Why Is Hulu Sound Out Of Sync? – Fix in Minutes!

When Hulu sound out of sync we often wonder how to approach this issue. Well, stay with us as we’ll uncover everything!

The out-of-sync or also known as “lipsync” issue appears not only on Hulu but other streaming apps, hence the possibilities are general.

Let’s get more specific!

When the sound or video on Hulu is falling behind, leading to a lipsync or severe delay, the main suspect is the internet connection.

In addition, a wrong configuration with the audio/video settings of the Hulu app can also produce out-of-sync issues.

7 Reasons Why Is Hulu Audio Out of Sync?

Here are the possible reasons making the video and audio fall out of sync:

1. Poor internet connection
2. Incorrect audio settings
3. Frequent buffering of Hulu
4. Browser/device problems
5. Outdated version of Hulu
6. Constant advertisements
7. Location settings or VPN

These are only general possibilities and you should note that a lipsync can be seen when the link to the Hulu servers is bad.

This is why you should test multiple streaming contents to localize the issue and understand more.

How to Fix When Sound Out of Sync With Video On Hulu?

Here are the best solutions for troubleshooting your Hulu audio/video sync!

Inspect your Internet (WiFi)

For optimal performance of the broadcasts within the Hulu platform, your device must be connected to a reliable network.

The recommended signal strength to support HD streaming on most online platforms is 5 Mbps and 3 Mbps for SD streaming and anything below that.

Here’s how to verify that your device is connected to the internet:

1. Go into the Settings of your device.
2. Navigate to the “Network” options. 
3. Tap on“Set up internet connection”.
4. Choose the “Wireless” option.
5. Wait for the scanner to detect your WiFi.
6. Select your network and type the password.

Top Methods To Optimize Internet Speed:

• Reduce the usage of your network
• Unpair device you no longer or rarely use
• Power cycle your router/modem

Info: By completing a scan of your network at speedtest.net, you can keep track of your results in improving the connection speed.

Clear Browser Cache/Cookies

Hulu on browsers could be experiencing audio/video difficulties in relation to unchecked cache files.

Unlike regular smart devices, the browsers memorize your login information to websites (cookies), store browsing history, and also pile up other excess files.

Here’s how to clear your browser’s cache and cookies easily:

1. Tap the three-dot icon on the top-right of your browser.
2. Press the “Settings” button and go to “Cache”.
3. Choose “Clear Cache & Browsing Data”.
4. Go back and select “Cookies”.
5. Press on “Clear Browser Cookies”.

In addition, we recommend clearing the History of your browser “Clear All Time History”, to boost the performance even further.

Alert: Clearing the cookies will sign you out from all associated services with your account.

Check Hulu’s Audio Settings

There are a couple of settings available in Hulu that could make Hulu sound out of sync.

Setting up those features incorrectly might result in either the audio or video tracking falling behind so it’s important to check them in the table below:

Setting	Functionality	How to Disable in Hulu?
Audio Delay/Sync Setting	Manually adjusts how the video and audio tracks are timed	Settings > Audio > Sync > Audio Delay
Surround Sound Setting	Makes surround sound audio systems compatible with Hulu	Settings > Audio > Surround Sound > “ON”/”OFF”
Audio Quality Settings	Adjusts the hearing quality of the sound, but requires a strong internet connection	Settings > Audio > Quality >Audio Quality
Audio Format Settings	Use to select different audio formatting settings, compatible with your TV	Settings > Audio > Formatting > Audio Format Settings

Info: By default, Hulu will establish these settings for you automatically, according to your TV or streaming device’s capabilities. 

However, the settings can later be changed/adjusted by the user, according to your own personal preferences.

Update the Hulu App

The Hulu audio sync may be falling behind due to an outdated software version, in cases when this overwhelms the device’s performance.

The so-called “throttling” will ultimately lead to buffering, and out-of-sync issues, which can easily be solved by performing an update!

• If you’re getting this problem on the browser Hulu version, skip this step!

Here’s how to update Hulu on most platforms:

1. Launch the content store on your device.
2. Go to “Manage Installed Applications”.
3. Locate Hulu within your installed applications.
4. Select Hulu and choose “Check for Updates”.
5. Tap “Update” to start the updating process.

Note: According to device performance and speed, the update would take around a minute!

Disconnect Third-Party Audio Devices

A malfunctioning third-party audio device may be causing the problem rather than any of the settings in your Hulu.

You should test the “raw” audio of your streaming player without any audio output devices such as headphones, soundbar and subwoofers, and smart speakers!

The Solution?

– Disconnect ALL third-party audio devices from your Hulu setup!

Note: Then you’ll need to change the output audio option on your streaming device, so go to Settings > Audio > “Output Device” and then select “Default Speakers”. 

Clear Hulu App Cache/Data

As we did with a browser, we should also clear the excess files generated by the Hulu app on your device.

If you’re a browser user, that method may not be of great help to you since you must have the app version of Hulu installed on your device.

Here’s how to clear the app cache/data generated by the Hulu app:

1. Go to Settings on your streaming device.
2. Navigate to “Applications”.
3. Locate the Hulu app from the list.
4. Highlight the app and press “Cache”.
5. Tap on “Clear Cache” and confirm.

When the process is over, you’ll notice that you’re signed out of your account, hence you’ll need to sign in and proceed to operate with Hulu!

Disable Active VPN Services!

The audio or video falling behind could be a consequence of activating a VPN or a service that is altering your real-time location (IP).

To address this problem, it’s enough to temporarily stop or disable the service that is masking your virtual location!

Quick Fact: Most downloadable VPNs have a user-operated interface!

If your VPN exists under an application on your device, launch it and press the “Disable” button or temporarily uninstall the app.

If it is a browser extension, disable the extension or entirely remove the add-ons from your browser!

Cleanly Reinstall the Hulu App

As we are nearing the end of the guide, we’ll start attempting more impactful solutions, such as reinstalling the Hulu app.

If you’re experiencing issues with the platform rather than the web Hulu version, uninstalling and then reinstalling the app may help with bugs and corrupted data.

Here’s how to reinstall the Hulu app in easy steps:

1. Go to Settings on your device.
2. Access the Storage prompt.
3. Go to “Applications”.
4. Locate the Hulu app.
5. Highlight the app.
6. Choose “Uninstall”.

Once Hulu is completely removed from your streaming device, download it from the content store.

It’s also important to test streaming Hulu content with the default app settings!

Use a Different Browser

Perhaps your browser isn’t applicable to Hulu’s video player requirements and that’s why the sync is constantly getting lost.

To address this type of problem, you must get a browser that is verified as compatible with Hulu themselves.

Here are the most popular browsers that are compatible with Hulu streaming:

• Microsoft Edge 
• Google Chrome
• Apple (iOS) Safari
• Mozilla Firefox

If your browser has “third-party player options”, check if Hulu’s streams are blocked. In case you already have one of the recommended browsers, get an alternative one from the list, just to test and determine the culprit. 

Hulu is Still Out of Sync – Next Steps?

You’ve tried every solution from the above guide but nothing helped? Try these:

1. Test the Hulu application on other mobile devices or TVs.
2. Check online for specific Hulu sync issues on your device.
3. Try to identify the time frames (peak hours) of the sync issue.
4. Double-check for a VPN installed on one of your devices.
5. Report your out-of-sync issue to Hulu Customer Support.

Tip: You should navigate to Hulu Help, to check for ongoing outages!

Quick Recap:

We’ve learned that Hulu sound out of sync problems are fixed by rebooting your stream device and validating your internet connection.

You should also perform a clean reinstall on the Hulu application and update its firmware to remain up to date!

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