There have been many posts over the last few years from people wanting to use a generic tv streamer (rather than an expensive proprietary streamer) to stream audio from their tv to their Phonaks, KS10s or Connect Clip devices. The advice from me and others has been that it is possible, but at the cost of the high latency that comes with Bluetooth classic audio and the SBC codec. That latency causes lip-sync issues which some of us find intolerable.
I’ve recently discovered a solution of sorts that may work for some people. The Google Chromecast with TV is a dongle that plugs into a tv’s HDMI port and provides smart tv functionality. By that I mean it provides an interface for a user to connect- via installed apps- to services like Netflix and Disney. I’ve been using it for a while and discovered only recently that you can pair and connect Bluetooth audio devices to it.
Turns out that the device adjusts the video and audio streams to compensate for the latency. That’s the only explanation I can think of anyway. To my eyes and ears the streams are pretty well synchronised. It’s possible that others are more sensitive to the effect and would disagree. I’ve tried it with headphones and the Oticon Connect Clip with no issues.
Caveats:
It only works for solitary viewing. So far as I know anyway. There might be workarounds that smarter people than me can find.
The device doesn’t do over the air tv. Around here all the channels have their own streaming equivalent, so it may or may not be an issue for you.
It’s something you have to buy. I got mine bundled with 6 months of Netflix. Worked out to about $30 for the device. Or else we’re in Black Friday season.
So… a heads up for those who might find it useful.