When the picture on an external display lags the sound, this setting sends the video slightly early so they land together. Covers how it differs from Output Device Latency, the wireless / wired presets, and the two calibration methods.
Video Device Latency
Video Device Latency
On the music video you put up on the venue screen, the singer's lips do not quite match the voice — that happens because on a wireless screen, the picture can arrive slightly later than the sound.
Video Device Latency cancels that delay by sending the video slightly early, so the picture on the screen and the sound from the speakers land together. How large the delay is depends on the receiver and the TV, so the app cannot guess it. Instead, you align it once, and the app remembers the value from then on.
The short version: with the screen connected, open Global Settings > Audio & Video Output > "Video device latency compensation" > "Calibrate," drag the slider until the flash and the click land together, and save — that is all. Details under "Method 1."
Which Latency Setting?
Two settings have similar names. Choose by what you are trying to align.
| The drift you notice | The setting to use |
|---|---|
| The picture on the venue screen lags the sound you hear | Video Device Latency (this page) |
| Your own screen (the ball, the playback position) drifts against the sound | Output Device Latency |
Two Presets: Wireless and Wired
The correction is saved separately for "Wireless" and "Wired (HDMI)," because the two delay by very different amounts. AirPlay and Miracast are examples of wireless connections.
Which preset is in effect does not switch automatically. Check the active preset on the settings screen and pick the one that matches how you are connected today.
Method 1 — Match the Sound to the Light (Start Here)
Line up the click you hear with the flash on the venue screen, by ear and eye. For everyday use, this is all you need.
- Connect the external display and make sure "Send video to the external display" is on (Video on an External Display)
- On the "Video device latency compensation" screen, open "Calibrate" (this opens the "Video Output Latency Calibration" screen)
- A click sounds periodically, and the venue screen flashes
- Watching the screen, move the slider until the flash and the click land exactly together
- Press "Save." The value is stored to the currently active preset
Calibrate with the same audio setup you will perform with. Without an audio interface connected, the click itself may play from the screen's side — that is fine: "align the click you hear with the flash" still gives the right answer.
Method 2 — Photograph and Measure (When You Want It Exact)
Catch both screens in a single photo and work from the difference between the numbers in it. Use this when the slider will not settle, or the screen is too far away to judge simultaneity.
- On the "Video device latency compensation" screen, turn on "Show the measurement counter on the external display." A large counter appears in the middle of the venue screen; on your tablet, a small green number appears in the bottom-left corner
- With a phone camera or similar, take one photo that has both screens in frame
- Read the difference between the two counters — compare the largest number on each screen. The tablet's number is the larger one
- Leaving the counter on, open "Calibrate" and enter the difference into the frame-difference field under "Or enter a measured value," then press "Apply." The app converts it to time and shows the effective rate it uses (how many times the screen redraws per second), so you can check the math. If you could read a millisecond difference straight off the photo, the millisecond field works too
- Confirm the slider has moved to the converted value, then press "Save"
- Switch the counter off when you are done (it also turns itself off if song playback starts)
If Something Seems Off
- The calibration screen says no external display is connected — connect the screen first. Calibration measures that specific screen's real delay, so it only works with the venue screen attached
- It says video output is off, so the screen will not flash — turn on "Send video to the external display" in settings, then reopen
- It says "Video is currently playing" — stop video playback, then open calibration again
- It says "Getting the external display ready," or the screen does not change after the connection state changes — wait for preparation to finish; if it still does not change, go back and open the calibration screen again
- The frame-difference field will not accept input — no effective rate has been measured yet. Close the calibration screen, turn the measurement counter on from the previous screen, wait a few seconds, take your photo, and open it again
- You calibrated before, but it drifts again — check that the active preset matches how you are connected today (wireless / wired)
- Only one song's lips are off — most likely the video file itself has its sound and picture out of step; this setting cannot fix that (the correction applies equally to every song)
- Your own screen drifts against the sound — that is not this page; see Output Device Latency