Sony KD 55 A85BU Lip sync, Netflix sound and Disney subtitle bugs

[mattscholes]

I have a KD55A85BU TV with a Sonos beam connected via ARC. For the most part is great, BUT …

Lip sync is intermittently appalling, for some reason it is worse on news programmes, eg C4 news. Both using TV or YouView TV.

Netflix will often start up and when you play a show it will have no sound. If you rewind and press play again the sound returns.

Disney channel always starts us with subtitles. You have to turn them off everytime.

For a £1600 TV it's pretty shoddy. Any way to fix these problems? 

[Joe_Dohn]

Do you have the latest software version installed on your TV?

[mattscholes]

Yes, auto updates are switched on and the latest version is installed. I have also tried restarting the TV by pressing and holding the power button on the remote, turning the TV off and unplugging it for a while, factory reset via the settings menu and reinstalling apps.

[Joe_Dohn]

Did you make sure that you're using Enhanced format for HDMI (under Watching TV - External Inputs - HDMI Signal Format) or tried clearing the cached data (under Device Preferences - Storage - Internal Shared Storage - Cached data) and then restarting the TV?

[mattscholes]

Enhanced format for HDMI

I don't understand this suggestion, isn't the TV outputting to the soundbar?

Home\Settings\Sound\Digital Audio Out\PCM

This seems to have improved the lip sync a bit, but not always. I'm not sure why it has made a difference.

Despite the latest TV firmware update last week all of the bugs are still there – Netflix sometimes starts with no sound. Disney channel always starts with subtitles, the Play next menu is frequently starts playback without sound and BBC iPlayer cannot play Ultra HD content.

[HannahEd01]

Hi mattscholes, the PCM option is used if the audio system is not compatible with Dolby Digital or DTS, so that's a sign referring it to a different possibility now since this settings enhanced the lip sync.

The Enhanced format on the HDMI is usually for the picture quality and should be used with capable devices, that might actually cause an issue with the sound, check this link for more info: https://helpguide.sony.net/tv/haep1/v1/en/04-09_02.html?hl=enhanced Try the apps with STANDARD and with ENHANCED, see if that makes any difference.

[mattscholes]

Thanks

To be honest I don't understand why PCM has improved things. Perhaps the TV is no longer processing the sound in any way? The Sonos Beam is Dolby Digital compatible and connected with ARC(HDMI) so the TV and sound bar should automatically pick the best format that both systems support.

Enhanced format on the HDMI – other than the sound beam I don't have anything else connected to the TV.

[HannahEd01]

Hi, I noticed a new SW update released after your post: https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/oled-tvs-android-a8x_a8h-series/kd-55a85/downloads/000171... Try that and let us know if it worked.

[mattscholes]

SW is up to date.

I performed a long list of resets I found on this forum. Since then YouView catch up TV has started working (for the first time since owning the TV).

Lip sync was still out. I have set Audio output — A/V sync — set to Off. Lip sync is OK which improved things, but I think it's better when Sound — Digital audio out — set to PCM.

The Disney Channel still starts with subtitle on. I've not had chance to re test the other glitches yet.

[HannahEd01]

I would say try a full factory reset then, specially after the update. https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00170595