When the sound arrives a beat after the lips move, it's almost never broken gear — it's processing delay, and nearly every TV and soundbar has a slider to dial it out. The picture takes longer to process than the audio (or vice versa through a soundbar), so the two drift apart. The fix is finding the A/V sync adjustment and nudging it. Here's where it lives and how to set it.
First, find where the delay is
- Built-in TV speakers out of sync? Adjust on the TV.
- Sound through a soundbar/receiver? Adjust on the soundbar/receiver first — it's the more common culprit because it adds its own processing. A brand-specific walkthrough covers LG TV lip-sync delay with a soundbar.
The fix: A/V sync adjustment by brand
Set this while watching talking heads (news anchors are ideal) and nudge until lips match.
- LG: Settings > Sound > AV Sync Adjustment (Settings > All Settings > Sound > Additional Settings).
- Samsung: Settings > Sound > Expert Settings > Digital Output Audio Delay.
- Sony: Settings > Display & Sound > Audio output > A/V Sync.
- TCL/Hisense (Google TV): Settings > Display & Sound > Audio > Audio Sync / Lip Sync.
- Vizio: Menu > Audio > Lip Sync.
- Soundbar (Sonos/Samsung/Sony/Vizio): look for Audio Delay / TV Dialog Sync / Lip Sync in the soundbar's app or remote settings.
If a slider isn't enough
- Turn off heavy picture processing. Motion smoothing and noise reduction add picture lag that throws off sync. Switch the TV to Game Mode or a Cinema/Filmmaker mode to cut processing — often this alone fixes it.
- Disable any "audio sync" on the source too (some streaming apps and consoles have their own).
- Match the audio path. A format the soundbar has to decode (Atmos/DTS) adds latency vs. PCM — if sync only drifts on certain content, try setting the TV's digital audio out to PCM to test.
- Power-cycle the chain (TV + soundbar, unplug 30+ seconds) to clear a one-off handshake that left them misaligned.
If sync drifts in and out
That's usually an eARC/HDMI re-handshake on a marginal link. Swap to a certified cable; if it still drifts, an optical connection for audio is a clean, low-latency fallback that doesn't re-negotiate the way eARC does (note: optical can't carry Atmos).
FAQ
Why is my TV's sound behind the picture? Processing delay — the video takes longer to render than the audio. Use the TV or soundbar's A/V sync slider to push the audio later to match.
Where's the lip-sync setting? On LG it's AV Sync Adjustment (Sound settings); Samsung calls it Digital Output Audio Delay; Sony, A/V Sync. Soundbars have an Audio Delay setting in their app.
Sync is fine on TV speakers but off with my soundbar. Adjust on the soundbar — it adds its own processing. Also turn off the TV's motion smoothing.
It keeps drifting. A marginal eARC link re-handshaking. Try a certified cable, or use optical audio for a stable low-latency path.