Apple TV 4K + pair of HomePod minis: 3 questions.

[firoze]

I am planning to buy an Apple TV 4K with a pair of HomePod minis. I intend to use these either with a 65" Sony A80J OLED, or a LG C1 OLED TV.

For those of you who are using the above combination, would you please answer these questions?

1) Would the picture quality from the Apple TV 4K be better than using the TV's built-in Netflix and Amazon Prime apps?

2) Would a pair of HomePod minis sound better than the TV's built-in speakers?

3) When using the HomePod minis for the TV's sound output (instead of the TV's built in speakers) I've read earlier reports that if the Apple TV 4K was switched off and back on, the sound output would default to the TV's built-in speakers, and one had to manually switch to the HomePod minis each time. Does this still happen with TvOS 15.2/15.3? Is there a way to set the HomePod minis to permanently be the default speakers even if the ATV is switched off?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[w5jck]

#1: I don't have (nor want to have) the HomePod minis, but I can answer #1 since I have an ATV 4K. There is no improvement on the picture quality when using an ATV 4K, Fire TV Cube, Roku, etc. A newer TV set with built in apps will look just as good when using those apps as it will with one of the latest streaming boxes.

#2: Pretty much any pair of decent external speakers will sound better than the built in TV speakers. Size makes a difference, and the narrow depth of newer TVs means tiny speakers that suck.

#3: Although I’ve never tried using HomePod minis with my Sony Bravia, I did try using Amazon Echo Studios. It was a major PITA! There were all kinds of issues. First, they will only operate to their fullest with the mother device. Studios could only produce surround sound and Atmos if used through the Fire TV, for example. I read that HomePods require the ATV. Sound quality varied, cut in and out, required the Fire TV remote to control, ad nauseam. Expect the same with the Homepod minis. Bottomline, if you want external speakers, get some that are designed especially for TVs, and make damn sure they have an HDMI port, otherwise you will just have two mediocre HiFi speakers playing in HiFi. Spend the money and get a real soundbar system and hook it up to the TV, not the ATV or another streaming device. The studios sounded great by themselves, but were a major fail for the TV, so they got returned... The HomePod minis, well they would sound like crap next to the Studios, so expect subpar TV sound from them. A $200 TV soundbar would sound much better, and it would work without issues.

 

[firoze]

#1: I don't have (nor want to have) the HomePod minis, but I can answer #1 since I have an ATV 4K. There is no improvement on the picture quality when using an ATV 4K, Fire TV Cube, Roku, etc. A newer TV set with built in apps will look just as good when using those apps as it will with one of the latest streaming boxes.

#2: Pretty much any pair of decent external speakers will sound better than the built in TV speakers. Size makes a difference, and the narrow depth of newer TVs means tiny speakers that suck.

#3: Although I’ve never tried using HomePod minis with my Sony Bravia, I did try using Amazon Echo Studios. It was a major PITA! There were all kinds of issues. First, they will only operate to their fullest with the mother device. Studios could only produce surround sound and Atmos if used through the Fire TV, for example. I read that HomePods require the ATV. Sound quality varied, cut in and out, required the Fire TV remote to control, ad nauseam. Expect the same with the Homepod minis. Bottomline, if you want external speakers, get some that are designed especially for TVs, and make damn sure they have an HDMI port, otherwise you will just have two mediocre HiFi speakers playing in HiFi. Spend the money and get a real soundbar system and hook it up to the TV, not the ATV or another streaming device. The studios sounded great by themselves, but were a major fail for the TV, so they got returned... The HomePod minis, well they would sound like crap next to the Studios, so expect subpar TV sound from them. A $200 TV soundbar would sound much better, and it would work without issues.

Thank you for your reply. I think I will buy the new TV first and then take it from there. I may yet get an ATV if I find the user interface of the TV irritating. I will certainly investigate good soundbars, but I have read a couple of reviews which said the HomePod minis sound great as TV speakers, albeit with limited bass, but with excellent clarity. I would love to hear from anyone who is using a pair of them as TV speakers. And I would like to know if they can be permanently set as the default speakers. Thanks again.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

You mostly have your answers already.

To #2-3, I'll simply add, Homepods are not really meant for this purpose. Yes, they can be used this way but they are really meant to be mono or (paired) stereo speakers for music/radio.

A 65" screen just about shouts "home theater" and you will not find any cinema leaning on 2 Homepods (original or Jr... or any soundbar-only up front). Instead, they have true surround sound setups with dedicated front left & right, center and at least rear left & right speakers... if not additional speakers for 7.1 or even ATMOS setups. There's no way to match that with ANY 2 speakers (or a soundbar, even if the marketing and/or name of the soundbar implies they are "surround" or even "ATMOS").

If you want home theater sound to pair with that big screen, my suggestion:

1. Get a nice-to-great receiver to act as your central audio-video hub. A few hundred will get you into nice range. A bit more can get into great.
2. Since stereo is good enough for you for now, start with 2 nice speakers for front left & right. Just about ANY two will sound better than the stock speakers in the TV. #1 and #2 will cost more than a pair of HomePod Jrs but if you choose quality, they will sound as good if not better and be the foundation for a richer audio experience as you progress down this list. They will also get you massive playback flexibility well beyond the walled garden limits imposed by Homepods.
3. When you can, add a center speaker to go right under/over the TV. With #1 & #2, this will likely sound better than any 2 mini speakers you can get even if you don't go any further from here.
4. When you can, add a good-to-great subwoofer for bass (that no tiny little speaker(s) can replicate simply because of size). If you have "I like deep bass" ears, this will be better than you could ever accomplish with ANY tiny speakers.
5. When you can, add 2 nice rear left & right speakers. This gets you "room filling" experiences that are NOT faux effects. Your ears will notice the difference of sound actually coming from behind you vs. computational tricks from speakers sitting somewhere out in front of you. At this point, you would be set up for Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround. For many, this can be the end point of speaker purchases and will sound great... far better than you can get from any 2 little speakers paired as stereo.
6. If you like, add 2 nice rear speakers to achieve a 7.1 surround setup.
7. If you like, add some overhead/ceiling speakers for ATMOS.

Anything you watch via AppleTV or anything else with at least Dolby Digital 5.1 will sound MUCH better with a dedicated surround sound system than you will get out of any pair of stereo-limited speakers. There's no way to magically fake sound coming from a real surround sound setup. If there was, movie theaters would cheap out with only 2 speakers up front.

If you want Homepods for airplay purposes, choose #1 with Airplay 2. There's plenty with it and it works great. If dollars are a little tighter, you can always airplay to AppleTV to make a receiver without it play whatever you are throwing to your home theater speakers. However, airplay built into receivers is very nice and seemingly nominal in terms of adding cost.

Apple has not yet chosen to directly address the niche want of a true surround sound setup with homepods- else they would have a marketed option to buy upwards of 5+ Homepods and some kind of Apple-built subwoofer. Apple people are trying to force this and spinning all kinds of ideas about why this is ideal... but I suspect much of that is because they want to buy only Apple and/or they've been fooled by others who up to outright lie that one can do with 2 what actually works with 5 or more, plus subwoofer.

All that offered, Homepods do sound nice and if stereo is actually good enough for you, they are nice little speakers that have good sound for their size. Good speakers are often usable for a decade or more (if they don't have walled garden/software limitations over such a span) so they represent a consumer purchase with usefulness far longer than what you will pay for several generations of iPhones, Macs, iPads, etc. My suggestion is always the same: buy accordingly.

 

[firoze]

You mostly have your answers already.

To #2-3, I'll simply add, Homepods are not really meant for this purpose. Yes, they can be used this way but they are really meant to to mono or (paired) stereo speakers for music/radio.

A 65" screen just about shouts "home theater" and you will not find any cinema leaning on 2 Homepods (original or Jr). Instead, they have true surround sound setups with dedicated front left & right, center and at least rear left & right speakers... if not additional speakers for 7.1 or even ATMOS setups. There's no way to match that with ANY 2 speakers (or a soundbar, even if the marketing and/or name of the soundbar implies they are "surround" or even "ATMOS").

If you want home theater sound to pair with that big screen, my suggestion:

1. Get a nice-to-great receiver to act as your central audio-video hub. A few hundred will get you into nice range. A bit more can get into great.
2. Since stereo is good enough for you for now, start with 2 nice speakers for front left & right. Just about ANY two will sound better than the stock speakers in the TV. #1 and #2 will cost more than a pair of HomePod Jrs but if you choose quality, they will sound as good if not better and be the foundation for a richer audio experience as you progress down this list. They will also get you massive playback flexibility well beyond the walled garden limits imposed by Homepods.
3. When you can, add a center speaker to go right under/over the TV. With #1 & #2, this will likely sound better than any 2 mini speakers you can get even if you don't go any further from here.
4. When you can, add a good-to-great subwoofer for bass (that no tiny little speaker(s) can replicate simply because of size). If you have "I like deep bass" ears, this will be better than you could ever accomplish with ANY tiny speakers.
5. When you can, add 2 nice rear left & right speakers. This gets you "room filling" experiences that are NOT faux effects. Your ears will notice the difference of sound actually coming from behind you vs. computational tricks from speakers sitting somewhere out in front of you. At this point, you would be set up for Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 surround. For many, this can be the end point of speaker purchases and will sound great... far better than you can get from any 2 little speakers paired as stereo.
6. If you like, add 2 nice rear speakers to achieve a 7.1 surround setup.
7. If you like, add some overhead/ceiling speakers for ATMOS.

Anything you watch via AppleTV or anything else with at least Dolby Digital 5.1 will sound MUCH better with a dedicated surround sound system than you will get out of any pair of stereo-limited speakers. There's no way to magically fake sound coming from a real surround sound setup. If there was, movie theaters would cheap out with only 2 speakers up front.

If you want Homepods for airplay purposes, choose #1 with Airplay 2. There's plenty with it and it works great. If dollars are a little tighter, you can always airplay to AppleTV to make a receiver without it play whatever you are throwing to your home theater speakers. However, airplay built into receivers is very nice and seemingly nominal in terms of adding cost.

Apple has not yet chosen to directly address the niche want of a true surround sound setup with homepods- else they would have a marketed option to buy upwards of 5+ Homepods and some kind of Apple-built subwoofer. Apple people are trying to force this and spinning all kinds of ideas about why this is ideal... but I suspect much of that is because they want to buy only Apple and/or they've been fooled by others who up to outright lie that one can do with 2 what actually works with 5 or more, plus subwoofer.

All that offered, Homepods do sound nice and if stereo is actually good enough for you, they are nice little speakers that have good sound for their size. Good speakers are often usable for a decade or more (if they don't have walled garden/software limitations over such a span) so they represent a consumer purchase with usefulness far longer than what you will pay for several generations of iPhones, Macs, iPads, etc. My suggestion is always the same: buy accordingly.

Thank you, your points on surround sound setup are well taken and I wish I could have such a surround setup. Unfortunately due to domestic restrictions I would be unable to add surround speakers, so only options are two small speakers either side to the TV, hence the attraction of HomePod minis. Or I could add a soundbar below the TV. So far I have been able to hear only a single HomePod mini, not a stereo pair. (I don't live in the US and Apple dealers here have only single HPM's on demo). I did run some movie soundtracks thru the single HPM and the clarity was excellent, even if the bass was lacking. So it would be helpful to know if the HPM's can be permanently set as the default speakers on the ATV 4k. (I will also checkout soundbars).

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Not so sure about what domestic restrictions mean... if restrictions due to living in someone else's property, there are many solutions to overcome the obstacles of wires in walls. For example, you can hide wires to the 3 up front without getting into walls at all. Some systems can "throw" sub and rear audio to one unit you can put behind you and then hide wires from that unit to feed left & right. There are many wire hiding solutions that can fully avoid getting into drywall.

If you mean spousal approval, spouses can be brought around by demo rooms and a smart plan to hide speaker wires. Spouses can appreciate high quality sound too.

If you mean spousal budget approval, again, you can build this out in steps over several years. If you can get a good receiver plus only a good left & right pair of speakers, you can probably enjoy sound at least as good (to your ears) if not better-to-considerably better than you hear from HomePod. And the receiver won't be locked into the limitations of the Apple ecosystem, instead offering the flexibility to work with anything and play anything. My own receiver connects with all of the competing music sources directly, so I don't even have to turn on the AppleTV for such purposes.

If you mean something else or one of those is it but still insurmountable, enjoy either option. Just about anything will be better than leaning on the TV speakers alone.

 

[SanJoseEd]

I am planning to buy an Apple TV 4K with a pair of HomePod minis. I intend to use these either with a 65" Sony A80J OLED, or a LG C1 OLED TV.

For those of you who are using the above combination, would you please answer these questions?

1) Would the picture quality from the Apple TV 4K be better than using the TV's built-in Netflix and Amazon Prime apps?

2) Would a pair of HomePod minis sound better than the TV's built-in speakers?

3) When using the HomePod minis for the TV's sound output (instead of the TV's built in speakers) I've read earlier reports that if the Apple TV 4K was switched off and back on, the sound output would default to the TV's built-in speakers, and one had to manually switch to the HomePod minis each time. Does this still happen with TvOS 15.2/15.3? Is there a way to set the HomePod minis to permanently be the default speakers even if the ATV is switched off?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

I've had an LG OLED 65" e9 for almost 3 years now. It's primary source of video is a 2021 ATV4K. This 2019 LG e9 at the time was their flagship and it shows. Audio is either the e9's native speaker set-up or a set of stereo paired OG homepods -- LG adopted airplay 2 and did good job; works well with the ATV4K's CEC via HDMI 2.1. I've never used these homepods for 'music', only as the primary speakers for the e9. They are set about 15' apart on bookshelves, L & R of the LG. I'm not an audiophile, but I can tell what sounds 'good' to me -- these OG HPs have produced superlative audio. I don't know what the proper adjective would be, stereo for sure, but they do trip the 'ATMOS' on-screen tag when viewing something with an ATMOS track over the ATV4K. Is it ATMOS? Of course not. Does it sound more 'spread out' or 'expansive' than the brand of stereo it pumps out for non-ATMOS labeled media - most definitely. I guess you could call it a poor man's ATMOS - sounds great though. And I'm a, yes, a poor man.
But . . . the LG e9 is known for its own onboard sound system. Yeah, I know it's almost a 'given' that no TV's native speakers are anything but caca, but this TV's indigenous sound system is superlative. Front firing from beneath the OLED panel, upward firing and L&R firing speakers from the tech box on the rear really do a surprising job of creating a surround-sounding audio atmosphere - so much that I'v put off purchasing true wireless ATMOS hardware for the time being.
Advice: check the feedback for the onboard audio for the TV model you'e considereing. You might save some bucks so you can save up for true ATMOS if that appeals to you. And . . . yes, homepod audio is quite good with the ATV4K.

Answer to 2): they might, they might not -- see above; depends on the TV's internal speakers

Answer to 3): Between 'on' and 'sleep' (when I 'sleep' the ATV4K, because it's connected to the LG via CEC/HDMI, the LG goes to sleep as well) -- when woken, whatever set of speakers was selected at 'sleep' time are still selected. To switch speakers, hold the 'tv' on the ATV4K's Siri remote and the LG will display available speakers - cursor and click.

 

[w5jck]

…Unfortunately due to domestic restrictions I would be unable to add surround speakers, so only options are two small speakers either side to the TV, hence the attraction of HomePod minis.…

I’m not sure what you meant by this either. If you live in an apartment or other place where you need to keep the sound level down, you might think about earbuds or headphones, but they are only a one-person option. The ATV 4K can play Dolby Atmos via earbuds or headphones. However it is a PITA to wear them for hours on end, plus the battery only lasts a few hours.

Again I can’t speak for the HomePod minis, but I have used a BT connection with another speaker in the past. The ATV 4K seemed to remember to use it as long as another device had not used it afterwards. It does take a few seconds sometimes to activate the connection after switching to the ATV, but I never had any lip sync issues. Occasionally I did have to reconnect with the speaker though. But that seems to be a common BT issue.

 

[glindon]

I am planning to buy an Apple TV 4K with a pair of HomePod minis. I intend to use these either with a 65" Sony A80J OLED, or a LG C1 OLED TV.

For those of you who are using the above combination, would you please answer these questions?

1) Would the picture quality from the Apple TV 4K be better than using the TV's built-in Netflix and Amazon Prime apps?

2) Would a pair of HomePod minis sound better than the TV's built-in speakers?

3) When using the HomePod minis for the TV's sound output (instead of the TV's built in speakers) I've read earlier reports that if the Apple TV 4K was switched off and back on, the sound output would default to the TV's built-in speakers, and one had to manually switch to the HomePod minis each time. Does this still happen with TvOS 15.2/15.3? Is there a way to set the HomePod minis to permanently be the default speakers even if the ATV is switched off?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

The minis will certainly sound better than the built in TV speakers but I think you are going to be disappointed by the volume of the minis since you are pairing them to such a large TV. I’d recommend the minis for something the size of a bedroom TV, like a 43.” I guess if you were putting the 65” in a bedroom the volume wouldn’t be so bad.

Apple TV you can set the frame rate and HDR profile to match the content being played. If your TV has those settings than I’d say that there would be no difference in picture quality.

 

[firoze]

Thank you All for your helpful replies. In view of what you have advised, I'll skip the HomePod minis.

 

[firoze]

One more question. I believe the ATV 4k's Apple TV+ app integrates the content from other apps like Netflix & Prime into the "Up Next" screen. Is there a setting that would not show content from other apps? I would prefer to see content only from the Apple TV+ app in that app.

 

[w5jck]

One more question. I believe the ATV 4k's Apple TV+ app integrates the content from other apps like Netflix & Prime into the "Up Next" screen. Is there a setting that would not show content from other apps? I would prefer to see content only from the Apple TV+ app in that app.

I haven't tried to block the content ads for other services, so I can’t say. But you don't have to sign up for TV+ to get those ads. And yes, essentially they are ads, just like on Amazon's Prime Video. Quite often, clicking on one will give you the message that you need to sign up for another service like Netflix, Hulu, etc., or you will see that Apple wants to sell or rent the video to you. I prefer to ignore the recommendation ads. If you highlight one of the apps in the first line of the Home page, you will get specific info from what that app has to offer, but they are essentially ads too for the most part. And you only get those for apps that specifically allow the ATV to display them.

personally, I think the way Apple and Amazon display their Home pages is a cluttered mess designed to shove ads down our throats and up our backsides. It is really frustrating to see interesting content, but then you discover that it requires another subscription or you have to buy or rent it. TV+ does have a lot of free stuff, but they are just getting started so their library isn't very robust. Plus, unless you are in the 35 year old and less range, most of it want be that appealing. Even the Tom Hanks movies seem to be mostly disappointing (boring) to me. Amazon Prime Video has way more content to offer, but also way more ads too.

 

[firoze]

I haven't tried to block the content ads for other services, so I can’t say. But you don't have to sign up for TV+ to get those ads. And yes, essentially they are ads, just like on Amazon's Prime Video. Quite often, clicking on one will give you the message that you need to sign up for another service like Netflix, Hulu, etc., or you will see that Apple wants to sell or rent the video to you. I prefer to ignore the recommendation ads. If you highlight one of the apps in the first line of the Home page, you will get specific info from what that app has to offer, but they are essentially ads too for the most part. And you only get those for apps that specifically allow the ATV to display them.

personally, I think the way Apple and Amazon display their Home pages is a cluttered mess designed to shove ads down our throats and up our backsides. It is really frustrating to see interesting content, but then you discover that it requires another subscription or you have to buy or rent it. TV+ does have a lot of free stuff, but they are just getting started so their library isn't very robust. Plus, unless you are in the 35 year old and less range, most of it want be that appealing. Even the Tom Hanks movies seem to be mostly disappointing (boring) to me. Amazon Prime Video has way more content to offer, but also way more ads too.

Clutter is exactly why I want to keep contents from other Apps out of Apple TV+. If someone knows how to do that, it would be most helpful.

 

[w5jck]

I just did a bit of exploration, and there is very little you can control about what content displays in the Top Shelf and TV+ app. I found one setting and nothing more:

Settings —> Apps —> App Settings —> TV —> Home Screen —> Top Shelf —> What to Watch or Up Next options

Apple says this about the two options:

Choose what displays in the Top Shelf of your Home screen in the Apple TV app. ‘What to Watch’ will show you featured TV shows and movies. ‘Up Next’ will show what’s next in your personal queue.

The Top Shelf displays when the ATV is on the Home screen. It is a single row of scrollable item across top of the Home screen. Directly below the Top Shelf is a row of 5 favorite apps, beginning with TV+. If you highlight one of those five apps, then the Top Shelf displays content available in that app, assuming the app uses that feature. Some do, some don’t.

If you select the TV+ app, then you go to the Home screen for TV+. Across the top or six options: Watch Now, TV+, Store, Sports, Library, and Search. Below that is a huge amount of content, somewhat organized by category, but basically still a jumbled up mess, IMHO. I can’t find any way to restrict which content is displayed. And yes, it displays content from a large number of apps and services.

 

[firoze]

I just did a bit of exploration, and there is very little you can control about what content displays in the Top Shelf and TV+ app. I found one setting and nothing more:

Settings —> Apps —> App Settings —> TV —> Home Screen —> Top Shelf —> What to Watch or Up Next options

Apple says this about the two options:



The Top Shelf displays when the ATV is on the Home screen. It is a single row of scrollable item across top of the Home screen. Directly below the Top Shelf is a row of 5 favorite apps, beginning with TV+. If you highlight one of those five apps, then the Top Shelf displays content available in that app, assuming the app uses that feature. Some do, some don’t.

If you select the TV+ app, then you go to the Home screen for TV+. Across the top or six options: Watch Now, TV+, Store, Sports, Library, and Search. Below that is a huge amount of content, somewhat organized by category, but basically still a jumbled up mess, IMHO. I can’t find any way to restrict which content is displayed. And yes, it displays content from a large number of apps and services.

Many thanks for taking the trouble to check this out. Pity the ATV+ app is so cluttered. I wish Apple would allow users the option of seeing content from only the ATV+ app. But I guess one has to live with it.

 

[-Gonzo-]

I wish Apple would allow users the option of seeing content from only the ATV+ app. But I guess one has to live with it.

It does but only under the ATV+ section which only shows ATV+ content.
If you don’t want to see other content from other apps like Prime etc under the watch now section you can turn off connected apps so it doesn’t show other content from those apps but will still show recommendations for store content.

Settings — Apps —App Settings — TV

 

[firoze]

It does but only under the ATV+ section which only shows ATV+ content.
If you don’t want to see other content from other apps like Prime etc under the watch now section you can turn off connected apps so it doesn’t show other content from those apps but will still show recommendations for store content.

Settings — Apps —App Settings — TV

View attachment 1951564
View attachment 1951565

Thank you so much, this is exactly what I want! Good of you to take the trouble to find this setting.