The WDTV is a fantastic Video Streamer

RichIX wrote:
Audio Sync should be fine? Have you tried to see if your box needs any Firmware updates they are really good at giving up to date firmware releases with the WDLive Box. I take it that the iso plays fine on your PC? Rich

Yes, the firmware update cycle does seem very good. I actually have one outstanding now which I haven't done yet; however, the last one was only a short time ago, and I've had the sync problem for a while. It tends to get worse every time I pause the movie and then re-start from the same place, implying that the system is using a bad algorithm to determine how to re-start the paused audio stream.

To be honest, audio sync problems are a little mysterious to me. I can think of several points in the processing chain where they might be generated, but I've no real idea what the truth is. I think that part of the problem is that video and audio were treated as separate output streams in the early days of PCs. Separate audio card and graphics card means separate buffering, and hence the possibility that sync problems can occur because one device can't know how far behind the other device is.

The obvious answer is to:
(a) make codecs that are strict about syncing audio and video channels, so that the two CANNOT get out of step, and
(b) always play digital video over a single device, OR if the audio and video channels must be split, ensure that the peripherals handling the signals have very small buffers (which is not always an easy design problem to solve)

It amazes me that people seem so happy to put up with the current mess! I frequently try to watch videos on YouTube and have to stop because I can't bear to see sound and picture at different times. I'm going to sound like a "grumpy old man" when I say this, but VHS tapes never went out of sync!! Why can't modern technology move things forward instead of backward? Hmm?