Understanding AV Latency and How to Keep Audio & Video in Sync

Ever watched someone speak during a video call, but their lips move before you hear the sound? That’s AV latency, the slight delay between audio and video signals. It might seem minor, but in professional meetings or live presentations, even a half-second delay can break focus and reduce communication clarity.

What Is AV Latency?

AV latency refers to the time difference between when sound and video are captured, processed, and played back. It can occur in any setup, from video conferencing systems to digital displays and streaming devices.

For example, if your camera signal takes longer to process than your microphone signal, you’ll see lips move before hearing the voice.

Why Latency Happens?

1. Signal Processing Delays:
   Every device; cameras, microphones, DSPs, or displays, takes time to process the signal. When each adds a small delay, it stacks up.
2. Wireless Transmission:
   Wireless microphones or displays may introduce slight lag due to encoding and decoding data packets.
3. Different Signal Paths:
   Audio and video may travel through different routes, HDMI for video, analog/digital mixers for audio, creating timing mismatches.
4. Network Congestion (for AV over IP):
   In IP-based setups, heavy traffic or insufficient bandwidth can delay one stream over another.

How to Identify AV Sync Issues?

If you notice speech not matching mouth movement, or sound effects not aligning with visuals, latency is likely the culprit. In conferencing systems, this often shows up as awkward pauses or people talking over each other.

Fixing AV Latency in Your Setup

1. Use Professional DSPs (Digital Signal Processors):
   Modern DSPs automatically align audio and video timing to eliminate perceptible delays.
2. Enable Lip Sync Adjustment:
   Many AV receivers and displays include a “lip sync” feature to manually fine-tune audio timing.
3. Optimize Cabling & Routing:
   Keep signal paths consistent; avoid unnecessary converters and maintain direct HDMI or SDI connections where possible.
4. Prioritize Wired Connections:
   Whenever feasible, use wired over wireless for stable and faster signal delivery.
5. Calibrate with an Integrator:
   Professional AV integrators can measure exact delay in milliseconds and tune both audio and video playback for perfect sync.

Why Sync Matters?

Proper synchronization isn’t just about avoiding distraction, it ensures a seamless communication experience. Whether you’re pitching to clients, hosting webinars, or running hybrid meetings, synchronized audio and video reinforce professionalism and engagement.

Get Expert Help

Persistent AV latency usually means your system needs recalibration or upgraded hardware. The good news? With the right configuration, even complex setups can achieve near-zero delay.

If your conference room suffers from audio-video delay, Support305 can help diagnose and optimize your system for flawless real-time performance.

Stop dealing with lip-sync lag. Contact Support305 today to bring perfect timing to your meetings.