Fed up with Vms4100 lip sync issues

[Abizzlenyc]

I've read all the forum responses to this issue. 

I have my VMS4100 connected to my TV via hdmi. I have my TV connected to my soundbar via eARC. Every fios channel that utilizes actual surround sound gives me audio DELAY. Therefore, any adjustments I can make via my TV or the fios box can only delay the audio further. There is no negative audio delay option and that's what I need. 

 The audio delay is not tremendous. It's noticeable to me however. I can correct the delay by switching to LPCM in the user settings however this destroys my surround sound and simply outputs stereo. I've tried connecting the box directly to the soundbar and that does not fix the delay.

 No other source gives me audio delay. My ps5, the native smart TV apps, my USB hard drive.. All are perfectly in sync with the video. The problem is the fios box. 

 There are countless threads on this. On here. On reddit. I'm fed up with it. Fox News is a channel that outputs in stereo, regardless of what my box is set to. The audio is perfectly in sync. When I go to HBO, which is surround, the delay is present.

 I've enabled audio passthrough within the audio menu on the box. I've tried Auto and Passthrough in the user settings in the "hidden menu". I've turned the lip sync option to Auto and Off. There is no fix to this. 

 I'm very much open to suggestions but until enough people post about this, it will never get fixed. 

[clem21]

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@Abizzlenyc wrote:

I've read all the forum responses to this issue. 

I have my VMS4100 connected to my TV via hdmi. I have my TV connected to my soundbar via eARC. Every fios channel that utilizes actual surround sound gives me audio DELAY. Therefore, any adjustments I can make via my TV or the fios box can only delay the audio further. There is no negative audio delay option and that's what I need. 

 The audio delay is not tremendous. It's noticeable to me however. I can correct the delay by switching to LPCM in the user settings however this destroys my surround sound and simply outputs stereo. I've tried connecting the box directly to the soundbar and that does not fix the delay.

 No other source gives me audio delay. My ps5, the native smart TV apps, my USB hard drive.. All are perfectly in sync with the video. The problem is the fios box. 

 There are countless threads on this. On here. On reddit. I'm fed up with it. Fox News is a channel that outputs in stereo, regardless of what my box is set to. The audio is perfectly in sync. When I go to HBO, which is surround, the delay is present.

 I've enabled audio passthrough within the audio menu on the box. I've tried Auto and Passthrough in the user settings in the "hidden menu". I've turned the lip sync option to Auto and Off. There is no fix to this. 

 I'm very much open to suggestions but until enough people post about this, it will never get fixed. 

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Have you tried setting the TV to game mode? Is the firmware on the TV the latest? Is the firmware on the soundbar the latest? Is it a Samsung TV? Have you tried optical audio direct from the Fios box or from the tv to the soundbar?

[Abizzlenyc]

Hey thanks for replying. It's an LG CX OLED. Most recent firmware on the TV. Most recent firmware on the soundbar.

Instant game response is enabled on that hdmi input. I suppose I could try to tell the TV that the STB is a game console. Will try that.

 I haven't tried optical because my TV is connected via earc. So using optical would mean I cant get dolby atmos from my soundbar, which I get through the native Netflix app. I can't use both earc and optical without having to change the audio output every time I want to change my source (ps5, native apps or stb). 

[clem21]

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@Abizzlenyc wrote:

Hey thanks for replying. It's an LG CX OLED. Most recent firmware on the TV. Most recent firmware on the soundbar.

Instant game response is enabled on that hdmi input. I suppose I could try to tell the TV that the STB is a game console. Will try that.

 I haven't tried optical because my TV is connected via earc. So using optical would mean I cant get dolby atmos from my soundbar, which I get through the native Netflix app. I can't use both earc and optical without having to change the audio output every time I want to change my source (ps5, native apps or stb). 

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If you listen to the Fios box with the TV speakers, not the soundbar, is the sync still off?

[Abizzlenyc]

Hey again. Yes, the delay is still present when using the internal TV speakers. But that was a smart question.

The delay is small enough that my wife cannot notice it. But I know it's there. And certain movies or channels are always the ones that illuminate it. Like I said, any channel that broadcasts in stereo has no audio delay at all. It's the ones that give surround sound that have it. And forcing stereo (lpcm in the user settings) eliminates it. 

I appreciate you trying to help. 

[clem21]

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@Abizzlenyc wrote:

Hey again. Yes, the delay is still present when using the internal TV speakers. But that was a smart question.

The delay is small enough that my wife cannot notice it. But I know it's there. And certain movies or channels are always the ones that illuminate it. Like I said, any channel that broadcasts in stereo has no audio delay at all. It's the ones that give surround sound that have it. And forcing stereo (lpcm in the user settings) eliminates it. 

I appreciate you trying to help. 

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I assume you tried all three options for audio in the basic audio menu on the box right? Did you try setting lipsync to off in the service menu then setting the audio delay to 0 or 1? Are you sending video out of the box in 2160P or 1080i? If 2160, do you have it set to 30P 4:2:2 or 4:4:4? Or is it set to 60P?

[Abizzlenyc]

All three options as in Auto, Passthrough and Lpcm, right? Yes. All three. Lpcm fixes it but as mentioned before is not a real fix. Auto and passthrough have no difference in their functionality. 

It's 2160p 4:4:4. I don't know what 30p and 60p are. 

If I turn lip sync off, I can't adjust the audio delay. I can adjust it if it's set to manual. However, it only goes positive and since my audio is lagging behind my video, I need a negative value. 

[Abizzlenyc]

It's also worth mentioning that whenever I tinker with these user settings... A day or so later, they always revert back to Auto for both output and lipsync. They never stick. Including the video sharpness setting. 

[clem21]

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@Abizzlenyc wrote:

It's also worth mentioning that whenever I tinker with these user settings... A day or so later, they always revert back to Auto for both output and lipsync. They never stick. Including the video sharpness setting. 

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That's strange that your settings dont stick for more than a few days. Maybe that box is bad. Can you try swapping that box for a mini and see if the problem goes away? Also you are forcing the box to re-sample the signal by enabling 4:4:4 video. It should be set to 4:2:2 at least for the near future. I thought there was a 30p and 60p option in the service menu under additional HDMI settings. Should be 30p. Have you tried setting the box to 1080i and letting your TV do the up sampling?

[Abizzlenyc]

I have tried 1080i, albeit in the video menu of the non service menu. I keep it at 2160p because I noticed no difference and because I occasionally get to watch football in 4k on channel 1498. And some on demand stuff is in 4k also. So id have to switch back and forth when I wanted to watch 4k content.

Do you think it's possible that video settings, such as resolution of color depth.. Can have an effect on audio? 

[clem21]

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@Abizzlenyc wrote:

I have tried 1080i, albeit in the video menu of the non service menu. I keep it at 2160p because I noticed no difference and because I occasionally get to watch football in 4k on channel 1498. And some on demand stuff is in 4k also. So id have to switch back and forth when I wanted to watch 4k content.

Do you think it's possible that video settings, such as resolution of color depth.. Can have an effect on audio? 

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It is possible as the processing that occurs for video could be delaying audio too much. The default color space should be 4:2:2. not 4:4:4. Not sure how the video conversion in the Fios box works, but anything is possible at this point. By choosing 4:4:4 you are making the box upsample all the programming to 10 bit color. Believe me that odds are almost nothing on Fios is in 10 bit color. You are probably lucky if most of it is in 8 bit. Try changing to 4:2:2 and see if it helps. Ill check with a tech to see why your settings only stay for a couple of days.

[Abizzlenyc]

Wow thanks. I would really appreciate that. There's no rhyme or reason to the reset on my end (as in, I don't unplug the box). Will try switching the color space but like I said, that I appears to be the default setting. 

Your continued responses are truly appreciated 

[clem21]

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@Abizzlenyc wrote:

Wow thanks. I would really appreciate that. There's no rhyme or reason to the reset on my end (as in, I don't unplug the box). Will try switching the color space but like I said, that I appears to be the default setting. 

Your continued responses are truly appreciated 

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Sent tech a note about settings not staying. We'll see what they say! You actually might want to try unplugging both the power to the box and the HDMI from the box for 5 minutes, then replugging.

[Abizzlenyc]

Worth a shot. Will try and leave everything unplugged for a bit. BTW, when I check color space in the user settings.. I have two options. 4:4:4 and RGB. That's it.

I'm quite interested to know if they'll know why my user settings won't stay. So thanks for that. 

By the way, I haven't found a resolution from it, but I can change the expected hdmi audio input on my TV as well. I have options for digital sound out of Auto, Passthrough and PCM. Currently set to passthrough for earc. And for hdmi audio input format, I have Bitstream and PCM.

None of these have made a difference from what I can tell other than forcing PCM. 

[clem21]

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@Abizzlenyc wrote:

Worth a shot. Will try and leave everything unplugged for a bit. BTW, when I check color space in the user settings.. I have two options. 4:4:4 and RGB. That's it.

I'm quite interested to know if they'll know why my user settings won't stay. So thanks for that. 

By the way, I haven't found a resolution from it, but I can change the expected hdmi audio input on my TV as well. I have options for digital sound out of Auto, Passthrough and PCM. Currently set to passthrough for earc. And for hdmi audio input format, I have Bitstream and PCM.

None of these have made a difference from what I can tell other than forcing PCM. 

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So far tech said if the settings in the normal user menu don't match what you set for the Service menu, they will reset to user menu settings. Still waiting for more clarity on this. If you force PCM out of the TV it only sends stereo? Technically, PCM can also be surround, it is the raw signal sent to be decoded by the receiving device. Bitstream decodes the audio in the sending device. If you send PCM to a receiver, it has to be set to multichannel audio to work correctly, so I assume your soundbar would have to be setup the same way. I do know the Fios box set to PCM sill only send stereo out though.

[Abizzlenyc]

Hey. No it doesn't force stereo. Just PCM which I assume is multichannel. The soundbar does let me know if it's getting LPCM or DD. And it does say LPCM when I switch the TV audio input to PCM. Sounds the same as DD.

Basically, the options on the TV don't do much.

I'm not sure what might be the mismatch in my user settings...

I set two things in user menu (not service). Sharpness 1 and Audio Passthrough Enable. When the service menu reverts, it reverts to sharpness 3, Auto audio output and Auto lipsync. The sharpness in the user menu does reflect the reversion to 3. 

[clem21]

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@Abizzlenyc wrote:

Hey. No it doesn't force stereo. Just PCM which I assume is multichannel. The soundbar does let me know if it's getting LPCM or DD. And it does say LPCM when I switch the TV audio input to PCM. Sounds the same as DD.

Basically, the options on the TV don't do much.

I'm not sure what might be the mismatch in my user settings...

I set two things in user menu (not service). Sharpness 1 and Audio Passthrough Enable. When the service menu reverts, it reverts to sharpness 3, Auto audio output and Auto lipsync. The sharpness in the user menu does reflect the reversion to 3. 

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Ok, if PCM sounds the same to you as DD, then they have updated the Fios box to truly pass through the original format instead of converting to stereo when set to PCM. Like I explained earlier, the soundbar is doing the decoding when the box is in PCM mode, not the Fios box, that's why it says LPCM instead of DD. If that gets rid of delay, you have your solution. As far as the sharpness changing, tech says to change the setting in BOTH the user and service menu.

[Abizzlenyc]

Sorry I think it got confusing. Changing the hdmi audio input of my TV to PCM may sometimes show LPCM on my soundbar. And it sounds the same as DD. It doesn't fix the delay. 

LPCM in the service menu still forces stereo. 

[jfb3311]

I'm having the same lip sync issue but with different equipment and I share your frustration.  I have a Sony Bravia OLED A8G65 with a Sony HTZ9F Soundbar - both marketed and recommended by Sony as a compatible home theater setup.   FIOS STB is connected directly to the TV - Soundbar is connected via ARC to the TV.  Sony technical support has been involved and the soundbar has been verified as working as normal by Sony technicians.    Techs have questioned the FIOS STB settings but have not suggested any changes.  Apple TV 4K when connected to the TV via HDMI has no sync issues - this has created more questions and focus on the FIOS STB as well.  This case is still open and my next step is to try different connection configs to help isolate the problem. 

Does anyone know if Verizon FIOS monitors these questions ?  Is there a way to get FIOS techs involved ?

[clem21]

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@jfb331 wrote:

I'm having the same lip sync issue but with different equipment and I share your frustration.  I have a Sony Bravia OLED A8G65 with a Sony HTZ9F Soundbar - both marketed and recommended by Sony as a compatible home theater setup.   FIOS STB is connected directly to the TV - Soundbar is connected via ARC to the TV.  Sony technical support has been involved and the soundbar has been verified as working as normal by Sony technicians.    Techs have questioned the FIOS STB settings but have not suggested any changes.  Apple TV 4K when connected to the TV via HDMI has no sync issues - this has created more questions and focus on the FIOS STB as well.  This case is still open and my next step is to try different connection configs to help isolate the problem. 

Does anyone know if Verizon FIOS monitors these questions ?  Is there a way to get FIOS techs involved ?

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@VerizonSupport via Twitter is always the fastest way to get support followed by the Fios Facebook page, Chat, Community (since we do escalate issues), followed by dslreports.com and youtube and the very last should be the 800 number. I also tried one of my Tech contacts on this and they are aware of and are working on the problem.

[merrickfrank]

Same annoying issue for me. Literally has me considering cutting my cord. 

with a simple Vizio TV, same issues. No sound bar, just lip sync issues. When going to the secret menu and setting LPCM it goes away and sound gets clearer and louder. But like mentioned, the setting reverts to auto at some point for some reason that unqualified STB testers or Verizon care to help their customers with. Guaranteed this is a “known bug” somewhere in the annals and Verizon or their equipment providers can’t fix. But since it only bothers some people, won’t get fixed. 

so we can all cancel service. 

btw, I tried different boxes, a mini, and then upgraded to Arris IPC4100. Where the hidden menu is more hidden with no “D” button. 

the only tv with this issue of all my boxes is on this TV. 

So I either ditch Verizon, or buy a new TV.