Chromecast With Google TV Delay Before Audio Starts

[banderson1311]

I recently added a new Chromecast with Google TV 4K.  I noticed that whenever I play surround sound content it takes a few seconds after starting the video before the audio comes in.  This also happens whenever the video is paused.  I have the Chromecast connected to an LG B9 and output to a Vizio soundbar via eARC.  If I disable surround sound the audio plays as expected.  Any advice would be appreciated.

[eorent · Accepted solution]

Pretty sure this is caused by the Vizio soundbar.  I have a similar setup and have seen others complaining about the delays after pausing on Vizio soundbars.  It seems like it needs a second or two to decode the signal after pausing and determine which format it is.  You would think it would just default to the last format after such a short pause, but doesn't seem to work that way.

[banderson1311]

Thanks. Coming to that conclusion as well. I don't see the same problem with my Fire Stick so I was hoping there might be a fix via configuration.

[eorent]

I couldn't find one.  I've tried enabling and disabling various audio formats, but nothing really worked for me.

[banderson1311]

Thanks for confirming. At least I won't make myself crazy trying to find a setting.

[Kimy]

Hi folks,

Thanks for posting here in the Google Nest Community. I remember a similar thread, although I couldn’t find it. It was proven that the Chromecast was working when switched to another TV with a different soundbar. If you can, I suggest you try as well. Let us know if you have other questions.

Thanks,

Kimy

[banderson1311]

I'm not able to easily try another TV but I did change out my Vizio soundbar to a different brand.  The issue is much less pronounced (maybe a second or so before the sound returns) but it's still there.  Interestingly, this doesn't happen with a Fire TV.  I'm guessing the Fire TV is doing some kind of sound processing so that it's still sending audio during pauses.

[banderson1311]

I've confirmed that I don't see a noticeable delay using a Nvidia Shield or Onn Box. So far the issue seems to only occur with the Chromecast. I'll be moving the Chromecast to a different room with no Dolby.

[Kimy]

Hi banderson1311,

Thanks for the reply. I understand that you had a chance to isolate your Vizio soundbar by testing it on other casting devices. I would suggest applying the same approach by testing your Chromecast device on a different setup. Keep us posted.

Regards,

Kimy