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Apparently there's no alternate audio inputs, so unless you're using something that supports airplay for audio, you cannot use it as a soundbar.

the HomePod is pretty much right now exclusive for the Apple ecosystem and not much else.

Wrong. You can stream you TV audio with Bluetooth, either integrated in your TV or with a Bluetooth transmitter, since the HomePod has Bluetooth 5.0.
 
Wrong. You can stream you TV audio with Bluetooth, either integrated in your TV or with a Bluetooth transmitter, since the HomePod has Bluetooth 5.0.

no. you can't say wrong. i"m right. There's no current in built device ot the HomePod to allow you to directly plug any additional audio equipment to use it as a speaker

your work around (which is doable) is still a work around, requiring you to purchase additional audio equipment (bluetooth transmitter) from audio equipment that, very likely doesn't have bluetooth.

My 4k Settop box from my cable company has digital audio out via HDMI and optical. I wouldn't be able to watch my Cable 4k TV package and use HomePod without additional dongles and accessories. My TV itself doesn't cast bluetooth, even being a new smart TV (many act as receivers only and cannot transmit audio). TV's tend to be built around wired audio as they predict those who are looking to add better sound to their tv's are likely looking to avoid the degradation of audio, latencies and other issues bluetooth introduce.

so yes, YOu can cast Bluetooth to your HomePod. But it cannot take wired sound from audio sources like Hometheatre units and televisions.
 
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What time do they go on sale?

With the iPhone launch, Apple will likely close down their online store, which Typically their products are updated/available at midnight Pacific time and should be available according to your time zone.

However, it could be different with the HomePod, which they could launch during the daytime as they did with the AirPods.
 
Interesting. I bought two Google Minis and have had no problems with groups. I have also found to Google assistant to be far superior to Siri on my iPhone. I have used Google assistant for things that I was actually surprised it could help with. With Siri, I am constantly surprised by the extremely simple things she is unable to do.

I love Apple Music, but I am not convinced that this product is worth nearly three times the price of a Google Home when it can’t even do much of what the Google hone does. And ... if I switch to Google Home I’ll switch my music subscription since they don’t play nice together.

Because you don't really value music as a selling point. That's fine I guess, but that's just you. Continue buying into Google's marketing data acquisition platform/devices.
 
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so yes, YOu can cast Bluetooth to your HomePod. But it cannot take wired sound from audio sources like Hometheatre units and televisions.
Who said "wired sound"? I said you CAN stream Bluetooth audio from ANY TV which has audio out RCA with a Bluetooth transmitter attached to it. So yes you need a "dongle", so what?
[doublepost=1516923924][/doublepost]A lot of people ask if you can pair Apple TV with homepods. NO, you CAN'T. Apple TV is an Airplay RECEIVER with wired outpout. NOT a TRANSMITTER. So Apple TV CANNOT techcnically be paired with HomePods through Airplay unless the HomePod SEND sound to the APTV. But sound FROM TV cannot be paired to HomePod.
 
Who said "wired sound"? I said you CAN stream Bluetooth audio from ANY TV which has audio out RCA with a Bluetooth transmitter attached to it. So yes you need a "dongle", so what?
[doublepost=1516923924][/doublepost]A lot of people ask if you can pair Apple TV with homepods. NO, you CAN'T. Apple TV is an Airplay RECEIVER with wired outpout. NOT a TRANSMITTER. So Apple TV CANNOT techcnically be paired with HomePods through Airplay unless the HomePod SEND sound to the APTV. But sound FROM TV cannot be paired to HomePod.
This is incorrect. Play music on an Apple TV 4/4K then swipe down and select Audio. It lets you connnect to any airplay device, including AirPods.
 
Because you don't really value music as a selling point. That's fine I guess, but that's just you. Continue buying into Google's marketing data acquisition platform/devices.
It’s not that I don’t value music as a selling point. I like Apple Music better than all the other services. I am also a musician, as are my kids, so we listen to music all the time.

I do not, however, see the one advantage that you mentioned for the HomePod as worth three times the selling price of the basic Google unit, especially when speakers can’t be linked. I value music enough that I want a $350 smart speaker to link up to other speakers around my house. If I am only going to listen in one place I will listen on my home stereo, which I can almost guarantee you has better sound quality than the HomePod will. The advantage in this sector (as I would use it) is simplicity (“Hey Siri, play my classic rock playlist”) and the ability to easily transmit through your entire home.

Despite a significant delay and a product launch years behind two solid competitors, Apple can’t even bring this basic functionality to the table. Add to that the fact that Siri is a constant annoyance while Google’s assistant is generally great and I see no reason to pay more for what (for my use) is inferior technology.

And Apple is not a music company. It is a content distribution company that has figured out a way to profit from the hard work of people who are in the music business. They are no worse than Google or Amazon or Spotify in this regard, but they aren’t a music company. They are a tech company that is pushing another revenue stream.
 
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This is incorrect. Play music on an Apple TV 4/4K then swipe down and select Audio. It lets you connnect to any airplay device, including AirPods.

Really? Since when an Apple TV can stream audio out over... Airplay?
So you select Audio hmmm? Then what? You mean the TV then connect to an Airplay device? HOW? IMPOSSIBLE. There's no TV with Airplay on the market! And there's no Airplay transmitter on the market either, contrary to Bluetooth.
Or maybe you mean the Apple TV box itself connect to an Airplay device. Also IMPOSSIBLE. The audio/video out on the Apple TVs are PHYSICAL. They cannot "stream" audio unless the PHYSICAL audio cables are attached to a Bluetooth transmitter.

So, you listen to an Apple TV "stream" OVER an AIRPLAY device. You should tell that to Tim Cook. You made an extraordinary discovery!
[doublepost=1516931490][/doublepost]OK there's a lot of confusion over Homepod-Apple TV-TV pairing in many posts. Well, it's simple: your TV/Apple TV sound can ONLY be paired to an HomePod over Bluetooth. End of story. In other words, the sound FROM your TV/Apple TV cannot be paired to an HomePod over Airplay. Simple. You need a Bluetooth enabled TV OR a Bluetooth transmitter attached to it. Apple TV can RECEIVE an Airplay stream. It cannot SEND it over... Airplay . Thanks.
 
So I got this answer from an Apple Specialist
 

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So it's already Friday in Australia, anyone ordering yet?
The Apple home page for Australia says "Order 27.1".

Is that a recent change? It takes people made of stronger stuff than me to fully grasp Australian time zones, but I can't see that 12.01 AM PST would mean the following day anywhere in mainland Australia. So, the order button will either not go live simultaneous in all three markets, or later than 12.01 AM PST, or they're just playing safe.
 
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The Apple home page for Australia says "Order 27.1".

Is that a recent change? It takes people made of stronger stuff than me to fully grasp Australian time zones, but I can't see that 12.01 AM PST would mean the following day anywhere in mainland Australia. So, the possibility to order is either not simultaneous in all three markets, or it's later than 12.01 AM PST, or they're just playing safe.

Weird. Store not being down makes me wonder about 12:00 PST.
 
The Apple home page for Australia says "Order 27.1".

Is that a recent change? It takes people made of stronger stuff than me to fully grasp Australian time zones, but I can't see that 12.01 AM PST would mean the following day anywhere in mainland Australia. So, the order button will either not go live simultaneous in all three markets, or later than 12.01 AM PST, or they're just playing safe.
We have been discussing the pre-order start time over here.

27.1 for Australia isn't a recent change, and the UK phone provider EE have said pre-orders will be after 13:30 GMT. So if pre-orders go live simultaneously across the three launch countries will be on or after 00:00 AEST (Australia), 13:00 UK and 05:00 PDT. Apparently the AirPods pre-orders started at 14:00 GMT.

The online store isn't down yet so I don't think it will be 08:00 GMT.
 
We have been discussing the pre-order start time over here.

27.1 for Australia isn't a recent change, and the UK phone provider EE have said pre-orders will be after 13:30 GMT. So if pre-orders go live simultaneously across the three launch countries will be on or after 00:00 AEST (Australia), 13:00 UK and 05:00 PDT. Apparently the AirPods pre-orders started at 14:00 GMT.

The online store isn't down yet so I don't think it will be 08:00 GMT.
yeah I fully expect it to be when EE told me judging that the store is still down

if everybody remembers air pods went live at 2.00pm here. think something similar here too.
 
That’s a bummer. Stayed up for nothing. I want to buy two of them. It is tough to give away your money, isn’t?
 
Really? Since when an Apple TV can stream audio out over... Airplay?
So you select Audio hmmm? Then what? You mean the TV then connect to an Airplay device? HOW? IMPOSSIBLE. There's no TV with Airplay on the market! And there's no Airplay transmitter on the market either, contrary to Bluetooth.
Or maybe you mean the Apple TV box itself connect to an Airplay device. Also IMPOSSIBLE. The audio/video out on the Apple TVs are PHYSICAL. They cannot "stream" audio unless the PHYSICAL audio cables are attached to a Bluetooth transmitter.

So, you listen to an Apple TV "stream" OVER an AIRPLAY device. You should tell that to Tim Cook. You made an extraordinary discovery!
[doublepost=1516931490][/doublepost]OK there's a lot of confusion over Homepod-Apple TV-TV pairing in many posts. Well, it's simple: your TV/Apple TV sound can ONLY be paired to an HomePod over Bluetooth. End of story. In other words, the sound FROM your TV/Apple TV cannot be paired to an HomePod over Airplay. Simple. You need a Bluetooth enabled TV OR a Bluetooth transmitter attached to it. Apple TV can RECEIVE an Airplay stream. It cannot SEND it over... Airplay . Thanks.

My Apple TV can connect just fine to my Airplay speakers I have already. Homepod will be exactly the same.
 
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