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Apple Releases 14.2 Software for HomePod With New Siri, Intercom and Home Theater Features
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Can anyone tell me what is DIFFERENT about the HomePod interaction w/ aTV this time round.
I have an aTV HD, not 4K but I would assume things are the same, and you have been able to use your aTV with HomePod for at least a year.
To answer your question:
To get rid of the delay, your aTV has to know how long a delay your TV takes in processing the video signal. This is done like so:
Use Apple TV to play audio throughout your home
Apple TV can serve as a hub for playing audio throughout your home.
support.apple.com
It's a shameful UI -- hidden, clumsy, AND (and they don't tell you this) you need to repeat it for every "mode" that your TV uses, if the different modes have different timing. (So if your setup changes frame rates between say 24 and 60Hz, you have to run the sync tests in both 24Hz mode and 60Hz mode, meaning you need to manually force your aTV into each of those frame rates.)
Once it's set up, it's amazing and very sweet. But it's RIDICULOUS how unpleasant it is to set up correctly; truly a UI put together by an engineer with zero designer input and novice testing.
Like I already said, but repeated because almost no-one seems to know this:
Use Apple TV to play audio throughout your home
Apple TV can serve as a hub for playing audio throughout your home.
support.apple.com
Having the same issue, frequent cracking/popping sounds inc. skipping across the whole user interface. When playing something it all works perfectly fine, its only when using the menus. Very annoying. Anyone else having this issue or have a way to resolve it?
Yes, I am having this issue, plus my Apple TV wifi speeds are greatly reduced (making the device unusable) when i set the homepods as the default output for the apple tv. No idea as to why this is happening.
My current solution is... not select them as the default audio output, but select them manually from the Apple TV control center. Everything is fine them.
Have you tried to enable the homepods speakers as the default output from the Home App on your Iphone instead of enabling it on the Apple TV menu?. Shouldn´t make any difference but is worth a try.
So, let me ask because I’m trying to figure this all out.
how do we really get this working? I have an Apple TV 4K and HomePod in the same room in the Home app. They’re setup and connected, but I can’t seem to get the Atmos part to work it seems. Under Audio Format I can only see 5.1 and Stereo. Netflix only shows 5.1. Apple TV stuff shows Atmos but it always has for me so I just role with it but I’m pretty sure it isn’t Atmos.
My TV isn’t able to do Atmos and I have no idea if that matters. I would think it should be related to the speaker.
how do we really get this working? I have an Apple TV 4K and HomePod in the same room in the Home app. They’re setup and connected, but I can’t seem to get the Atmos part to work it seems. Under Audio Format I can only see 5.1 and Stereo. Netflix only shows 5.1. Apple TV stuff shows Atmos but it always has for me so I just role with it but I’m pretty sure it isn’t Atmos.
My TV isn’t able to do Atmos and I have no idea if that matters. I would think it should be related to the speaker.
Not sure if it helps anyone updated the HomePod and put Greyhound on Atmos did not show up on the info.
Thought my Apple 4K tv was up to date but wasn’t so updated that and the Atmos is now showing on the info of Greyhound, only listened to it for a short while but it sounded pretty good.
Thought my Apple 4K tv was up to date but wasn’t so updated that and the Atmos is now showing on the info of Greyhound, only listened to it for a short while but it sounded pretty good.
Disable "change format", under the ATV audio and video menu. This should unlock the "Auto" format.
- Update Apple TV 4K and HomePod(s) to the public 14.2 software. If you are using a beta profile on HomePod, remove it first to gain access to the public 14.2 release.
- From the Home app on iPhone/iPad set Apple TV 4K and HomePod(s) to the same room. All devices must also be enabled as home hubs.
- If you have two HomePods you must pair them from the Home app now.
- On Apple TV 4K, go to Settings -> Video and Audio -> Default Audio Output -> Select HomePod(s).
- Make sure that Video and Audio -> Audio Format is set to 'Auto'. The Atmos option, which is visible when Apple TV 4K is connected to a compatible TV, will apparently disappear when connected to HomePod.
You are still getting the Atmos soundtrack though. This can be confirmed by bringing pressing 'menu' on the Apple remote while watching an Apple TV+ show. - Find content with Dolby Atmos on Apple TV+ or iTunes. It does not appear to work with all apps at this time.
Ok, confirmed. You don´t even need the homepods set up as the default speakers for the apple tv for the home theatre processing to work with 5.1,7.1 and Dolby Atmos tracks.
Final, updated guide, with the help of apple support:
A). Update the Apple TV and the Homepods to the final public released version of 14.2 (betas wont work).
B) Make sure that the Apple TV and the homepods are in the same room in the home app. While you are there, go to the Homepods settings in the Home app and make sure that the "Sound Check" option is off (this affects the dynamic range and volume of everything played through the homepods, and is not recommended)
C). In the Apple TV, go to settings Audio/Video menu and make sure that the "change format" option is off, and that the audio format is set to "Auto". While you are there, turn off "reduce loud sounds" as well (this affects the dynamic range of everything played through the apple tv, and is not recommended).
D). Select the Homepods from the control center of the Apple TV. Then go, for example, to Netflix, and start playing Hubbie Halloween or the Irishman (again, for example). While playing, swap down on the Siri remote to bring up the audio and subtitles menu . You should see the Dolby Atmos logo there (in the info tab), which indicates that your are indeed playing a dolby atmos track.
Same with Apple TV+ and Itunes purchases.
Unfortunately, the Atmos logo doesn´t appear on Disney+ streams, only a 5.1 badge, which tells me that the app need to be updated to work with the Homepods . However, the Home Theatre processing of plain old 5.1 tracks by the Homepod is also very impressive.
Turn up your Homepods volume and enjoy!
Final, updated guide, with the help of apple support:
A). Update the Apple TV and the Homepods to the final public released version of 14.2 (betas wont work).
B) Make sure that the Apple TV and the homepods are in the same room in the home app. While you are there, go to the Homepods settings in the Home app and make sure that the "Sound Check" option is off (this affects the dynamic range and volume of everything played through the homepods, and is not recommended)
C). In the Apple TV, go to settings Audio/Video menu and make sure that the "change format" option is off, and that the audio format is set to "Auto". While you are there, turn off "reduce loud sounds" as well (this affects the dynamic range of everything played through the apple tv, and is not recommended).
D). Select the Homepods from the control center of the Apple TV. Then go, for example, to Netflix, and start playing Hubbie Halloween or the Irishman (again, for example). While playing, swap down on the Siri remote to bring up the audio and subtitles menu . You should see the Dolby Atmos logo there (in the info tab), which indicates that your are indeed playing a dolby atmos track.
Same with Apple TV+ and Itunes purchases.
Unfortunately, the Atmos logo doesn´t appear on Disney+ streams, only a 5.1 badge, which tells me that the app need to be updated to work with the Homepods . However, the Home Theatre processing of plain old 5.1 tracks by the Homepod is also very impressive.
Turn up your Homepods volume and enjoy!
Great! How do you find the sound?. Remember to turn the volume up with the siri remote.
For some reason I am now getting the atmos signal on Netflix....very happy
If I want to use HomePods as TV speakers with my AppleTV 4K, is there a way to also make them the default speakers for Live TV/DVD/PS4/Xbox or other content so that I can retire a soundbar?
More a reflection than a issue, but... hearing the volume level and room filling sound that a stereo pair of Homepods can achieve in movies without distortion now, I think that apple need to increase the volume level on apple music. Yes, I know, stereo is stereo (music), and surround is surround (movies and tv shows), but i mean raw power.
Apple Music volume is currently a little bit underwhelming and I think that the Homepods are being under utilized for Music.
Also, lossless music streaming for Apple One family or premier subscribers would be very nice.
Thoughts?
Apple Music volume is currently a little bit underwhelming and I think that the Homepods are being under utilized for Music.
Also, lossless music streaming for Apple One family or premier subscribers would be very nice.
Thoughts?
I fixed snap crackle pop and occasional drop outs by unplugging an replugging HDMI cable into AppleTV. I used to have the same problem a long time ago and I think I replaced the cable.
So maybe I"m dense, but I can't figure out how to set it so that audio comes out of my TV speakers and my HomePod on the opposed side of my room. When I follow the prompts, sound only comes out of my HomePod. When I hold the Home button and choose the AirPlay option, I can set it to broadcast sound from both HomePod and TV (like I've ALWAYS been able to), but not able to get the "surround stereo sound" that they advertise as a feature.
For the the Surround Sound, you can ONLY use one Homepod or a stereo pair. Not add your TV Speakers or other speakers at the same time via airplay. If you choose more speakers besides the Homepod themselves, you only get stereo.
PD: If you have only one Homepod and want to use it for Home Theatre with your Apple TV, you should place it like this (quoting apple), and not in the other side of your room.
"For the best surround sound, place HomePod within 10 inches of a wall and as close to the center of your TV as possible".
And don't use tvOS14 which appears to have broken this functionality... Broken with tvOS 14.0, still broken as of 14.2
(Specifically the Spectrum TV app will keep feeding audio to the HomePod long after you pause TV playback.
This could be [probably is] a fault in the Spectrum TV app given what a general PoS that app is; but it is Apple's fault that a flaw like this is even possible. The audio playback should be sufficiently abstracted that it simply shouldn't be possible to break in this way.)