Audio sync problem - new amp required?

[admin_exported]

Ever since I upgraded my tv I have started to get occasional audio-video sync problems. The system is a mixture of analogue and digital which makes me wonder if I need to upgrade the amp to solve the problem having read a little about HDMI auto audio-video sync on 1.3 etc etc. The system is as follows:

TV: Sony Bravia KDL-37W5810

Blu Ray: Sony BDP-S560, connected to tv via HDMI and amp via digital optical audio

Amp: Sony STR-DB2000

Sky+ Box: Normal definition Sky +, connected to TV via scart, and amp via digital optical audio

Apple TV, connected to TV via HDMI and amp via digital optical audio

The audio sync problem occurs on Sky broadcasts, predominantly recorded, very occasionally live, Apple TV programs either downloaded from iTunes, locally stored or streaming. Initially I thought the Apple TV was an encoding issue in the MP4 conversion but since I have worse sync issues with Sky am no longer convinced. There are no problems with Blu Ray at all.

There appears to be no obvious cause or remedy. Pausing/re-starting seems to solve it sometimes but not always. I cannot discern a pattern, and cannot identify any audio sync delay option on the menu of the amp.

I need to know:

1. Do I need an amp with HDMI inputs/outputs and sync options on the menu to solve this? Any Sony recommendations that are not outrageously expensive?

2. Will a Sky HD upgrade solve this or make no difference?

Any help much appreciated.

Jamie

 

[Anonymous]

I experienced sync problems with Sky+ (Std Def) when connecting to my amp using the optical output. Found numerous other people with the same complaint but no fixes.

In the end I simply feed sound and picture to my TV via the scart connection and hooked my TV's optical output to my amp. All my synch problems went away at the expense of getting the Dolby Digital output. I found none of the programs I watch on sky are ever broadcast in DD so not a problem for me. Might be more of an issue for you if you watch Sky movies.

I believe the Sky HD box has adjustment for synch but have no idea how useful it is.

Would be interested to here if you ever find a better solution.

Dave

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dave, I will let you know if I solve it.

The only other comment is that I have used the optical audio out on Sky + since it was launched and it has never been an issue. This problem has only emerged when I changed the tv so not sure what the issue is.

Jamie

 

[aliEnRIK]

A lot of issues are due to the incorrect FILM MODE settings

It would be wise to use the CINEMA mose as thats closest to true calibrated settings 'out of the box'

Switch off all the extra processing thats not needed and select FILM MODE 2 for 'everything'

When watching a bluray press the 'THEATRE' switch which will auto switch to FILM MODE 1 as well as do whatever else it does to work its best with 24Hz material

The other issue is purely 'response' time, my 46W5500 is set to a 50ms delay to counteract lip sync problems (Depends how youve got it all set up though)

 

[Anonymous]

Speaking of response time, you could also look at some of the image processing options you have enabled on your TV, turn them off and you may find your TV stands a better chance of putting the image out in real time and in synch with Sky rather than slightly delayed due to image processing.

Might explain why you started to see the problem after switching TV's

 

[Oldboy]

Spot on advice there!! I had the same problem when i purchased my 40W5500 before xmas and trust me with this turn all the processing modes off entirely including motionflow if you can live without it and the sync problems should sort themselves out. I now only need a delay applied to SD material through the Vbox and that delay is also set to 50ms as stated above by another post, perhaps that is no coincidence?

Also you don't have to use the theatre button on your remote as i found it much more productive to use the cinema setting in the scene menu which then gives you the opportunity to change the settings and store them for various sources. Might just be my TV but i could never get the settings to store when i changed them in theatre mode, just a thought.

 

[aliEnRIK]

Oldboy:

Might just be my TV but i could never get the settings to store when i changed them in theatre mode, just a thought.

Theatre mode actually uses cinema mode. So cinema mode needs to be calibrated and theatre mode then switches cinema mode to FILM MODE 1 specifically to be used with 24hz (Blu ray) material

Pressing it again simply switches it off (Back to FILM MODE 2 if thats how it was)

 

[Oldboy]

Nice one! I never knew that but what is the difference between the two film modes? For my HD movie viewing i use Auto 1 but i have been told to use film mode Auto 2 for viewing SD material but why? I can't seem to see any difference in the quality of the picture so is this right and do you know what the film modes actually do?

Many thanks!

 

[aliEnRIK]

Oldboy:
Nice one! I never knew that but what is the difference between the two film modes? For my HD movie viewing i use Auto 1 but i have been told to use film mode Auto 2 for viewing SD material but why? I can't seem to see any difference in the quality of the picture so is this right and do you know what the film modes actually do?

Many thanks!

Theatre mode is specifically for bluray viewing (material recorded at 24Hz). Im not entirely sure what else it does but I know its not just moving the FILM MODE to 1. But with theatre mode switched on, blurays should run exactly as they should~ nice and smooth

The difference between them is FILM MODE 2 tries its best to work out exactly what material is being played as SD material is more often than not a mix of various 'frames' and not progressive like blurays. Without film mode 2 the tv 'trips up' and can result in it showing frames 'out of sequence'

I had film mode 1 switched on at 1st when I didnt know any better and some freeview programs in particular REALLY fell out of sync (So bad the lip sync was a good second out or so!)

For the record ~ I HATE 'motion flow'. It can throw lip sync completely out and some hidef movies ive tried it with looked absolutely awful. 'SOME' material looks 'ok' with it, but its not natural looking at all so I always keep it switched off

 

[Oldboy]

Thank you aliEnRIK,

That will be the reason why i had so many problems with my lip-sync when i first got my new TV and it's reasurring to know my settings are correct, i had exactly the same problem with SD programmes. I still get some examples of lip-sync problems but that will be fixed when my new bluray player arrives next week (Sony BDPS760) as i am currently using my PS3 for dvd, bluray and gaming so that occasionally throws in some lip-sync problems when going from one source to the other and i've never been able to fix it.

Do agree with you about motionflow and here is another reason i am upgrading, i find myself needing to use it too often as the PS3 is hopeless with motion (especially fast panning action) in an effort to smooth out the picture but the problem is that it makes motion a touch un-natural and intoduces artefacts into the picture so i just can't win no matter what i do. It also introduces more problems with the lip-sync of course so more problems.

 

[aliEnRIK]

I thought my PS3 wasnt too great with motion either, but I went through 'frame by frame' and found it was the actual way the disc was encoded. You might find theres little difference between them (My PS3 runs through a mains filter though so it definitely runs better than normal)

Are you sure your PS3 settings are correct too?

 

[Oldboy]

Yes my PS3 settings are definately correct that i am sure about....for a change LOL. My PS3 runs through a mains conditioner too but i found it made only a slight difference to the sound and did not affect the picture atall, i even replaced my old 32" Sony LCD just before xmas to a kdl40W5500 and (obviously) the picture improved but motion is still an issue. My BDPS760 arrives tomorrow so will post with the results of a comparison between the two, i don't expect an amazing difference between the two but i do expect a better picture and sound.

Just out of interest is there anything in the PS3 settings that help with motion? I've tried going through the settings myself but there seems to be nothing that affects motion

 

[aliEnRIK]

Oldboy:
Yes my PS3 settings are definately correct that i am sure about....for a change LOL. My PS3 runs through a mains conditioner too but i found it made only a slight difference to the sound and did not affect the picture atall, i even replaced my old 32" Sony LCD just before xmas to a kdl40W5500 and (obviously) the picture improved but motion is still an issue. My BDPS760 arrives tomorrow so will post with the results of a comparison between the two, i don't expect an amazing difference between the two but i do expect a better picture and sound.

Just out of interest is there anything in the PS3 settings that help with motion? I've tried going through the settings myself but there seems to be nothing that affects motion

The biggest difference to my PS3 wasnt the conditioner but the mains cable I fitted to it

Theres no 'motion specific' options

But if youve set to 'convert' the signal (To RGB say) then that could upset it

 

[aliEnRIK]

Just to add ~ I dont think its a good idea to plug the PS3 through a Tacima as PS3s are pretty power hungry