Your Soundbar Setup is Wrong - Here’s Why! (Soundbar 1.3)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- AV-sync is such an important consideration for those shopping for a soundbar that we've included a test for this since version 1.0 of our test bench. However, we've been calling this measurement "latency," which is not strictly correct. Our recently published version 1.3 of the soundbar test bench corrects this by directly measuring latency according to its definitions and also introduces measurements for different audio formats, including Dolby Atmos. Indeed, the format played affects audio latency and, ultimately, AV synchronization. In this video, we look at a simple way to improve your home theatre setup and resolve those pesky AV-sync issues simply by changing what input you use!
0:00 Intro
0:31 AV-Sync Overview
2:14 Latency Testing
3:09 Latency Results
3:59 Gaming Impacts
4:21 Limitations of this Approach
4:53 Conclusion
For more details about our testing process, check out our article:
www.rtings.com/soundbar/learn...
Soundbar Table Tool:
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We still need a whole lot more sound bars among other devices to natively support fully-featured H/bandwidth HDMI 2.1 inputs.
Have a LG C3 with the LG soundbar C. I have my series x hooked directly to the soundbar then to the tv. And I still have audio sync issues. With all the smart features and technology it surprises me that this is even an issue. Used to have an older Sony tv with soundbar and never had an issue😅
Abby you are awesome! Keep it up!
The main issue with using the Sound Bar HDMI pass-through port is that it's rarely as good as the HDMI 2.1 port on the TV itself. It should get better with time, but will stay unreliably complicated when it's so hard to find a clear answer as to what the actual GBps Bandwidth value of the HDMI 2.1 port is (because it's not standard)
Thank you! Finally fixed the issue of my apple tv and soundbar. Had my apple to the tv, then to the soundbar. Putting the apple to bar, to the tv fixed my latency issue. Was using bluetooth as a work around and drive me nuts!
What soundbar are you running?
Nice! We're happy we could help!
@@Nathan_Flamm vizio M213ad-K8
Perks of an AVR always having HDMI ports. I'd be curious about the processing latency of an AVR and how it compares to the sound bars with HDMI.
This is great! I have a Sonos Playbar with an optical connection run from my QN90B and I've always had a small but perceptible sync issue. I was going to upgrade to the newest Sonos soundbar with the hope that eARC would fix it but maybe that's not entirely the case.
Let us know if it fixes your issue!
Hi Abby thanks for the FYI about soundbar hook up. 😊
FYI, if anyone with Samsung soundbar and TV and want to use qsymphony, it will only work if your content plugs into the TV, then your soundbar is plugged into your earc port
This flips the older issue I tended to see: TV's post processing on the video image causing it to fall well behind the audio if the signal was fed to an AV receiver first.
I'm still running all devices to the TV first, and an optical cable from my TV to an older AV Receiver with no ARC port. No sync issues at all with Dolby Digital 5.1. I wonder if most soundbars cheap out and have slower processing power than a true AV Receiver, causing the sound sync delay.
Yeah I have a 5-port HDMI splitter hooked directly into the back of my soundbar and it works flawlessly for 4K HDR and Atmos playback with no delays or sync issues. My TV is over five years old and only has ARC and not eARC so I leave CEC disabled.
OMG! I almost clicked away from this video. The DeSync makes me insane!
Gotcha 😏
Since my LG SP9YA does not support HDMI 1.4 and the bandwidth required for 4K@120Hz my setup with PC is to connect PC directly to the TV and the soundbar to eARC on my LG C1, enable eARC and Mode Control (NOT Sound Mode Share) on the TV, set passthrough to bitstream and select anything but Dolby Atmos (i.e. stereo to 7.1) as output format on the PC.
With those settings there is no noticeable delay and I can even play Rhythm Doctor and like.
And when playing from Netflix or TH-cam on the TV, the sound sync works also flawlessly.
you guys are doing the lord's work!
Thanks for doing this. 🎉
My experience is that passing through external equipment through the tv and down to reciever introduces delay because the tv took too long to process the audio and then pass it along. My c2 basically fixed that and lg have mostly addressed those issues now. But i have still noticed the audio is still ever so slightly delayed going by fact when my dualsense mimics the tv sound there is a very slight echo effect. But its barely noticeble. It was horrible on my old c7 oled. Anybody with a ps4/5 and running it over arc using bitstream will know what im on about. Used to have to just turn off the dualsense speaker lol
I've noticed that av sync issues seem to be due to TV audio section to be direct sound. It has fixed all of my issues
My current Atmos bar is about as good as anything I hear for it's price range these days but, it's HDMI 2.0--IE: Useless for gaming well, except the Switch. It'd be insanity for me to replace it for a port worth a few dollars.
Actually my Sound bar was set up 100% correct. thanks.
I only want to change inputs on one device (the TV) instead of 2 (SB and TV) when switching between TV apps or antenna and an external device. The only way to do this is to use the TV's inputs with ARC to the SB. I don't notice any latency issues.
Well considering I have fine AV sync and input latency is the most important aspect for any TV I have I am keeping my source > TV > sound setup.
Are you planning on making the various a/v sync patterns available to readers/viewers? It seems like there are not a lot of patterns available outside of PCM.
I have QN90B tv & Q990B soundbar. So I connected my ATV HDMI out to TV HDMI IN directly, soundbar eARC to TV ARC is it right way of doing. By connecting this way it will cause latency issue? Or Do I need to plug ATV directly HDMI out to eARC soundbar then Soundbar HDMI IN to TV HDMI out Which is one right. Appreciate your suggestions!
You should talk about how LG oleds have a delay on audio via soundbar
Everyone wants to be like Mike! Thanks Mike, Abby and co.
We couldn't agree more😄 Thanks for watching!
Another great video - we need few HDMI inputs on the next gen of Sonos Arc
Thank you for watching! 😄
For me it is the exact opposite. When I plug in my apple tv directly in the tv and sound coming out of the soundbar i don't have this latency
Sometimes when I open a TH-cam video my PC takes a while to sync audio and video, it has a slow integrated GPU and an old CPU and it's a bad combo for high resolution videos on youtube - from Firefox it's even a bit worse.
I really thought the intro was just my PC having its typical problems, then it clicked.
Just as planned 😏
No talk of AVR's? I've been having a sync issue from time to time. Just assumed it was an issue with the stream. Maybe it's the sync.
How can a soundbar passthru 4k/120 signal in under a frame but a tv can't passthru a 5.1 audio signal in single milliseconds... Is this a spec/standards issue or what
Lots of them can't pass 4k 120.
Soundbars have such low video passthrough latency because they don't really do any processing on the signal that is passed on. They almost behave as HDMI splitters (with one output "going to the soundbar" and the other going to the TV
All TVs (so far) seem to have to intercept the audio signal rather than just "split it off" because audio is embedded in the video frames of an AV signal.
A TV probably processes a frame of video, reads the audio, then puts that audio into a buffer while it prioritizes complete processing of the video for motion reasons.
Definitely a good question though!
Can soundbars handle VRR ?
pc gpu to e-arc converter to soundbar
Why is it the case that TV's audio passthrough introduces significant latency, but soundbar's video passthrough doesn't? It seems like there would be no difference between the two setups if TV's implemented this part better.
Is that rtings latency test video avaiable for general use, or is that internal only?
We hope to make it available for general use at some point soon!
Hello on the lg 5.1 soundbar there is the option of surround sound setting In the settings part of the column, should this option be set to on or off?
Basically what it does is transform the 2.1 stereo sound into a 5.1 I wonder what is the correct configuration option if it would be on or off since in advance I appreciate in some soundbar there must be original sound or surround sound
Hello!
Our experts are happy to answer your questions via our forums on our website! www.rtings.com/forums
@@RTINGSdotcom By clicking on the 404 error link
It's so crazy that that is a thing.
I got a new TV recently (Sony KD-55X85L) and am currently trying to figure out how I should go about giving it some more bass.
I used to have a Samsung UE32D6500 with Bose Companion 5 speakers connected thru the headphone output and AUX input. (not really the intended use, they're USB computer speakers)
But I never had any latency issues.
My PC is connected to a Z906 with 3 3.5mm jacks (R/L; C/Sub; RL/RR) - and I also have nothing to complain about.
My parents got a soundbar tho, and it's incredibly infuriating that latency seemingly differs between regular TV and apps like TH-cam - and neither feels synced 'by default' to me, with neither being 100% accurate (so you can't just set and forget) - cause an internal sync option of the '21 Philips 'The One' doesn't apply different settings per input.
They don't really notice it, but it drives me crazy.
And now I'm apparently facing this issue as well.
I chose the Sony because it allows me to sideload adblocked TH-cam/Twitch apps and get rid of home menu suggestions/ads - but not having a headphone jack is crazy, when these options are apparently inferior (just like on many phones).
Also I'm *extremely* disappointed that before buying it I saw no mention of the fact that quality at 4K/120Hz (VRR+HDR) *dives off a cliff* - it looks absolutely atrocious, like upscaled 1080 at max, once you set a connected PC to 120Hz - it's fine at 60, but yeah - not what I bought it for.
Even these screen coatings nowadays are worse - with this awful half glossy/matte mishmash mush.
Like, my 13 year Samsung had a glossy one, but it was incredibly good at eliminating visible reflections, cause everything would have a fraction of its original luminance.
Shining a flashlight directly at it leads to a very diminished point reflection, like thru powerful sunglasses, barely noticeable.
The new one will have a bright smeary 'lens flare' all over. I swear we're going backwards!
Thinking about just connecting a singular sub via optical, and abusing the flaw that it just always fires, with the regular (quite powerful and balanced!) internal speakers providing mids/treble.
If I would go for speakers, I think I'd go for a flexible solution with regular ones, that I could expand and place more individually.
I have no idea what would be the best way to go about that (some A/V receiver) and it would probably have these same infuriating latency issues, so let's see (not that noticeable with a sub, helping properly synced internal ones, which was my thought).
Honestly no idea why manufacturers aren't selling just a sub as a frequency extender, via some sort of simple (proprietary even, fine by me) one cable connection, for the decent internal speakers - cause *the processing and latency of those is on point*. I don't get it! We already have the signal processed!
Also no idea why that's so hard, when previously I never had issues on any PC (5.1 surround), phone (wired headphones), or TV jacked out via aux.
This topic honestly is such a baffling and infuriating part of my life right now.
Cause otherwise the TV is pretty okay, apart from having only 16 dimming zones, which is awful.
Oh, and the official YT app wouldn't go past 1080p, because for some reason Android TV is so jank, that it internally reports 1080p to many apps, and Sony didn't really work around that.
But unlike the PC connection, I could test in the store that the sideloaded modified client fixes that perfectly, up to 4K (8K just leads to a corrupted image of digital noise, which is *also* so crazy, cause my PC on MPC-HC handles that just fine, so I don't get what the issue is.)
This would not be optimal for gaming though, since visual cues matter more and something late is better than all of it being late
PLEASE HELP
I'm using Soundbar with PC and projector and Soundbar is recognized as monitor which is stupid AF
So u r tellin me dat there is less latency if i connect a soundbar, that has hdmi, directly to my ps5 rather than an optical cable to the tv then the tv's hdmi to my ps5?
Yes, you'd want to set it up so the PS5 is connected to your soundbar, and then your soundbar is connected to your TV via HDMI.
Not to mention many devices like the Applet Tv 4K are even buggier with av synchronization complicating things further
This is not a fix, it’s a bandaid at best, the TV is not a monitor so the manufacturers need to sort it out or be shamed! I would like to see a test or the top TVs, soundbars and streamers to see if any brand is particularly bad
And what do you do if you have multiple systems hooked up to the TV then?
In short, it's not worth you to buy a soundbar if what you want and surround sound, right? All the soundbar reviews that come to none can deliver a good and quality surround sound so soundbar and like tv in this regard can't sound 5.1 surround? Only with msm home theater
Hello!
Our experts are happy to answer your questions via our forums on our website! www.rtings.com/forums
Is latency reduced when using a TV's built in apps and playing sound out of an eARC sound bar?
I’m curious about this as well.
When watching VOD it is synchronized, on You Tube have massive sound latency
Unfortunately, the eARC protocol can really only fix those cases where the display’s video latency is higher than the soundbar’s audio latency. If that's not the case, and the image appears on screen before you hear the audio, there isn't much you can do about it with your TV's built-in apps.
legal
I don't have anything connected to my TV, so guess there's nothing I can do!?
Dude. I just restarted the video because I thought my phone bless bugging out on the audio…..
😂
a soundbar needs setting up? 😂
ironic that this exact video has 150ms constant image delay after your fake intro
Just Get a good AVR 💯
Just some constructive feedback, not criticism...
Not all of us want a receiver and tower speakers and a big centre channel speaker and sub, but rather a more compact elegant solution that takes less space and uses less wires. You would be surprised at how good soundbars are now. I have a Samsung HW-Q600C with the optional SWA-9200S rear speakers and am very happy with the experience. I will agree Atmos isn't as good as dedicated height speakers (since the soundbar has two up-firing speakers that reflect sound off the ceiling and back down at you) but the overall volume and sound quality of the setup as a whole is very good. I have yet to have anyone come over to my place who has said otherwise. And for the price of about $825 Canadian that I paid for everything (including rear speaker stands), it's a fantastic value. Don't knock it until you try it.
Why do people get soundbars? Just get stand alone speakers and a receiver. Sooo much better
Space limitations. Little kids, Boisterous pets. Asthetics. Less money that speakers and amps and stands. Etc etc.
I still laugh at people that use an HDMI cable thinking it simplifies things. Sure, it makes for a cleaner install with less wires, but introduces another slew of issues as you've explained in this video. this is why my old school arse still uses 2-channel analog audio out from the source into my preamp, which in my case the source IS the preamp (oppo 205) 4k player w/ audiophile DAC with you guessed it.... analog XLR outputs that go straight into my McIntosh amplifier. there's literally 0 delay. start adding multi-channel stuff, atmos, wifi subs (talk about latency) and you have a recipe for disaster. if you really want to simplify things, use headphones. if it's date night then take her to the movies haha.
No circumstances should a soundbar ever be used when watching TV shows and movies. It's wrong to have undersized speakers in a bar.
Soundbar is just wrong, should've got proper home theater / home cinema or quality Stereo instead.
not everyone has the space for that. plus proper home cinema setup looks kinda old school.
wi-fi is just wrong, should've got proper ethernet cabling everywhere instead, also, as if anything that passes HDMI through another device (hello ARC / e-ARC) wouldn't have the same potential issues; doesn't matter if you have a "proper home cinema or quality stereo" - unless of course you're sooooo old school that you only use RCA audio jacks or, god forbid, TOSLINK... 🙄
@@lordkaiser1404 I know not eveyrone wants to have 6 or more speakers in the room, but you are telling me that you will find space for a plastic crap which tries to emulate sound and a subwoofer, but cannot find space for 2 bookshelf speakers and a sub?
Home cinema / home theater setup looks awesome, but of course you have to spend more then 200 dollars
@@sneikiusas they don't look awesome. well, probably awesome to the older generation.
@@lordkaiser1404 yet somehow plastic sausage looks much better then tower speakers and proper subs? :D cmon
What’s with the annoying clicking when you’re speaking? It’s irritating when I’m just trying to listen to your commentary.