HomePod AppleTV with HomePod query

[SaxPlayer]

I've been using my 4th gen ATV with my HomePod for quite a while. The ATV is connected to a 10 year old TV in the kitchen that has terrible speakers so being able to route sound via the HomePod is essential. For Netflix and BBC iPlayer all works well. I've recently taken out a trial to BritBox (UK). Using the BritBox app, there's no sound to the HomePod at all. It looks as if the app itself has to support AirPlay for output to the HomePod to work.

Being a developer and familiar with Apple's APIs, on one level I do understand why this is the case. However, I also wonder why as the sound is being routed by the ATV itself, surely it can decide where to send sound? Why does it have to be at an app level for this to work?

In a nutshell, what I'm asking is there any way at all to get the sound to go from ATV -> HomePod regardless of the app being used or am I totally out of luck here?

Thanks!

 

[JBaby]

If the app doesn’t support it there’s nothing you can do about it. Get a subscription through tv Channels. It HomePod works that way.

 

[SaxPlayer]

If the app doesn’t support it there’s nothing you can do about it. Get a subscription through tv Channels. It HomePod works that way.

Thanks, I feared as much. BritBox (UK) isn't available through Apple TV channels. I'm just going to cancel before my trial's up. Disappointed as I feel that the UK needs a strong home grown streaming service and these annoyances don't help it get off the ground. I so want to support it and for it to do well. If they add AirPlay support (and their support people tell me they may do at some stage) then I'll definitely subscribe.

 

[JBaby]

Thanks, I feared as much. BritBox (UK) isn't available through Apple TV channels. I'm just going to cancel before my trial's up. Disappointed as I feel that the UK needs a strong home grown streaming service and these annoyances don't help it get off the ground. I so want to support it and for it to do well. If they add AirPlay support (and their support people tell me they may do at some stage) then I'll definitely subscribe.

Sorry I missed the U.K. part. I’ve going through the same thing with the BroadwayHD app. I won’t subscribe until it works with HomePod. I’m really annoyed because they are showing The King and I for free all weekend long because of COVID-19. And I can’t watch it. I know I can use my tv speakers but they sound like crap cuz damn near all new TVs today have crap speakers built in. The 2012 TV my 2019 TV replaced has infinitely better quality speakers. HomePod is made for music so it’s so egregious BroadwayHD doesn’t support it. My workaround is to play it on my iPad and Airplay it. But it only works if I watch on the iPad. These app developers need to get it together.

 

[SaxPlayer]

Sorry I missed the U.K. part. I’ve going through the same thing with the BroadwayHD app. I won’t subscribe until it works with HomePod. I’m really annoyed because they are showing The King and I for free all weekend long because of COVID-19. And I can’t watch it. I know I can use my tv speakers but they sound like crap cuz damn near all new TVs today have crap speakers built in. The 2012 TV my 2019 TV replaced has infinitely better quality speakers. HomePod is made for music so it’s so egregious BroadwayHD doesn’t support it. My workaround is to play it on my iPad and Airplay it. But it only works if I watch on the iPad. These app developers need to get it together.

I feel your pain!!

I'm a developer myself and if the app uses Apple API's then you get AirPlay support "for free", i.e. it just works. There's absolutely no reason why an app shouldn't use the correct Media APIs. I can only think that they're using shortcuts and opting for a third party framework for development rather than coding natively. However, even if they're using a framework then many of those use the correct APIs under the hood so I don't have a great deal of sympathy for them.

Really what I'm saying is that there's pretty much no excuse for BritBox UK and BroadwayHD (and others) not to support AirPlay very easily. Even in lockdown with staff working from home this kind of feature should a) have been there from the start and b) if it was overlooked then it should be added pronto.

 

[boltjames]

Really what I'm saying is that there's pretty much no excuse for BritBox UK and BroadwayHD (and others) not to support AirPlay very easily. Even in lockdown with staff working from home this kind of feature should a) have been there from the start and b) if it was overlooked then it should be added pronto.

AirPlay is a proprietary technology of Apple available as part of the MFi program and subject to royalties that these apps/platforms likely are unwilling to pay.

 

[SaxPlayer]

AirPlay is a proprietary technology of Apple available as part of the MFi program and subject to royalties that these apps/platforms likely are unwilling to pay.

There are no royalties involved in this, it's nothing to do with the MFi programme. This is software only, not hardware and is case of the developers of the app using Apple's Media API's and then Airplay to supported external audio devices (in this case a HomePod) will work.

By way of an update on this post. A couple of days after I wrote this, the BritBox UK AppleTV app mysteriously started working with AirPlay! I don't know if the app had been updated. The last update wasn't recent, but it's entirely possible that my AppleTV had only just installed the latest version. I don't recall seeing the blue dot that signifies an update. Anyway - the good news is that AirPlay to my HomePod now works. The only thing that doesn't (weirdly) is changing the volume while in BritBox, something that works fine in Netflix and BBC iPlayer. I can adjust the volume, but I have to change it from the slide-out settings menu. It's a tiny thing, I'm pretty happy otherwise and will be keeping my sub to BritBox going once the trial ends.

 

[boltjames]

There are no royalties involved in this, it's nothing to do with the MFi programme. This is software only, not hardware and is case of the developers of the app using Apple's Media API's and then Airplay to supported external audio devices (in this case a HomePod) will work.

By way of an update on this post. A couple of days after I wrote this, the BritBox UK AppleTV app mysteriously started working with AirPlay! I don't know if the app had been updated. The last update wasn't recent, but it's entirely possible that my AppleTV had only just installed the latest version. I don't recall seeing the blue dot that signifies an update. Anyway - the good news is that AirPlay to my HomePod now works. The only thing that doesn't (weirdly) is changing the volume while in BritBox, something that works fine in Netflix and BBC iPlayer. I can adjust the volume, but I have to change it from the slide-out settings menu. It's a tiny thing, I'm pretty happy otherwise and will be keeping my sub to BritBox going once the trial ends.

Incorrect.

The Apple Developer Program: What Professionals Need to Know

If you want to develop software for macOS, iOS, tvOS, watchOS or visionOS, read this overview of Apple's Developer Program.

www.google.com

Enterprise fee is $300 per year. Royalty is part of the NDA, not publicly available from what I can glean. It’s not limited to hardware, it’s App Store content too. An app developer can’t just use MFi/AirPlay without an Apple license.

 

[SaxPlayer]

Incorrect.

The Apple Developer Program: What Professionals Need to Know

If you want to develop software for macOS, iOS, tvOS, watchOS or visionOS, read this overview of Apple's Developer Program.

www.google.com

Enterprise fee is $300 per year. Royalty is part of the NDA, not publicly available from what I can glean. It’s not limited to hardware, it’s App Store content too. An app developer can’t just use MFi/AirPlay without an Apple license.

I'm a developer myself and I know I'm correct about this. All developers have to pay the annual fee to release ANY app on the App Store whether it uses AirPlay or not so my point stands - there's nothing to stop any developer implementing the relevant Apple APIs and enabling people to AirPlay content from their app to supported hardware.

I know you're just trying to be helpful and I thank you for responding, however please trust me. I know what I'm talking about.