When the audio arrives at the soundbar before the picture is displayed on the TV, it creates the dreaded lip-sync problem.
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The TV then splits the picture and sound, and feeds the audio to the soundbar via ARC down another HDMI cable. When watching this way, the picture and sound are passed from the box to TV via the HDMI cable. The problem comes when you attempt to watch some other video source connected to your TV, and is particularly prevalent with broadcast TV boxes such as Sky’s Q or Virgin’s V6. When simply watching Freeview, Freesat or one of the various apps directly on your TV, ARC usually handles the synchronisation without issue. Once you notice it, you won’t be able to unsee it. When things go wrong it can be infuriating – sometimes the picture can appear after the sound, which is most obvious when someone is speaking on screen and their speech doesn’t match up with the movement of their lips. The problems can affect soundbars of all types, and the audio may either run ahead of or lag behind the video. The trouble is, it relies on the TV sending the audio in time with the picture so that it can be played with perfect synchronisation. When it works, it is simple and effective. Today, the majority are with an HDMI cable using audio return channel or ARC for short.ĪRC is designed to have just one connection between your TV and sound system, feeding the video to your TV in one direction, and returning the television’s audio to the soundbar in the other. So why does such an apparently simple problem affect such advanced tech? The answer lies in how soundbars are connected to the TV. Once noticed, even a minor delay in the picture or sound can be infuriating. It is a problem that dogs numerous soundbars depending on how you go about watching the television, the sound can come slightly before or after the picture, creating a jarring lip-sync issue. But there is just one problem – it doesn’t always work as planned. A t just under £800, the latest soundbar from wifi audio specialist Sonos is an expensive but simple and very effective way to turn the sound from your TV into a cinema-like experience.