New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on June 22, 2022) follows:

Similar to Hulu and DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV is one of the most popular live TV streaming services available. It features content from more than 85 TV networks such as PBS, CBS, ABC, and FOX among many others.

As of September 2021, it had surpassed Hulu as the biggest virtual multichannel video programming distributor and had more than 4 million subscribers.

YouTube-TV-inline-new

That said, users have faced various issues in the last few months such as CBS March Madness flickering and commercials freezing.

Adding to the trouble, many YouTube TV subscribers are experiencing audio sync issues after the recent 5.1 surround sound update (1,2,3,4,5).

User reports suggest that the problem is making it almost hard to watch any shows or movies. You can see what some YouTube TV subscribers have to say about the issue in the reports below.

YouTube-TV-audio-sync-issues-after-5.1-surround-sound-update
Source

CCFGTV: Delayed Sound When Changing Channels and Out of Sync. Anybody else experience a 10 second sound delay after the video appears when changing channels? And the video seems to be out of sync with the sound by just a few milliseconds as the person’s lips just don’t seem to match the sound when talking. This is happening on a CCFGTV, no sound delay or out of video/sound sync is happening on the same Roku TV running the YTTV app.
(Source)

Audio sync ongoing issues. Been an issue for months- most prominently with the local networks (prime example is the Stanley Cup game tonight on ABC). I’ve rebooted hardware (both Google CC w/GTV and Shield TV) which sometimes temporarily alleviates but this has become a chronic issue. Is YTTV working on this? I can’t recall it ever being an issue with either cable or satellite TV.
(Source)

Thankfully, the Reddit YouTube Community Manager shed some light on the matter and said the YouTube TV engineering team is currently investigating the audio sync issue that surfaced after the 5.1 surround sound update.

Definitely not just you — I have seen several other reports of audio sync issues, and the engineering team is actively investigating these. When you get the chance, mind sharing a pic of your stats for nerds when this is happening so I may pass it along with your report? Thanks in advance!
(Source)

We hope the developers soon find out why this is happening and fix the problem as soon as possible. Until then, we will be keeping tabs on further developments and update the story as and when required.

In the meantime, check out our YouTube bugs and issues tracker to see similar issues affecting users.

Update 1 (August 03, 2022)

05:53 pm (IST): A user has suggested that clicking fast-forward and then tapping on the play button corrects the audio. Those affected can try it as a potential workaround and see if it helps.

Update 2 (January 30, 2023)

04:23 pm (IST): YouTube support now say that they are working to fix this issue. In the meantime, they’ve suggested those affected turn off 5.1 audio and see if it helps.

we’re aware of the issue & currently working on a fix. in the meantime, can you turn off your 5.1 audio to see if it helps? if this doesn’t work, send us a screenshot of the ‘Stats for nerds’ so we can take a closer look (Source)

Update 3 (February 13, 2023)

01:28 pm (IST): Some users reported audio sync issue with the Super Bowl game. However, YouTube support has confirmed that they have resolved the problem.

if you’re referring to the audio sync issue on the Super Bowl LVII Pregame show, this has been fixed. if you experience otherwise, relaunching the app & restarting your device + router might do the trick (Source)

Update 4 (April 21, 2023)

05:39 pm (IST): YouTube team has confirmed that they’ve narrowed down the primary cause of the a/v sync issue when surround sound is turned on. Moreover, they’ll be testing a fix soon.

5.1 Audio/Video Sync: After extensive investigation, we believe we’ve narrowed down the primary cause of the a/v sync issues when surround sound is turned on and will be testing a fix soon. (Source)

Update 5 (June 7, 2023)

05:59 pm (IST): There is a good news for YouTube TV users as support is going to roll out some fixes over the next few weeks to address A/V sync issues across Live playback:

5.1 Audio/Video Sync: We’re rolling out some fixes over the next few weeks to address A/V sync issues across Live playback. We continue to welcome feedback! Feel free to leave a picture of your Stats for Nerds and your device information on this thread if you’re still experiencing issues. We’re also actively working on a separate follow on fix for VOD audio sync issues.
Source

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PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Anurag Chawake
1373 Posts

My fascination with technology and computers goes back to the days of Windows XP. Since then, I have been tinkering with OS, mobile phones, and other things. When I am not working on anything, you will find me enjoying video games on some Discord server.

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