Lip sync on Q90R with 5.1 input - Page 8

d00p · ‎30-05-2019

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)?

Weegro · ‎06-12-2019

The DD 5.1 delay is bad with a cable box and even worse on an Xbox. With an Xbox One S, Q85 and Sonos Beam I just tried HDMI arc and the delay is terrible as usual, just tried optical out straight from the Xbox to the Beam (using Sonos's optical to HDMI adapter) and the delay is still really bad but seemed to be improved very slightly, stereo still much better. So still the only audio option that doesn't induce delay either through arc or optical is just setting it to stereo.

My firmware still shows 1315 though. 1335 not available through the software update feature on the TV yet, anyone know when this will be available? And are people noticing an improvement on 1335?

Weegro · ‎06-12-2019

Just realised I bypassed the TV using the optical method and still noticed a delay, so looks like the Xbox is the problem in this situation

m-oc · ‎06-12-2019

If you have a USB memory stick you can download it from here:

https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/model/QE55Q90RATXXU/

samsung release it to the TVs in stages and it can take weeks.

userjYtfoTda0t · ‎06-12-2019

@Weegro wrote:
Just realised I bypassed the TV using the optical method and still noticed a delay, so looks like the Xbox is the problem in this situation

Isn't the audio early in this case (say about 45ms) ? It is normal that you with audio connected directly to your AVR/Soundbar must add a delay in the AVR/Soundbar to compensate for the video delay in the TV.

bcab17 · ‎06-12-2019

PART 1:
I have a Q90R tv and Q80R soundbar. I reported earlier that the lip sync problem only applied to my cable box (set to DD 5.1 audio), connected to the TV with HDMI, with the tv and soundbar connected with HDMI ARC. I also reported that my Roku Ultra, connected to the tv the same way, did NOT have the lip-sync issue...THAT WAS WRONG. I checked several apps on the Roku again, and the lip-sync problem is absolutely there (only not quite as severe as with the cable box). I connected asnd tested an old Samsung Blu-ray player, and the lip sync is as bad or worse than the cable box.

This confirms that ANY external source sending DD over HDMI to the Q90R tv will experience the lip sync problem when the tv is connected to the soundbar via ARC.

I assumed (stupidly) that changing the connection from TV to soundbar from ARC to Optical would solve the lip sync problem, but I have read enough posts to know that it doesn't. So, if you don't want to settle for 2.0 audio from your external sources, the only lip sync workaround I am aware of, is to connect ALL external sources directly to the soundbar (of course, the soundbar only has two HDMI inputs). If you need more inputs, I assume adding an external HDMI switcher should work (as long as it passes 4K).

m-oc · ‎06-12-2019

If the Q80R soundbar behaves like the Q90R Then you may find that the tv and sound bar switch off together but when you switch the TV on the soundbar will stay off.

bcab17 · ‎06-12-2019

PART 2:
Connecting the cable box to the soundbar solved the lip sync problem, and HDMI-CEC partially worked...at least, the soundbar automatically switched inputs between the cable box and the internal streaming apps (most of the time) when each option was selected. So, I decided to connect the Roku directly to the other HDMI input on the soundbar. That should solve the Roku lip sync problem, too...right? Well, it didn't. NOTHING worked. The soundbar input was stuck on HDMI 2, and I couldn't manually change inputs. The tv didn't recognize the ARC connection, so there was no way to get the cable box or Roku audio or video. I had to reset the tv and the soundbar, and went back to only connecting the cable box to the soundbar.

So, for me, as long as I only connect the cable box to the soundbar, and relegate the Roku (at least the TV's internal apps get me much of the same content) and Blu-ray player to another room, I have a "working system."

I suppose the next thing I'll try is to turn off CEC, and try the cable box and Roku connection to the soundbar again. Perhaps taking CEC out of the equation, and manually selecting sources/inputs on the tv and soundbar may work. I plan to reprogram my URC remote to do some simple macros, like "Watch Cable" that will select the proper tv and soundbar inputs.

But wait...I have been told that Samsung does not have discreet IR codes for the soundbar inputs (no way to directly select a specific input...you can only cycle through them), which makes creating a working macro virtually impossible. I found this out from some of our "forum friends" discussing using these Samsung products with Harmony remotes.

bcab17 · ‎06-12-2019

@m-oc wrote:
If the Q80R soundbar behaves like the Q90R Then you may find that the tv and sound bar switch off together but when you switch the TV on the soundbar will stay off.

Correct! When I refered to the CEC mostly working, that was the issue...power off with TV (YES), power on with TV (NO).

This behavior occured as soon as I connected the cable box to the soundbar. Originally, when everything was connected to the tv, and only the tv to soundbar ARC connection was used, both power on and off worked everytime.

Lots of money spent, even more frustration.

m-oc · ‎06-12-2019

Sorry to hear this. You have the same experience as me. If you can return them I would suggest you do.

bcab17 · ‎06-12-2019

PART 3:

With all the frustration trying to make my relatively simple A/V setup work with two compatible Samsung products, at least I'm still in the return period for both the Samsung TV and soundbar, so the search continues.

I've been reading so many threads in different forums that my eyes are bleeding. I am under the impression that pretty much ANY TV and Soundbar combination, when connecting a cable box or other external source (set to output DD audio) via HDMI, will experience some level of lip sync problem. If anyone has this type of setup, without a lip sync problem, please let us know what tv and soundbar you're using.

The other part of this is how the Q80R soundbar could not handle two external HDMI connections. I'm holding out faith that other soundbars can handle this.

So, for now, I'm looking for a soundbar-subwoofer combo in which the soundbar has at least 3 HDMI inputs, plus HDMI ARC, and doesn't freak out when you use those inputs. Having direct acces to the inputs with discreet IR codes would be GREAT, too...maybe SONY? If anyone has any soundbar suggestions to try, please let me know.

THANKS TO ALL.