Abstract: A compressed audio/video, A/V, receiver provides A/V component timing reference signals (PTS's) coincident with reproduction of associated decompressed component signals. Synchronization apparatus generates a function of the difference of occurring component audio and video PTS's. This function, which is indicative of relative audio and video synchronization, is compared with a predetermined threshold value, and a mute control signal is generated when the threshold is exceeded. Muting circuitry, responsive to the control signal disables audio reproduction when the reproduced audio and video component signal timing deviate from mutual synchronization.

Abstract: A receiver (FIG. 2 ) for decoding associated compressed video and audio information components transmitted in mutually exclusive "frames" of data with respective time stamps PTS.sub.vid and PTS.sub.aud respectively, includes a controller (216) which is responsive to the respective received time stamps to provide coarse synchronization by delaying or skipping respective frames of one or the other of the components to approximately time align the two components. Fine synchronization is provided by adjusting the processing or clock frequency (215) of the audio signal processor (212) independent of the video processor (214). The control for the frequency adjustment is related to the difference between audio and video time stamps.