LIP SYNCHRONIZATION SYSTEM AND METHOD

A system and method for correcting so-called “lip sync” errors is provided, using a synchronization test signal comprising a video signal including a colorbar signal that is periodically interrupted by a series of consecutive defined black frames and an audio signal comprising a tone periodically interrupted by a period of silence beginning at the same time as the first of the series of consecutive defined black frames. The synchronization test signal is configured to survive encoding, decoding, conversion, and compressing processes used in a typical digital broadcast system environment and thus provide a means of measuring the relative audio and video timing of a processed signal. A method for correcting lip sync error receiving the synchronization test signal and comparing the relative timing of the video and audio portions of the synchronization test signal to their original relative timing, and delaying either the audio or video portions of a broadcast signal according to the timing comparison derived from the received test signal.