Lip sync on Q90R with 5.1 input

[d00p]

I -- and judging from posts in various fora on the web, a lot of other customers -- experience lip sync issues with 5.1 surround sound input on the Q90R (firmware v1066).

Specifically, I experience this on TV channels that are broadcast with 5.1 sound, but not on TV channels that are broadcast with only stereo sound.

This means that I can watch a show on one TV channel with the (stereo) sound and picture in perfect sync, and then simply change channel to another TV channel to experience a mismatch between the (surround) sound and picture. Switching back to the first TV channel, the (stereo) sound and picture is again in perfect sync. So lame 😕

The lip sync issues are present using the Q90R built-in speakers as well as with a Sonos Amp -- however, again, only with 5.1 TV channels, which also means that I cannot use the options for adding a general delay on the sound/picture as that, while perhaps fixing the 5.1 TV channels, will simply shift the issue to the stereo TV channels.

@Samsung: Needless to say, having such issues on a flagship model is really bad.. What are the plans for fixing this (expectedly, through a firmware update to get the TV to process 5.1 sound input properly)?

[Kylewismith]

I have the q80r same set up with the beam. This has helped no end. Not quite perfect but so much better thanks

[ChrisThomson]

Hi there. I Own an 82" samsung q90 and purchased a Q70 soundbar with it. Went through the gours os lip syn issues but finally am of with apps through the tv and external decides through the soundbar (still not 100% sure if this setup all through hdmi makes me lose sound or viseo quality?) tv to soundbar via hdmi arc then externals to soundbar via hdmi. No lip syn issue then

anyways because i have more than one external device that i wont accept lip sync with i need a soundbar with arc + 2 extra hdmi ports.

Will be returning the soundbar and buying a different one....what should i get?

im fine with spending the money on the Q90 (i would get an extra 300 off since i bought the tv...so the Q90 is the same price as the Q80 for me).....i have heard terrible things about the rear speakers on the Q90 but since the price is the same id take them.

or should i go with a different brand since im fine with the Q90 price point....i just want to stick to a soundbar and not a home theatre.

should i wait for 2020 models? Any new ones coming out that are worth the wait?

thank you for any help....this soundbar lip sync chaois is incredible.....i thought a soundbar would be easy lol

[Kylewismith]

After some back and forward emails with Samsung. They finally told me to update my FW via usb. Which will change it to 1351 I was on 1335.this has helped with mine it's not brilliant but better. I notice my other half says it's fine no. https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/QE55Q80RATXXU/ the download is at the bottom of this page for the q80r

[Weegro]

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@Kylewismith wrote:

After some back and forward emails with Samsung. They finally told me to update my FW via usb. Which will change it to 1351 I was on 1335.this has helped with mine it's not brilliant but better. I notice my other half says it's fine no. https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/QE55Q80RATXXU/ the download is at the bottom of this page for the q80r

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Hi Kyle. What set top box are you using? Virgin or Sky?

Are you sure the TV is set to Dolby? Since 1335 I keep thinking the lip sync is ok but then I check and the TV keeps changing itself to PCM (stereo) so it's not surround (Dolby)

When I change back to dolby (which sounds 10x better on the Beam than PCM) lip sync is still terrible.

You can check by going on the settings or pressing home and then going left and checking on the small settings menu.

I'm waiting for 1351 to be available OTA but if you think it's improved it I'll go for it now on USB

[Kylewismith]

Sky q buddy Yea its set to dolby. Its still temperamental tho and channel dependant. I had a similar issue mate think that was down to the sky q box being set to normal not dolby

[Kylewismith]

I've also found setting sky q to digital plus and TV to atmos compatibility helps. Also make sure optical settings are set to normal and zero ms

[me83]

Hi all,

I've had two visits from Samsung engineer and it's been confirmed by him that the issue is squarely down to the ARC. 

Samsung are aware of the issue but do not acknowledge it in public. 

He showed me an internal brief from Samsung that advises that the issue is due to the One Connect box and its processing of Dolby audio. 

I've been manually updated to firmware version 1359, which I'm told is only available to Samsung engineers at this point, but the lag is still there. 

The brief I have seen says:

- Ensure audio delay is set to 0

- Update firmware to 1359 and this will reduce the audio delay to the absolute minimum that can be achieved by the TV software

- Although reduced, there may still be a slight audio delay

- If the customer changes the output of the TV to PCM, there is no issue 

I'm now in the process of seeking a substantial discount on the price of the TV or I will reject it and demand a full refund. 

Off the back of this whole experience, it's safe to say that I will never again purchase a Samsung TV now that I have it in black and white that they're aware of the problem, and have been for some time. Thankfully the Consumer Rights Act exists for times just like this. 

[Ian57]

Hi,

Further to me83's post I can concur with what has been said.

I have been in email discussion with the UK CEO's office since December 2019 on the problems of Lip-Sync and HDMI control related issues.  The CEO's office have been courteous and communicative to date, albeit none of the issues have yet been resolved.  They sent me a copy of the TV software update v1359 last week for me to install.  

I have a 2019 model Q90R TV and a 2019 model HW-Q90R Soundbar connected via HDMI-ARC.  I have a Panasonic 4K Blu-Ray player connected directly to the Soundbar via HDMI so that I can use Dolby Atmos and a SKY Q box connected into the TV OCB also via HDMI.  When I first set up the system I experienced problems with  selecting the input source on the Soundbar (it is very clunky and requires use of another remote control) hence I connected the SKY Q to the TV OCB as the control functionality is much better.  Of course, this scenario presents the well documented problem of negative lip sync where the audio lags the video.

Having installed update v1359, as me83 reports, it does not resolve the lip sync problem with an external device connected to the soundbar when using Dolby audio.  Is it an improvement?  Possibly but only marginally and the audio lag is still evident enough to be annoying and distracting.  I reported this back to the CEO's office and got the same script reply that it was the minimum delay that could be achieved etc etc.

I asked the CEO's office for the specification of 2020 model TVs and Soundbars and whether they would be eARC enabled?   The answer was that final specifications have not been released (even though products have been demonstrated at CES in January).  They have also stated that Samsung are working on a solution to upgrade existing products with eARC but could not provide any timescale for its release.

I have just reconfigured my system by connecting my SKY Q box into the the Soundbar via HDMI and I am testing how it functions with respect to auto detection, source selection, on/off control etc as previously this was somewhat erratic.  Sometimes it worked OK but other times the Soundbar would not switch on with the TV or recognise the reLevant HDMI input in use.  I will report back further after a few days of trial.

Finally, I too have expressed my extreme dissatisfaction with Samsung's products in terms of interfacing between their own flagship products that cost a lot of money!
Hope this helps.

[Ian57]

HI again,

I should have said in my original post that with the SKY Q box connected to the Soundbar there is not a lip sync problem when using Dolby decoding and the audio is far superior to using PCM, as you would expect.

[me83]

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@Ian57 wrote:

Hi,

Further to me83's post I can concur with what has been said.

I have been in email discussion with the UK CEO's office since December 2019 on the problems of Lip-Sync and HDMI control related issues.  The CEO's office have been courteous and communicative to date, albeit none of the issues have yet been resolved.  They sent me a copy of the TV software update v1359 last week for me to install.  

I have a 2019 model Q90R TV and a 2019 model HW-Q90R Soundbar connected via HDMI-ARC.  I have a Panasonic 4K Blu-Ray player connected directly to the Soundbar via HDMI so that I can use Dolby Atmos and a SKY Q box connected into the TV OCB also via HDMI.  When I first set up the system I experienced problems with  selecting the input source on the Soundbar (it is very clunky and requires use of another remote control) hence I connected the SKY Q to the TV OCB as the control functionality is much better.  Of course, this scenario presents the well documented problem of negative lip sync where the audio lags the video.

Having installed update v1359, as me83 reports, it does not resolve the lip sync problem with an external device connected to the soundbar when using Dolby audio.  Is it an improvement?  Possibly but only marginally and the audio lag is still evident enough to be annoying and distracting.  I reported this back to the CEO's office and got the same script reply that it was the minimum delay that could be achieved etc etc.

I asked the CEO's office for the specification of 2020 model TVs and Soundbars and whether they would be eARC enabled?   The answer was that final specifications have not been released (even though products have been demonstrated at CES in January).  They have also stated that Samsung are working on a solution to upgrade existing products with eARC but could not provide any timescale for its release.

I have just reconfigured my system by connecting my SKY Q box into the the Soundbar via HDMI and I am testing how it functions with respect to auto detection, source selection, on/off control etc as previously this was somewhat erratic.  Sometimes it worked OK but other times the Soundbar would not switch on with the TV or recognise the reLevant HDMI input in use.  I will report back further after a few days of trial.

Finally, I too have expressed my extreme dissatisfaction with Samsung's products in terms of interfacing between their own flagship products that cost a lot of money!
Hope this helps.

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Ian - having installed the 1359 update and monitored it for the past hour or so, I can confirm that it does resolve the issue... extremely marginally! The issue is still present and is by no means resolved. It concerns me that the document shown to me today states "This will reduce the audio delay to the absolute minimum that can be achieved by the TV software" because that essentially means the issue can not be resolved as it's now at the "absolute minimum" and still horrendously bad.

Going by the reports I've been reading recently, none of the 2020 models will have eARC connections and only claim to have "eARC features", as with the 2019 models. It's incredibly likely that the 2020 models will also have the same lip-sync issues.

I'll be staying away from Samsung going forward. Not only because of the poor quality of their supposed flagship product but also because of the way I've had to fight to have the issue investigated. To then find out that they've been aware of it all along has staggered me. Even so, they still don't/won't acknowledge the issue publically.