Why is the sound ahead of the picture on IPTV?

Usually because the TV takes time to process the picture while the sound goes straight to the speakers or soundbar. Picture modes with heavy processing make it worse. Switching the TV to a game or low-latency mode, or adjusting the TV’s audio delay, usually fixes it.

Why is only one channel out of sync?

The delay is in that channel’s stream. There is nothing wrong with your setup. If your player has an audio delay setting you can compensate, but it will be wrong for the other channels, so it’s better reported to your provider.

Do Bluetooth headphones cause audio delay?

Yes. Bluetooth adds a delay that some devices compensate for and others don’t. Test with the TV speakers; if the delay disappears, the headphones are the cause.

IPTV Audio Out of Sync? Fix Lip-Sync and Audio Delay

Audio out of sync on IPTV? How to fix lip-sync

When voices don’t match lips, the delay is being added somewhere between the stream and your ears. It might be in the stream itself, in the player, in the TV’s picture processing or in a soundbar. The trick is to find which one, because the fix belongs in that place.

Updated 27 September 2026 · 2 min read

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Find where the delay comes from

Run these three quick tests in order:

Try another channel. If only one channel is out of sync, the stream itself carries the delay. If every channel is, the delay is in your equipment.
Try another app or device. If the same channel is in sync on another device, the delay is added by the first device or app.
Switch from the soundbar or headphones to the TV speakers. If the delay disappears, the audio equipment or its connection adds it.

Fixes by cause

The TV adds picture delay

Modern TVs process the picture (sharpening, motion smoothing, noise reduction), which takes time. The sound, sent straight to a soundbar, arrives first.

Switch the TV to a game or low-latency picture mode as a test. If sync improves, reduce the processing in your usual picture mode.
Look for an audio delay, lip sync or AV sync setting in the TV’s sound menu, or on the soundbar, and adjust it until voices match.

A soundbar or AV receiver adds audio delay

When the device sends Dolby audio as passthrough, the soundbar decodes it, which can add delay.

Check the soundbar or receiver for a lip-sync or audio delay setting.
Try switching the streaming device’s audio output between passthrough and PCM (stereo or multichannel). See audio passthrough for what each option does.

The streaming device

Some devices have their own sync adjustment. On Fire TV models that offer it, look for AV Sync Tuning in the audio settings under Display & Sounds. Android TV and Google TV devices vary by manufacturer.

The player app

Several players let you shift the audio against the picture. In VLC and Kodi, the audio delay or offset is adjusted during playback. This is useful for a single out-of-sync film, but remember that the correction stays in place for everything you watch next.

Bluetooth headphones and speakers

Bluetooth audio adds delay. Some devices compensate automatically; others don’t. If sync is only wrong with Bluetooth headphones, check the device for a Bluetooth audio delay option, or use wired headphones through the TV or a low-latency transmitter.

When the stream is out of sync

If one channel is out of sync on every device, the stream carries the delay. Report the channel to your provider. Compensating in your player fixes that channel but breaks the others.