receiver (Sony STRDH590 purchased May 2021). When I went directly from AppleTV to my Sony TV the AV synch was resolved. Going through the Sony receiver AV synch was off by about 7-seconds with the video lagging behind the audio and video would jitter. Worked with 2 levels of Sony engineers checking everything, cables, settings, updates, different ports and factory resets and nothing resolved the issue. Their solution was to bypass the receiver for video(!) and said it was a product limitation, swapping it out would not fix the problem. Working now to return the Sony receiver even though its this late. The exact setup in another room through my Marantz has no issues. Back to Marantz on this install too. Last Sony receiver I will buy. Good luck everyone.

Oct 16, 2021 10:39 PM in response to Ccastle84

I have the same problem. Sound out of sync to an AirPlay 1 speaker but not to an AirPlay 2 speaker. Another annoying thing with tvOS 15.0 is not being able to select an AirPlay speaker as the default speaker. It can only be selected as an additional temporary speaker and the selection doesn't persist. Pretty annoying to have to manually first deselect the crappy built in speakers in my projector (that the Apple TV now always selects as default speakers) and then select my AirPlay speaker as a temporary speaker. Please tell the development team that some users don't have a TV set or an HDMI enables amplifier close to their display. A projector is often like that, it sits up in the ceiling and the sound has to go somewhere else. Not through the HDMI cable (its already hooked up to the projector). Please don't tell me to route it through a HDMI enabled amplifier because my house has an open floor plan and it would require another 20 meter HDMI cables. That's why AirPlay was so good until it got totally broken in tvOS 15.0.

JoeRiley

Level 1

8 points

Nov 3, 2021 6:49 PM in response to avant222

I purchased 2 Ultra High Speed HDMI cables (one for AppleTV to TV HDMI and one from my Sonos Beam to my TV ARC input). It seems to have remedied all audio issues (4 days and no issues). I haven’t experienced any lag while watching Hulu Live, Hulu, AppleTV, Frndly or Netflix. I think it’s definitely not having a certified high speed HDMI cable that’s creating the issue. .

ok3213

Level 1

8 points

Nov 7, 2021 8:06 AM in response to Ccastle84

I had the same issue (audio arriving ahead of video when streaming audio to airplay speakers), but it miraculously resolved itself this week. I'm guessing the new tvOS version fixed the flaw that I had for about 2 months.

I'm still having audio issues with YouTube (Airplay audio drops a few seconds into every video), but don't want to speculate whose fault that is.

Nov 19, 2021 12:47 PM in response to Ccastle84

I use Bose Bluetooth speaker Soundlink Color II and Soundlink Micro with my Apple TV 4K.

I have no sync issues with just one speaker in use but sync problem when pairing two Bose speaker in stereo mode…

I have out of sync with the Soundlink Micro but not with Soundlink Color II pair in stereo mode !

-One Micro and One Color II No problem !

-Two Color-II IN Stereo mode No problem !

-Two Micro in stereo mode Sync problem…

-One Micro with One Color-II in stereo mode Sync problem…

So I think it’s Bose that got to solve the problem with some of its Bluetooth speaker…

Dec 18, 2021 7:04 AM in response to Ccastle84

I have the same issue along with many others. I have no answers but have made a crucial observation. If I wire Apple TV to my Onkyo receiver and feed Sony x900 tv through eArc I get the delay. If I wire Apple TV to tv and send audio to receiver through eArc there is no delay. I don’t think the problem is Apple TV, I think it is the firmware/software differences driving the eArc communications between tv and receiver. This is not a perfect solution since I lose some audio quality like 7.2 but still sounds good. I did not have this problem with my older Panasonic plasma tv using Arc communications further convincing me that is the problem.

Dec 20, 2021 4:26 AM in response to BenjiBoomBoom

Surely apple should speak to them or pull the apps from the App Store to get the issue resolved. How seriously are the 3rd party companies going to take a few hundred emails from individuals vs apple pulling there apps?

ayrtonoc

Level 1

39 points

Oct 8, 2021 1:38 AM in response to Vc11

15,0 screws up airplay

Oct 8, 2021 11:21 PM in response to ayrtonoc

Ever since mine updated, the AirPlay stutters and send everything out of sync on all apps. Is there a workaround to fix this?

sandlerb

Level 1

13 points

Oct 9, 2021 12:15 PM in response to Ccastle84

Seems like it might be a little bit of both Apple and LG. I have the 77cx tv (2 of them) and that is the tv that has the most issues. Maybe LG?

dfried1

Level 1

34 points

Oct 9, 2021 12:24 PM in response to sandlerb

Has anyone called tech support ?

sunbears

Level 1

6 points

Oct 16, 2021 1:48 PM in response to dangregory

I’m glad you got it solved. But I don’t have Sony anything. Just a sound bar. It turns out it’s just a single movie that is doing this to me, so maybe its file is corrupted server side.

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Apple TV audio/video sync issues