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)?

[Ian57]

A smooth move to return your Samsung equipment and replace it.  Unfortunately many of us are now past the point where that is possible.  I pressed the UK Presidents Office to replace my 2019 spec TV with a 2020 model or to give me a refund code to use with the supplier.  They refused on both counts.

[JImannie]

My biggest regret

Like many of you I was hoping to buy a new 65” Samsung Q90 last August, but was concerned with all the comments Re it’s lip-sync problems. Eventually I went to my local TV shop to try and compare. The Samsung in the showroom was ok but the sound from the speakers sounded like wasps in a jam jar and was going to need an additional sound bar which meant sip-sync problems. 

The Sony had good sound but cost about £700 more and had an annoying delay every time I changed channel. After much time I went for the LG and have never looked back. It has great sound without a sound bar and great picture which changes without delay. I have one major regret now that I have got used to the much bigger screen, I so much wish I had bought the 75” set

[Ben7777]

So, the SKY Q is a 3rd party system? I use apple tv for most apps, looks like the Sky q is a subscription tho. I seriously can't believe Samsung is out selling these as a flagship model and they don't sync with Dolby. WTF?!

[Ben7777]

Unbelievable. I bought the Samsung over the LG because I need the tv to be brighter w glare reduction (it goes in a living room with a lot of windows) but this is ridiculous. 

[Ben7777]

Exactly, I had to dumb it down to PCM (all sent through HDMI ARC to the sound system). In PCM, it syncs. But if you let the TV auto choose, it wants to use the more robust system which definitely sounds better but does not sync. The picture is ahead of the sound, Samsung settings only let me delay sound further. Hence, we need to DUMB it down, which is dumb.

[slomar]

I also bought this TV over and LG because of the brightness factor.  But I seriously regret it.  The HDR is abysmal on it plus the audio / CEC issues.  I've mostly got it working "good enough" by having my Shield plugged into the soundbar instead of the TV.

I won't buy a TV where I can't return it to a physical store again.  Had to send the first back to Samsung because of a bad panel which is sort of why I didn't send the second one back thinking these problems were fixable.  It is highly unlikely I will ever buy another Samsung TV or soundbar again as this is the most I've ever spent on either and it's provided the worst experience of any TV / AV purchase I've made in my lifetime.  

[StevenLyall]

Interesting - do we know that the 2020 models don't have lip-sync issues?

[Ian57]

2020 models - no I don’t know for certain but my perception is that all the threads relating to lip sync issues date back to 2019 and continuing into 2020, rather than new threads being started.  My understanding is that 2020 models do have eARC but again I’m not certain if this does fix the lip sync issue?  eArC does have a higher bandwidth capacity which would benefit the higher data rate Dolby audio signals.

Anyone with a 2020 model TV like to comment please.

[userjYtfoTda0t]

There was a post from cminer72 in this thread that his Q90T has a setting for "audio pass through" that rectifies the Dolby Digital delay through the TV. This strengthens my hypothesis that the Q90R delay is due to decoding/recoding of the audio stream, which should not be done when sending the audio to soundbar/AVR.

[Ian57]

Yes I recall that thread and it makes sense that 2020 spec TVs have this option which eliminates the lip sync issue.  I’m guessing that this may require a hardware circuitry modification otherwise it should be a relatively simple software modification to implement an audio bypass for Q90R TVs?