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If a pastor’s lips move before the words reach viewers, first check the stream on a separate device and note whether the mismatch stays constant or gets worse over time. Then compare the outgoing stream with a local recording. A steady offset may be corrected with a sync control in your existing setup; progressive drift needs diagnosis of the specific sources and signal chain.
1. Check what viewers actually hear and see
Watch the audience-facing stream on a separate phone, tablet, or computer. The production preview alone may not reveal what viewers receive. Note which leads:
- Picture leads: the speaker’s mouth moves before the voice is heard.
- Audio leads: the voice is heard before the corresponding mouth movement.
Estimate the mismatch and write down whether it is about the same at the beginning and later in the service, or whether it grows. That distinction matters: a fixed offset and a changing delay are different problems.
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2. Determine whether the problem is fixed or drifting
A steady mismatch
If the audio and picture remain separated by roughly the same amount, test a sync offset on the relevant audio source in your existing encoder or hardware. Focusrite’s OBS setup guidance points users to Sync Offset in OBS Advanced Audio Properties, and notes that the right value depends on the computer’s audio and video processing. There is no universal offset to copy.
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A mismatch that grows during the service
A fixed offset does not explain why the gap changes over time. Note when the drift begins, whether it affects every input or just one source, and whether it recurs in a recording. Preserve a sample recording and your OBS logs and configuration for whoever diagnoses the system. Official guidance cited here does not establish a universal sample-rate setting, restart, or other one-step fix for progressive drift.
3. Compare a local recording with the outgoing stream
Record locally using the same production setup, then compare that recording with the viewer-facing stream. Restream’s encoder sync troubleshooting guide recommends this comparison to help narrow where the problem occurs:
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- Sync is wrong in both: inspect the source configuration and consider whether a source or device is malfunctioning. Test an offset only after identifying the audio input in the outgoing mix.
- Local recording is in sync but the stream is not: investigate the delivery path, including network and CPU conditions, rather than changing several source settings at once.
This comparison helps localize the issue; it does not by itself prove a particular component is at fault.
4. Test a sync offset carefully
In OBS
- In OBS, identify the audio input that is actually part of the outgoing mix.
- Open Advanced Audio Properties and locate that source’s Sync Offset control.
- Change only that source’s offset, make a short local recording or private test, and check the result on a separate device.
- Repeat in controlled increments until the test is in sync. The correct value depends on your equipment; do not treat an example value as a standard.
- Save the working value and test again after a restart or configuration update.
Focusrite’s article describes applying an offset when audio and video do not sync, but the value must be found for the individual system. Make one change at a time so you can tell which adjustment helped.
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With an ATEM Mini-family switcher
If your church already uses an ATEM Mini or ATEM Mini Pro, check the exact model’s current manual and its controls in ATEM Software Control for an audio-delay setting. Controls can vary by model. Do not buy a switcher solely to address sync until you have established that the existing setup needs that hardware and confirmed the relevant model supports the control.
5. Keep dropped-frame troubleshooting separate
Dropped frames are not proof of an audio/video timing fault. OBS’s stream connection troubleshooting guide identifies an unstable connection to the remote server or a bitrate the connection cannot sustain as causes to investigate.
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- Test a lower bitrate and review network configuration when OBS reports dropped frames.
- OBS’s dynamic bitrate option can reduce dropped frames when the connection cannot keep up, but it does not repair the underlying connection and can reduce video quality.
- Check sync separately using a local recording and the viewer-facing stream.
6. Prepare a controlled test before the next service
Before relying on the setup for a long service, run a private or local test long enough to see whether sync holds. Have someone watch the delivery endpoint, perform a sound check, monitor inputs while live, and log the time and symptoms if the problem returns. The StreamingChurch.tv documentation also supports pre-event sound and internet checks, live monitoring, and recording operational issues for review.
If drift persists across sources or you cannot reproduce it reliably, avoid making multiple untracked changes before worship. A qualified church livestream AV technician or integrator may be able to inspect the particular signal chain; the evidence here does not establish one universal repair.
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Quick Recap
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