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Is there a TV Connector lag issue?

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I’d like to try the Phonak TV Connector. My concern is the potential for lag between the regular TV sound and the Hearing Aid sound. Even a slight difference in timing would make this unworkable. Is this a problem or perhaps there is a setting to deal with it. Thanks.

Bill

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I do not notice any lag and in general people don’t notice it. There is a measurable lag, as I cannot imagine a reasonably priced device with “no lag.” How much lag is tolerable? I’ve seen a range for how long the lag can be, but I don’t remember it.

WH

I second unnoticeable lag if there is any.

I have experienced a lag (or “echo”) when connecting to a different device in a hotel. But not when connecting to the tv.

Edited

The lag you get from a Phonak TV streamer is totally acceptable/unnoticeable- it is comparable to the difference in timing from two speakers spaced apart in a living room (which is, for example, ~15 ms when 5 m apart*). Such streamers are a must-have if you use compatible .

But you may need additional measures, depending on your setup.

In our household, the audio from the TV is also transmitted to a separate speaker by Bluetooth, and that channel is ofc significantly delayed. I avoided the echo by inserting an audio delay device (about 80$) for the audio that our TV feeds (directly wired) to my Phonak transmitter. At the same time, the overall TV audio (in fact, adjusting its connected Firestick and Dreambox) is advanced by 200 ms (using their lipsync settings).

IMG_6190

Why do I completely separate the two audio setups (streamer and speaker)? Well, I find the volume control buttons on the Phonak TV streamer and HAs very awkward, and this setup allows me to include a fixed, simple rotary volume control that sits next to my TV chair.

IMG_6191

*Since I was too lazy to calculate this “by hand”, I asked to do this for me. I flag that here because some honorable Forum members here are concerned about the insidious threat to mankind posed by AI (see related threads)

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YEARS ago, I had my Phonak TV Connector hooked up to a Mac mini that was connected to our TV. That TV had a separate soundbar (yeah, CLUDGE) and there was a definite delay factor.

But today, you can buy great TVs, no need for separate soundbar, and if you can plug your TV Connector into the back of the TV (or into a receiver, if you’ve got a fancier setup), there should be NO lag. There are cables out there that yada yada promise to eliminate lag, but that’s still OLD SCHOOL. Direct connection to the sound output is what the TV Connector needs to eliminate delay.

@1Bluejay said:

Direct connection to the sound output is what the TV Connector needs to eliminate delay.

I’m connected to my Sony Bravia that has a separate audio out for headphone, the volume is also controlled separately from the TV speakers, wife listens to those directly since the audio is very good, I can also listen to it to without being “connected” using the TV link, when I listen by myself, I use the TV link, keeps the sound in my ears not in the whole house, this was one of the features that I was looking for when I switch TV’s from the old Hisense model, the other main feature is we receive our digital signal with an outside Ant.and this model enables me to add channels, the old one required to re-scan and if some channels required turning the beam ant. then those were lost. With the proper sound outputs balance I get NO delay feeling, low volume for my wife with very good hearing, and just the right amount for me independent from her. Been married more that 50 years…LOL

I have the Oticon TV Adapter for my Oticon aids for over 12 years, I lip reading and don’t notice enough lag to even say there is one. I now have the Phonak Spheres and the Roger ON3 for streaming the TV and don’t notice any lag.

I’ve “played” with bothe the Philips 9050 and Jabra Enhance Pro 30 (which are similar to the Oticon Intent and ReSound Vivia) using a HomeSpot transmitter connected to my 13 year old Samsung TV and have not noticed any lag (latency). I’m sure there is some, but nothing that I noticed. I’m impressed with Auracast and think it is a great capability. (BTW: We are implementing Auracast at the museum where I volunteer. It is also, now, being used at our local Colorado Springs Airport.)

In reply to @WhiteHat

@WhiteHat said:

How much lag is tolerable?

The lags produced by and dedicated TV streamers are around 40 ms, about the time sound takes to travel 15 m, and is totally unnoticeable. Typical delays with v4.2 Bluetooth is 250 ms and will produce very nasty echoes (when there is a second source). You start hearing echoes with delays of 100 ms.

In reply to @kgmgpm

Ah, sounds like your situation is similar to that of hubs and me: he listens to the TV through the speakers we have connected to it, and I listen through my Roger mic paired + connected to my Phonak aids. Works EXCELLENT in 95% of the cases. I have my aids set up to allow a bit of ambient sound along with the Roger mic, but when I don’t stream 100% from the Roger, I get the room’s acoustic echo, and find that AWFUL for watching TV or movies.

Yeah, we gotta work these things out with our spouses … Does living together count? Cuz then it’s 51 yrs with hubs; married only 47, lol! :grin:

@1Bluejay said:

I get the room’s acoustic echo

I manage to Ballance the tv speakers output level and the tv connector volume so that I don’t hear the speakers since I to have room listening on a bit, so any echo that may be there, I don’t hear. My Audi also did good job of making the ballance in streaming just right, I can’t remember if we tweaked it a few times.

Interesting! So the Phonak TV Connector plugged into the TV has no lag compared to streaming via the Roger mic? I do detect a tiny bit of lag with my Roger mic/Phonak 312 setup - as in today, when I was watching The Economist “Insider” (topic RED HOT!). But I just try to focus on what’s being said instead of how the lips/sound aren’t 100% sync’d up. And the streaming sound is SO SO much better than listening to our TV through the room speakers. The acoustic echo drives me up a wall … across the ceiling … down the opposite wall … and so on. :hear_no_evil_monkey:

I use the TV Connector on two Samsung TV’s, the oldest being 5yrs. I can discern no lag from the TV to the connector. I use them also for my Kirkland 10 hearing aids.

Now that I’ve had my TV Connector up and running for a few days, I can concur that lag is not an issue. My wife still listens through the home theater speakers but the TV Connector sound is a delightful addition for me.

Bill

I’ve used a Phonak TV Connector with Brio 3 from Costco around 7 years. I used the fiber optic TV output. Never observed lag, but I know exactly what you mean. The only difficulty i had was juggling ambient vs TV Connector (in the app) so I could both hear my wife 4 feet away) and the TV.

Then, I tried new, top-of-the-line, Phonak Audeo Sphere i70. They synced easily with the TV Connector, but the moment it did, ALL frequencies BOTH ambient and TV became muffled. Audiologist at Kaiser said this could not be fixed.

I rejected them!

@aky13rx said:

ALL frequencies BOTH ambient and TV became muffled. Audiologist at Kaiser said this could not be fixed.

Adjusting the streaming program and gains should deal with that issue.

Interesting, and remedies have been mentioned by others. Useless to me if the Audiologists i am limited to by insurance are clueless!

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