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Delay in audio output over HDMI
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<blockquote data-quote="lapo" data-source="post: 1307078" data-attributes="member: 173359"><p>Hi,</p><p></p><p>this issue is widely known as the "<strong>HDMI Audio Handshake Delay</strong>" or "<strong>Silent Stream Issue</strong>".</p><p>It occurs because when the PC stops outputting audio, the AV receiver (AVR) drops the audio connection to enter a standby/power-saving state or to prevent pops/clicks. </p><p></p><p>When the PC sends a new sound (like a UI navigation click), the AVR takes about 0.5 to 1.5 seconds to detect the stream, perform the HDMI handshake, and lock onto the signal, causing the first second of audio to be clipped.</p><p></p><p>Since the root cause is the lack of a continuous signal, the definitive solution is to force your PC to send a constant, invisible stream of silence to keep the HDMI audio pipeline active at all times.</p><p></p><p>Here is how you can resolve this across Windows, <strong>MediaPortal</strong>, and LAV Filters:</p><p></p><p><strong>1. System-Wide Fix for Windows (Recommended)</strong></p><p></p><p>Use a background utility that maintains an active HDMI audio stream:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">SoundKeeper (Free, lightweight): A portable utility that runs seamlessly in the background. It generates an imperceptible, silent audio signal that prevents the receiver from dropping the HDMI audio connection, completely eliminating the delay for UI sounds. You can set it to run on Windows startup.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">HDMI Audio Keep Alive (HAKA) or AVR-KeepAlive: Good alternative open-source tools that achieve the exact same result.</li> </ul><p><strong>2. MediaPortal Settings</strong></p><p></p><p>To handle this directly inside MediaPortal:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Open MediaPortal Configuration -> Audio Settings.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ensure the GUI/system sound output uses a renderer configured to keep the audio endpoint active. Look for settings or audio renderer options such as "Keep audio device alive" or continuous PCM streaming in background settings (depending on the audio plugin or custom renderer installed).</li> </ul><p><strong>3. LAV Audio Decoder Tweaks</strong></p><p></p><p>For movie playback transitions:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Open LAV Audio Configuration.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Navigate to the Audio Settings tab.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If you are using Bitstreaming (sending raw Dolby Digital/DTS/TrueHD to the receiver), the AVR is forced to re-lock its DSP decoder every time a file starts or audio changes. If you experience delay at the start of videos, uncheck bitstreaming for standard formats and let LAV decode to Uncompressed LPCM. Sending a continuous PCM stream eliminates the decoding mode-switch delay on the AVR side.</li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="lapo, post: 1307078, member: 173359"] Hi, this issue is widely known as the "[B]HDMI Audio Handshake Delay[/B]" or "[B]Silent Stream Issue[/B]". It occurs because when the PC stops outputting audio, the AV receiver (AVR) drops the audio connection to enter a standby/power-saving state or to prevent pops/clicks. When the PC sends a new sound (like a UI navigation click), the AVR takes about 0.5 to 1.5 seconds to detect the stream, perform the HDMI handshake, and lock onto the signal, causing the first second of audio to be clipped. Since the root cause is the lack of a continuous signal, the definitive solution is to force your PC to send a constant, invisible stream of silence to keep the HDMI audio pipeline active at all times. Here is how you can resolve this across Windows, [B]MediaPortal[/B], and LAV Filters: [B]1. System-Wide Fix for Windows (Recommended)[/B] Use a background utility that maintains an active HDMI audio stream: [LIST] [*]SoundKeeper (Free, lightweight): A portable utility that runs seamlessly in the background. It generates an imperceptible, silent audio signal that prevents the receiver from dropping the HDMI audio connection, completely eliminating the delay for UI sounds. You can set it to run on Windows startup. [*]HDMI Audio Keep Alive (HAKA) or AVR-KeepAlive: Good alternative open-source tools that achieve the exact same result. [/LIST] [B]2. MediaPortal Settings[/B] To handle this directly inside MediaPortal: [LIST] [*]Open MediaPortal Configuration -> Audio Settings. [*]Ensure the GUI/system sound output uses a renderer configured to keep the audio endpoint active. Look for settings or audio renderer options such as "Keep audio device alive" or continuous PCM streaming in background settings (depending on the audio plugin or custom renderer installed). [/LIST] [B]3. LAV Audio Decoder Tweaks[/B] For movie playback transitions: [LIST] [*]Open LAV Audio Configuration. [*]Navigate to the Audio Settings tab. [*]If you are using Bitstreaming (sending raw Dolby Digital/DTS/TrueHD to the receiver), the AVR is forced to re-lock its DSP decoder every time a file starts or audio changes. If you experience delay at the start of videos, uncheck bitstreaming for standard formats and let LAV decode to Uncompressed LPCM. Sending a continuous PCM stream eliminates the decoding mode-switch delay on the AVR side. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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