Fixing Audio Sync Issues

When audio and video are played out of sync in your live stream, the experience can be distracting and unpleasant for your viewers. If you encounter audio synchronisation issues, there are several troubleshooting steps you can follow to minimise the issue.

However, due to fundamental differences in processing required by video and audio, even after following these troubleshooting steps it is possible that sync issues might remain. If they do, the software includes an option to add an adjustable delay between the video and audio in your stream, mitigating this issue and improving the experience for your viewers.

Initial Troubleshooting Steps

Before making any audio settings changes, we recommend the following:

• Go to Video Display > Reconnect to IP Camera.
• Restart the stream during a break (for example, during an innings break).
• Ensure your graphics drivers are up to date and that Windows has installed all available updates.

If the problem persists, follow this workflow:

1. During a pre‑match test or break, enable Low Delay Buffer Mode.
2. If your audio sync issues aren't improved or resolved by enabling Low Delay Buffer Mode, set an Audio Delay. Start with a delay setting of 5000 ms (5 seconds) and recheck the audio sync.
3. If the audio sync remains but has been improved, incrementally adjust the audio sync delay (for example in increments of 500 ms) until the commentary or pitch audio matches video movement.
4. Don’t adjust audio delay mid‑match. Tweak during downtime such as during drinks or lunch breaks.
5. If sync drifts during play, reconnect the IP camera or restart your stream when doing so won’t cause disruption to viewers.

Enable Low Delay Buffer Mode

Enable the software’s Low Delay Buffer Mode to reduce the default processing of the video received from your IP cameras. 

Video data requires more processing than audio, which can introduce a slight delay between the two (that is, audio playing before the matching video). 

By reducing the software's video buffering, it is therefore possible to reduce any delay between audio and video. However, it is important to note that reducing the processing might also cause inconsistent video quality if your network is not stable. Sync issues are also more likely when using a Wi-Fi network than when using wired ethernet.

To enable Low Delay Buffer Mode: 

1. Go to Tools > Configuration. The Configuration dialogue opens.
2. Click the Video Capture tab.
3. Right-click the IP camera in the Video Capture Devices section and click Edit Capture Device in the contextual menu that opens, or click the Settings button beside the IP camera. The Capture Device Settings dialogue opens.
4. Click the Show Advanced Settings link in the bottom-left corner of the dialogue.
5. Tick the Use Low Delay Buffer checkbox.
6. Click OK to save and close, then OK again. The NV Play Cricket software will now connect to the network video stream faster, reducing any buffering being introduced to the video signal. This setting should only be used if you have a strong and stable network connection. It is possible that using this setting might introduce inconsistent video results. If you encounter problems, disable this mode and set an audio delay instead (described below).

Set an Audio Delay

Video data requires more processing by the NV Play Cricket software and also consumes more bandwidth on your network. Therefore, if audio and video are out of sync, it is likely that audio will be played into a live stream before the matching video. 

To improve synchronisation between the two, the software can be configured to manually add a delay to the audio.

To set an audio delay:

1. Go to Tools > Configuration. The Configuration dialogue opens.
2. Click the Video Capture tab.
3. Click either the Multi-Cam Audio Settings or the Audio Settings link in the Video Capture Devices section (one or the other will be shown, depending on the number of cameras configured). The Audio Settings for Capture Device or Audio Settings for Multi-Cam Controller dialogue opens.
4. Click the Show Advanced Settings link in the bottom-left corner of the dialogue.
5. Enter a time delay value into the Video and Audio Sync Threshold field (for example, 5000 ms) to delay the incoming audio relative to the video feed.
6. Click Save to save and close, then OK. This adjustment will require trial and error as the delay needed will vary depending on your network and hardware configuration. You should test and fine tune this setting before the match or during breaks, when it will not disrupt the experience of your live stream viewers.