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)?

[ChrisThomson]

.....the INSTRUCTIONS say to plug external devices via hdmi to the SOUNDBAR.......then soundbar to tv via arc.

thia will reault in NO lip sync between external devices and NO lip sync on internal apps......that simple

anyone who is having sync issues is pluging devices into the tv.....the downfall is it makes your 1 connect box less usefull (it also makes your tv speakers less usefull?)

the Q series soundbars have some problems but i believe the sync issue is just people going to the tv first and refusing to follow instructions.....would these same people put deisle in a ferarri and expect the ferarri to handle it because they paid a lot? Ofcourse not......thats stupid.

[shaunevo]

Yes I did try that, then the sound bar keeps losing the source so I have to turn the soundbar off at the plug to reset. Also I have more than to units to plug into the sound bar and the sound bar doesn't turn on and off all the time with the tv. Something that my 10 year old Sony tv and sorround system did fine. I've spent endless hours on the phone to Samsung then 2 service technicians have been out and still couldn't sort it. I've spent a lot of money on a hdmi2.1 lead only to find out the promise EARC firmware update hasn't been released yet but should be released in may but for only q90 models up So I'm lucky. 

[bcab17]

---

@ChrisThomson wrote:

.....the INSTRUCTIONS say to plug external devices via hdmi to the SOUNDBAR.......then soundbar to tv via arc.

thia will reault in NO lip sync between external devices and NO lip sync on internal apps......that simple

anyone who is having sync issues is pluging devices into the tv.....the downfall is it makes your 1 connect box less usefull (it also makes your tv speakers less usefull?)

the Q series soundbars have some problems but i believe the sync issue is just people going to the tv first and refusing to follow instructions.....would these same people put deisle in a ferarri and expect the ferarri to handle it because they paid a lot? Ofcourse not......thats stupid.

---

Good and valid points. If you have no more than two external devices, connecting to the Q90 soundbar should, in theory, work.

For my experience, it did not. The soundbar worked fine when only one HDMI input was used. As soon as I connected another source to the second HDMI input, the Q90R tv would not recognize the second source, showing a "no signal" message when the second source was selected. 

I returned the first soundbar, and then gave up when the same thing happened with the second soundbar. I have read about the same issue in forums, so this was not an isolated problem at the time. 

This was back in late December, so perhaps subsequent updates may have fixed this issue. I was under a tight retail return window, so I went the optical audio route, and have been perfectly happy with my picture and sound quality ever since. 

[akz786]

---

@ChrisThomson wrote:

.....the INSTRUCTIONS say to plug external devices via hdmi to the SOUNDBAR.......then soundbar to tv via arc.

thia will reault in NO lip sync between external devices and NO lip sync on internal apps......that simple

anyone who is having sync issues is pluging devices into the tv.....the downfall is it makes your 1 connect box less usefull (it also makes your tv speakers less usefull?)

the Q series soundbars have some problems but i believe the sync issue is just people going to the tv first and refusing to follow instructions.....would these same people put deisle in a ferarri and expect the ferarri to handle it because they paid a lot? Ofcourse not......thats stupid.

---

do you own or use any of these products?or are you here to give useless analogy's which make no sense...

[shaunevo]

Same issues still if connected directly to the soundbar. I won’t use the optical as I’m them not able to get Dolby Atoms.

[me83]

---

@shaunevo wrote:

I have a q950r tv with q90 soundbar. After 6 months of waiting for up dates I'm on the latest 1359 software that at first I was told didn't exist until the service tec couldn't find any other fix. They are now saying the lip sync is down to the soundbar that I sent away with them to be checked. I've contacted the retailer to start the process to get my money back but first I have to wait to get the results from the soundbar. 

---

It took me around 2 months going to the retailer, who was going to Samsung, who was engaging their local engineers. Samsung was telling the retailer there is no recognised problem and I had to endure 3 separate home visits.

The retailer contacted me to say that there is no recognised problem and that the engineers report stated as such. Knowing this to be completely incorrect, I pulled out my trump card - the internal Samsung brief supplied to the engineers that clearly confirms a known issue with sound processing by the TV's One Connect box (good job I took a photo of it!). I also contacted the engineer directly by phone using the number he called me on before the visit and he went through the system notes and confirmed not once did it say what the retailer was claiming and that he confirms the audio delay.

I sent the photo to the retailer, confirmed my conversation with the engineer and threatened small claims court. Within 1 day, I took a call advising me that my claim under the Consumer Rights Act had been successful. Yesterday morning two people arrived and took the TV and soundbar away and I'm now awaiting my full refund.

It's a shame that these companies act in this way and it's certainly put me off every going for Samsung again.

[bcab17]

You’re absolutely right...using the optical workaround gives up Atmos. We each make our own decision. Some choose to fight on with hours of searching for solutions, reading numerous forums, calling Samsung, while others decide to go the optical route. It’s all a matter of how much frustration you are willing to put up with (and for how long).

For me, Atmos was not a necessity. 5.1 Dolby Digital, with no lip-sync problems works great for me.

[userjYtfoTda0t]

---

@shaunevo wrote:

I have a q950r tv with q90 soundbar. After 6 months of waiting for up dates I'm on the latest 1359 software that at first I was told didn't exist until the service tec couldn't find any other fix. They are now saying the lip sync is down to the soundbar that I sent away with them to be checked. I've contacted the retailer to start the process to get my money back but first I have to wait to get the results from the soundbar. 

---

Don't expect that this can be fixed by the soundbar. A few pages back it's clarified that Samsung knows about the bad implementation in the TV (box). The only thing you can do is one of the various work-arounds that avoids sending Dolby Digital sound from HDMI through the TV. See link below:

https://eu.community.samsung.com/bgros26334/board/message?board.id=uk-tv&message.id=35682#M35682 

[Ian57]

Hi bcab17

I'm interested in understanding your System configuration and how many external devices you have connected via optical?  Are you using an optical switch, if so which one?  Could you please post a description of your system and how you have connected your devices.  Thanks.

[ChrisThomson]

Why would you assume that? I have q90 tv and q90 soundbar.

The q70 soundbar only has 1 additional hdmi...if you need more then its not the soundbar for you. I bought the q90 soundbar as it has 2 additional hdmi inputs

Now.....when you have two external devices into the soundbar you need to press the home setting....goto the input section (not just the soundbar icon) then goto the hdmi inputs and it will let you select hdmi 1 or 2 etc