[Issue]: Audio Delay In Moonlight on Android TV 14 / new Google Streamer

[Mattercycle]

Describe the bug

Audio is delayed by approximately 1 to 0.5 seconds consistently while streaming.

Steps to reproduce

No special steps, just use Android TV 14 / the new Google Streamer device and begin any stream.

Affected games

The issue exists with all streams attempted.

Other Moonlight clients

PC

Moonlight adjusted settings

Yes

Moonlight adjusted settings (please complete the following information)

I have attempted every possible combination of settings including defaults and the issue persists.

Moonlight default settings

Yes

Gamepad-related connection issue

No

Gamepad-related input issue

Yes

Gamepad-related streaming issue

Yes

Android version

Android 14

Device model

Google Streamer

Server PC OS version

Ubuntu 24.04

Server PC GeForce Experience version

NA

Server PC Nvidia GPU driver version

NA

Server PC antivirus and firewall software

NA

Screenshots

No response

Relevant log output

No response

Additional context

Server is using Intel Arc A770 card. The audio latency issue does not exist with the same hardware and network using other clients, notably the NVIDIA Shield.

[Raienryu97]

I'm facing this problem as well. I'm using sunshine on the host (Windows PC with RTX 3070) and the google streamer with moonlight as the client connected to a TV. The TV has a Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar connected via arc, the streamer is on a different HDMI port. Passthrough mode is enabled on the TV for audio. The audio is very delayed.

Found some articles regarding this too, could be a problem with the device as well?

• https://www.googlenestcommunity.com/t5/Streaming/Google-TV-Streamer-audio-sync-issue/td-p/646970
• https://www.androidauthority.com/google-tv-streamer-sync-3486609/

[Moonlighter168]

Recently moved from using a raspberry pi 5 as my TV moonlight box to the new Google TV streamer and can confirm this is an issue.
Host pc running 4080 with gigabit wired fibre while Google TV streamer is run off ethernet also.
From my testing (shooting a gun in destiny2) the delay is 1 second approx.

[Cacha21]

I'm having the same issue. Both in moonlight and Geforce Now. This are the only apps in which I noticed the issue.

[giovanidude]

Same issue here

[SEEN88]

Also having the issue, but in Moonlight and Steam Link, no issues with any other apps as far as I can tell

[hoonlight]

Same issue here, please help.

[Maingray2]

Can confirm, same issue.

[buthig666]

Same on Sony Android 2021-22 tv model with moonlight wifi, Host is 4080 win 11 ethernet. Audio is always half a second behind visual stream.

[stefprez]

Same issue here. Google TV Streamer using Moonlight client has significant audio lag (~500ms give or take). Exact same stream using Moonlight client on MacOS does not have same issue. Even had both clients running the stream at the same time and could hear the audio delay between them. Audio comes in with minimal delay on the MacOS then followed by the audio on the Android TV Moonlight client.

[Gizmopower1]

Also having the issue, but in Moonlight and Steam Link, no issues with any other apps as far as I can tell

Same here...

[Hato1]

Possible duplicate of #1161?

[Gizmopower1]

I only have issues with sound delay on the new Google Streamer and BatoceraOS wich is linux based.
I tried with a windows pc on same setup and there is no delay...

[lightrush]

Possible duplicate of #1161?

Yes it looks like the same issue. I'm reproducing it on Google TV Streamer's HDMI output via HDMI extractor which has no measurable latency. Using a USB DAC as output from the TV Streamer resolves the problem. It seems like Android has significantly longer audio buffer for HDMI than other audio outputs. I can't see an obvious way to reduce it. Therefore this is unlikely to be a Moonlight issue. This is likely a general Android TV issue or specific problem with Google's ROM for the TV Streamer / CCwGTV.

[lightrush]

Just tested the exact same setup except with an Nvidia Shield instead of the Google TV Streamer. No perceptible delay in the audio path. This is a device problem. I don't know if it can be solved by Moonlight by calling some magic API. Without that the advice should be to avoid devices with known audio delay over HDMI or try using USB DACs where possible.