You downloaded a movie, pressed play, and the actors' lips move a half second before you hear them. Fixing that by re-encoding blindly is tedious. Audio Video Synchronizer lets you shift the sound against the picture, check the result, and then write out a corrected file.
Quick facts
- Platforms: Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista
- Needs: DirectX 9.0 or later
- Output formats: WMV or AVI by default
Key features
Nudge audio forward or backward on its own
Skip buttons move only the sound. The default step is 0.3 second, and hotkeys (i and p) make repeated adjustments quick. An Original audio button resets the sound if you overshoot.
Fix drift with several sync points
Once lips and voice match at one spot, you add that spot to a sync list. Add points near the start and end of the problem area, and optionally one in the middle. The program calculates the video and audio start and end times from them, so audio that drifts gradually can be corrected too.
Replay a scene and reuse your work
A skip-backward button repeats the last scene so you can check the same moment several times. You can save the sync list to an .ini file for the video and load it again later.
Preview before converting
You can preview the output to confirm it's in sync, then convert. Output is WMV or AVI, and WMV is the recommended default because it needs no extra encoder.
Opens common video formats, more with extra decoders
It reads avi, wmv, mpg, asf, dat, vcd and mpeg. With extra decoders installed it can handle divx, xvid, dv, mkv, ogm, svcd and dsm. Installing more multiplexers adds output formats, so it doubles as a video converter.
Who it's for
It suits anyone with a few movie files whose sound is slightly early or late and who wants to fix them without learning a full video editor. It is a single-purpose tool.
Pros and cons
- Pro: multiple sync points handle drift, not just a fixed offset.
- Pro: preview before you commit to a conversion.
- Pro: hotkeys and a saved sync list speed up repeat work.
- Con: it re-encodes the video, so you get a new file rather than an in-place fix.
- Con: the audio skip buttons may not work well while the FFDshow codec is running. You may need to disable it temporarily.
- Con: listed for older Windows versions only.
FAQs
How do I sync a video?
Open the video and compare voice and lip movement, or a subtitle. Nudge the audio until it matches, and add the point to the list. Add a second point near the other end, calculate the start and end times, preview, then convert.
What if the program says it failed to load wmvcore.dll?
Installing Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 resolves this error at launch.
Which output format should I choose?
WMV is recommended. Microsoft's WMV encoder is stable and needs nothing extra installed.
Can it open MKV or DivX files?
Yes, if the extra decoders for those formats are installed.
System requirements
- Microsoft Windows XP/2003/Vista
- DirectX 9.0 or later
- Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 if the wmvcore.dll error appears