This is completely normal. It's your AVR automatically selecting the correct audio codec to use to decode the incoming audio signal. The more audio codec options your AVR has, the longer it takes. I have exactly the same issue with all of my components. It takes a few seconds for my A/V processor to select the correct audio codec to use, and thus, no audio until it selects the correct one. I'm sure others will be able to give your some advice as well. Good luck.

 

I don't think that's it... because all the other sources and passthrough (for example, if I open a DTS or Dolby file in the computer in a passthrough player), it works fine. The issue only happens when setting Windows specifically to Dolby Atmos and playing normal non-passthrough sounds.

 

Yes, that's correct. For the simpler codecs, as you have described, I get no delay either, it's only on the more complex codecs, like Dolby ATMOS/DTS:X and sometimes with Dolby Surround/DTS Neural:X, that I get the short delay. Good luck.

 

I don't get any delay with Dolby Atmos when it's already a dolby atmos file. For example, if I run the dolby atmos demo files, there's no delay. No file already encoded in any codec my receiver can decode have delays. I don't think the receiver has anything to do with it, it seems it's a windows/nvidia issue because if I monitor the input, the receiver is not getting anything for that short period of time. As soon as the receiver detects input, it selects the output almost instantly (no delay there). Check the Microsoft link I put on my OP, it's basically the same issue.

 

I have this same issue, and yes it's annoying. I'm thinking its a W11 bug - like some sort of processing/encoding delay on the OS side.

 

I also suspect it could be a sleep/wake-up issue. In my OP, there's a link to the nvidia hdmi bug. In that bug, nvidia driver/windows put the hdmi port to sleep so when it receives a signal, it takes a little to wake up. This will cause audio delay in all possible configurations with any source file.
My receiver allows me to have info on the screen about input/output. When windows is putting no sound in, it has no input on the receiver. If you fix the aforementioned bug by removing all sleeping timers (essentially keeping the port awake all the time), the receiver shows that there's always a PCM signal coming in (in the configuration you have selected in Windows).

But then when you set Windows to Dolby Atmos, it works like this:
1) In idle, receiver shows the input as PCM 7.1 B (whatever that B is I don't know). It's the default used by Dolby Access.
2) A random windows sound (not dolby encoded), say, a yotube video comes in. Receiver input/output goes blank. We are muted for that period.
3) 1-2 secs go by and receiver starts receiving input again. And that's when sound starts being output. There's no delay in choosing output, it doesn't seem an AVR-Win handshake issue. As soon as the receiver starts receiving input, it starts outputting.
4) Audio source ends, it goes to have no input again like in 2), blank. And it stays like that.

So it's like Dolby Access/Windows/nvidia driver is shutting down things that should be kept alive/wake up.

So far I have a workaround to keep the sound configuration in Windows in 5.1 or 7.1 with nvidia hdmi bug solved. That way, my sounds are alive all the time. But if I want to game in Atmos or do anything that requires windows output to be setup as atmos, I have to manually set it and then set it back to non-atmos later. Extra-annoying in Windows11 since there's the bug that we can't set 5.1 directly in the new Settings, we have to use the old control panel.

Dolby/DTS encoded files always play fine with no delay using passthrough.

 

I have an Nvidia card connected directly to soundbar via displayport to HDMI cable (passive) and I may have stumbled on a solution. So far I do not get the audio delay when using Dolby Atmos for Home Theatre to my soundbar like before. Bitstreaming works for video as well as Atmos enabled games (I have RE2: Remake and Cyberpunk) with no issues.

What I did was in Device Manager under Sound, Video and Game Controllers I updated the Nvidia High Definition Audio driver with High Definition Audio Device instead by selecting browsing computer for files and picking from a list. You will get a message telling you it may not be the right driver but ignore it and it will install.

Once done configure the device and select Dolby Atmos for Home Theatre. Hope it helps.

 

That indeed does solve it, but it's kind of a brute force thing... We know the issue is the nvidia driver + windows + dolby, here you are essentially removing nvidia from the equation. I'm not sure I'm comfortable not using nvidia drivers (and using Windows default), but I'll run with it for a while. Thanks for the solution!

Another alternative that I've been using is this GitHub - vrubleg/soundkeeper: Prevents SPDIF/HDMI digital audio playback devices from sleeping.
It will prevents the hdmi port from shutting down/sleeping by keeping it active. It was working well, but annoying in my case that I have switch between multiple configurations all the time (I use the PC for work, home threater, gaming, etc all in different screens and sound configs).

 

Your alternative is a much better solution and works with the Nvidia High Definition Audio driver. Cheers dude.

 

I'm getting a slight delay through controller audio with the Xbox audio set to "DA for headphones". Do I need to set the TV and Xbox to passthrough or is that pointless?

 

While that may solve the initial delay it will not solve the actual latency so be sure to check on your remote for a 'quick settings' button wherein you may find a menu entry (mine is under HDMI -- for an Onkyo receiver) titled A/V Sync that should let you adjust from -100ms to +100ms latency. Hope this helps.

 

Thanks - only my TV has this option and the lowest it can go on either side is 15. Maybe that means 150 ms or whatever, but it barely makes a difference, if at all.

 

Well heck...I've been dealing with this same issue for years. nVidia HDMI out to AVR and the first part of the first sound that's played after being idle is cut off. I didn't know other people had this problem. Not that it's a problem per se, more of an annoyance.

I'll give SoundKeeper a whirl. Thanks!