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AirPods and Apple TV
- Thread starter mic j
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I know they didn't say. It is a speculative question. But thinking about it, the aTV may need an actual chip update to allow it to communicate with the AirPods. The iPhone and Watch both have new chips which are probably critical to this function.
They didn't say the new proprietary wireless stuff works with the AppleTV, and the ATV4 wasn't in the picture at the end of the segment with the other devices when he said it'll-work-with-this-stuff. They did say the AirPods were also compatible with standard Bluetooth devices, which is my guess as to how you'd use it with the ATV4. They'll probably add full W1 compatibility with a ATV4 'refresh', or in the ATV5.
This is what makes it even stranger. If these are the only requirements, they will work with wide range of Apple products. Very little reason for TV to be excluded.
I can pair some cheap £15 Bluetooth headphones with my aTV4 so I can't see these not working.
Nobody's going to know until they hit the shelves though
Nobody's going to know until they hit the shelves though
The Tech Specs don't appear to be online yet. But I believe Crazy Badger is correct. When I look them up in the Apple Store app on my iPhone 5s, the app tells me they are compatible with with my 2 year old iPhone.
As bluetooth headphones, they should be able to pair with Apple TV. The question is whether they will auto pair through iCloud and use the "magical" auto-switching Apple is using for the Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Watch.
My guess is they intentionally don't want the AirPods to automatically switch input to the Apple TV because someone else could be watching TV while you're using your iPhone or other devices and you wouldn't want it to steal focus. Right now there's no way for the Apple TV to know if it's you watching or someone else.
My guess is they intentionally don't want the AirPods to automatically switch input to the Apple TV because someone else could be watching TV while you're using your iPhone or other devices and you wouldn't want it to steal focus. Right now there's no way for the Apple TV to know if it's you watching or someone else.
if you meant "don't" instead of "done", I read that the pairing button is actually on the carrying case, allowing them to be paired like a typical Bluetooth device for things not running iOS 10 or MacOS Sierra.
I would imagine they will pair with the 4th gen Apple TV. My Jaybird Bluebud X's pair without a problem. Allowing third party products to pair with AppleTV, but not including that ability with their own wireless headphones would more than surprise me.
Judging from the press release, the smart/quick pairing will be between iOS, watchOS and macOS only. No mention of tvOS. So would have to pair with Apple TV in the Bluetooth way.
http://www.apple.com/newsroom/2016/09/apple-reinvents-the-wireless-headphones-with-airpods.html
http://www.apple.com/newsroom/2016/09/apple-reinvents-the-wireless-headphones-with-airpods.html
That's a good point.
A TV is more public than an individual device.
I still will test it out with a Bluetooth connection.
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I will experience pairing ATV4 with the Airpods this week.
The continuity of battery life for each pod makes the old "battery is low" message, a never to hear again reminder.
Additionally, I think two people may each share a pod for private listening.
My wife and I used to do that with the old earphones and small video players..
Forwarding to the past, more elegantly.
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i have powerbeats 3,
they do pair with the appleTV, but not using the fancy iCloud sharing that lets you switch easily.
They pair as regular bluetooth headphones, on the beats, it's a 5 second press on the power button to get to bluetooth pairing, instead of the 1 second press for W1.
so it's long press, go to aTV bluetooth menu , select power beats, and they work just like my old sony headphones,
I've just gotten them, so haven't tried re-connecting after my original pair, but it's probably just going into the bluetooth menu and respecting them.
they did automatically get renamed to "______'s Powerbeats3" from paring them with my phone which was nice
and just looked.....
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207010
they do pair with the appleTV, but not using the fancy iCloud sharing that lets you switch easily.
They pair as regular bluetooth headphones, on the beats, it's a 5 second press on the power button to get to bluetooth pairing, instead of the 1 second press for W1.
so it's long press, go to aTV bluetooth menu , select power beats, and they work just like my old sony headphones,
I've just gotten them, so haven't tried re-connecting after my original pair, but it's probably just going into the bluetooth menu and respecting them.
they did automatically get renamed to "______'s Powerbeats3" from paring them with my phone which was nice
and just looked.....
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207010
I've got some arriving tomorrow so will check and report back...
UPDATE:
They don't pair automatically through iCloud, although I think that was expected given no reference to aTV in the release notes. Pretty simple to add as a Bluetooth device though. Into the Settings, Remote and Devices, and then press the hidden button on the Airpods case and they're added to the aTV.
UPDATE:
They don't pair automatically through iCloud, although I think that was expected given no reference to aTV in the release notes. Pretty simple to add as a Bluetooth device though. Into the Settings, Remote and Devices, and then press the hidden button on the Airpods case and they're added to the aTV.
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Yes, I now have the Airpods working with my ATV4.
The sound is better than my old wireless cans. The black plastic had started to leave pieces in my ear which made others comment about it.
Also wearing only one allows me to talk to my wife without seeming too immersed on the TV screen.
Great for Football moments.
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That's interesting, I thought you needed both pods in your ears for them to work, that removing one would turn them off. I wondered about that with a phone call, where I just would want to quickly put one in my ear to talk on the phone rather than fumbling around to try and get both pods in before the call was missed.
There is flexibility built into how they perform.
Phone calls: one pod or both.
Music: one pod or both.
Continuous playing of music is also an option.
It's the flexibility that will make them popular.
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How do they work if you are using the Apple TV and then the iPhone rings?
Do you have to repair it with the iPhone again every time you are finished using them with the Apple TV?
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Yes, any non W1 chip friendly device, including my older iPads, need to manually be recognized.
The listening and dictation quality is clearer, so that giving Siri commands are more precise in a quiet environment.
Even at a distance, I can issue commands & receive calls flawlessly where before the Airpods, I would need to carry my iPhone with me, even to the next room.
It's a much freer feeling.
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I just tried them on my aTV 2&3 without success. My Bluetooth keyboard appeared and connected flawlessly, but the Airpods didn't even appear.