uploaded video files stream with audio out of sync

[Jay]

Hi @Sibil, what codec are you using for the video and audio, and what is the quality of the video overall? Since the Dropbox site needs to re-compress the files for the preview, it's possible that this could be affecting the sync between video and audio.

Assuming you're using shared links to share with others, what happens if you preview the video by changing the end of the link from dl=0 to raw=1?

[kokeshisound]

Hey @Sibil, I have contacted Dropbox Support and this is what they replied:

"Dropbox.com is a cloud server and is designed to store your data safe and securely, Dropbox has not got the ability to steam Videos or Movies correctly, the only way to view the video is to download it to your device locally and have the audio and video in sync. "

Basically, we shouldn't be using Dropbox for cloud client/team review. I switched to Frame.io and I'm pretty happy with their support. It's a collaboration platform where not only you can send files to clients/collaborators, it allows video streaming from the platform without the necessity of downloading the file locally. Plus your client or team can write annotations/comments inside the platform for an easier feedback/reviewing process. Highly recommended!

[Uneze]

Even when i save files movies ( mp4, .mov, etc) to device, in my case an ipad, the playback quickly becomes out of sync. And there’s weird clicking sounds like unmatched sample rates. This is a new problem that only happened after a recent update; whether it was an OSX or DB update that changed things I’m not sure. I have been using this method to watch video files for a long time and it’s always been a flawless method. 

[Jay]

Hi @Uneze, if you offline the file within the Dropbox mobile app, do you experience the same issue?

Likewise, do you get the same issue if you export the file to another app?

[Uneze]

Yes i always save to device and click "make available offline" watching.
The videos work fine in any other player, always have. Some I have had for years and there's never been a problem. Now all videos have A/V drift and sample rate clicking when using DB.

Btw my iPhone 2020 SE doesn't have any of these issues. It's updated to 14.5.1

Currently updating iPad to this OS; will report back.

[Jay]

Thanks for the update, keep me posted if there are any changes.

[Uneze]

I just installed the newest OS 14.5.1 and there's no change.
Furthermore I completely deleted Dropbox App from the iPad so that no data was saved and it's still not playing back right after reinstalling it.

To add to this; I remembered I have two of the exact same iPads. One is dedicated to other projects but i saved a few videos to it thru the DB app and the same thing is happening.

The iPad models are MR7F2LL/A. One has a capacity of 32gb and one is 64gb.

Hope this helps you guys to find a solution soon.

Thanks.

[Jay]

Thanks for the update, I'd recommend contacting the support team directly for further assistance on this matter, as they are better placed to investigate in more detail.

[Robert K JSS Tech]

Back in 2020, the question was asked, and I paraphrase here 'Was there a fix for the problem of mov originated video files playing with audio out of sync in Dropbox preview.'

We have over 150 video's mostly recorded in .mov  but edited in mp4 and loaded to dropbox as mp4's, which are regularly previewed.

We now realise this is why we have the 'out of sync' complaints which we don't see when we play the downloaded files.

What is the fix?