Identify the item and text track
Record the programme edition, episode, runtime, audio track and subtitle label. Two releases with different introductions or edits can diverge even when their titles match.
Choose a clear spoken line near the beginning and another later in the item. Note whether the text is consistently early or late, and whether the gap stays similar. A brief observation is enough to distinguish a fixed shift from obvious drift.
Understand what an offset changes
Timed-text formats associate text cues with media positions. A supported offset control moves the presentation of those cues relative to playback. Save the starting value before changing it.
Adjust only the text timing you intend to test. An audio lip-sync control addresses another relationship and can make speech appear wrong while you are trying to repair captions.
Test more than one passage
After a modest documented adjustment, compare the early and later reference points again. If one becomes correct while the other remains wrong, stop increasing the same offset. The issue may involve a different edition or source timing.
Do not download arbitrary subtitle files for a private stream or upload the programme to an unknown synchronisation service. Use tracks and methods permitted by the source and player.
Report the pattern clearly
Give support the item identity, track label, two approximate positions and whether the timing error stays fixed or grows. Include whether another supplied track works normally.
Restore an unsuccessful manual offset so the next programme does not inherit it. Keep any access URL or account identifier out of the report. A concrete timing pattern is more useful than a large unexplained delay value.
Questions about this guide
Can a single offset correct subtitles that drift progressively?
Not necessarily. A fixed shift cannot repair every change in cue timing or an edition mismatch.
Should I change audio delay to fix text timing?
Only if the audio itself is wrong and the equipment documentation supports that action. Audio and subtitle timing are separate relationships.