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HomePod Updates Will Be Installed Over-the-Air Using the Home App
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Does anyone know whether you can use the homepod connected to an AppleTV to play the sound from a movie?
Indeed. The effects of lighting is beneficial biologically and psychologically. Prior to purchasing my LiFX bulbs I did much research on the color of light, and though I find myself merely switching between moonlight and daylight hues, that benefit made the investment worthwhile. I'll probably never go back to one color bulbs.
Oh, okay. I see, thanks for the clarification.
This isn’t quite correct. By definition of what stereo is, then yes the HomePod overqualifies since it has more than one speaker. But stereo sound in terms of music or how music is recorded will have specific sounds being channeled through one speaker while it may not be channeled through the other speaker.
Currently the HomePod will send all the sound from a music track through all the speakers equally. There is no left and right channel with a single HomePod. There is no stereo separation with a single HomePod.
Good observation, but I suspect the point of the statement was to differentiate HomePod updates from Amazon Echo updates... which happen frequently and automatically. Personally I would strongly prefer updates on a bi-weekly / monthly basis bringing continuous improvement.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Apple is NOT pushing this as a home theater speaker. It's not being marketed as much more than a smart music speaker, though it will play podcasts, news and similar.
It seems likely that Apple would push it as a home theater speaker if they aspired for it to be that. A typical home theater is going to involve at least 2 speakers but more typically 5 or 7 speakers. I'm sure Apple would like people to buy 5 or 7 of these instead of just 1 or maybe 2.
If you want a home theater setup, there's some great options that can mostly cover HP's featureset while getting you real stereo, real 5.1 and/or real 7.1 right out of the box. The
TV you already have can cover Siri search, the AM streaming features, podcasts, etc... AND play music from other streaming services, plus all of the video benefits too.None of that is meant to try to steer you away from buying HP- just pointing out that there are many great options already available that ARE marketed as home theater speakers too. And if ultimately, one wanted 5 or 7 HPs, $1,745-$2,443 could cover a terrific HT setup.
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Many higher end speakers are sold individually. Even Sonos speakers (Apple's main competition at this price point) are sold that way.
I hear ya, bro. Just like Google Home Max at $399. Except $50 less expensive. And with HomePod delivering superior sound through advanced signal processing, adaptive beamforming, and dynamic self equalization. Other than that...
it needs to be AT LEAST a week of starving befor i’d eat papa johns. But tbh, if the HP came WITH a pizza? i’d be down.
See the section on system requirements on Apples website. HomePod needs to be paired with an iOS device running iOS 11.2.5 or later.
That's not correct. Beamforming allows it to broadcast certain ranges in different directions. It's been noted by many audio experts who have had a chance to check out the HomePod.
Prior to the HomePod, you needed to spend at least $40,000 on a speaker that would do this.
I wonder about that, because one of the key points of HomePod is its beamforming capability. Which by nature means that certain sounds will only be emitted from specific speakers a various levels based on the placement in a room. What you're saying could indeed be true, but I think that the nature of beamforming contradicts that.
Furthermore, I imagine that the left and right channels will be bounced off the walls in different directions, using different speakers on the same HomePod, and would create a kind of virtual separation. But that's just speculation.
Some have asked that question on Apple's product purchase page, but there have been no definitive answers. But I imagine it would work, because the Apple TV can airplay audio to devices capable of receiving airplay streams (like our livingroom home theatre system can receive Apple TV audio from my bedroom via Airplay). The HomePod will be an AirPlay 2 receiver.
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Yes, for configuration. It however works with any device capable of AirPlay streaming, of course.
Absolutely incorrect.
A single homepod will project a wide multidimensional soundstage. This is very much in line with the definition of stereophonic sound:
Stereophonic sound or, more commonly, stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that creates an illusion of multi-directional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two or more independent audio channels through a configuration of two or more loudspeakers (or stereo headphones) in such a way as to create the impression of sound heard from various directions, as in natural hearing.[1] Thus the term "stereophonic" applies to so-called "quadraphonic" and "surround-sound" systems as well as the more common two-channel, two-speaker systems. It is often contrasted with monophonic, or "mono" sound, where audio is heard as coming from one position, often ahead in the sound field (analogous to a visual field). In the 2000s, stereo sound is common in entertainment systems such as broadcast radio, TV, recorded music, and cinema.
If the Homepod only projected sound from one point it would be mono, but it doesn’t. There’s a reason it’s called stereo and not duo.
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Eh? Am I missing something? I thought these types of single speakers have been around for a while from the likes of Sonos etc?
But suddenly everything is Apple’s fault again, and people who haven’t actually heard how the HP sounds are wanging on about stereo, even though the overwhelming consensus seems to be that the HP compares favourably to other single speakers in that price range?
Glad that you stated that. Prior, when others called homepod a mono speaker, something in me died / sighed a little bit each time, lol. I think too many are focused on "one" HomePod, so one source, thus it must be "mono". But that's short-sighted / biased. The HomePod has a lot of processing power to be able to drive 8 speakers individually or independently and adapt. It would be more akin to a soundbar emitting different frequencies / channels (therefore actually producing stereo), than a single speaker.
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I thought I heard from reviews that it acted like a stereo speaker when on its side.
Edit: It being the Max.
Good info. Until now I was thinking I had to take it to the Apple store for upgrade. Because how else did we do our software update on Apple watch?
You stated the HomePod only works with iOS. The HomePod needs to be setup with an iOS device, however it does not only work with iOS.
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Omg that’s not the same as stereo. The ranges they speak of is basically the volume. For example all the speakers will not play at the same volume based on the position and proximity it is to objects or walls in the room. This is absolutely in no way shape or form the same as playing music in stereo through a dedicated left and right channel. Please please do some research and listen to music on good equipment.
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You don’t seem to understand either. The HomePod plays all sound from an audio track through all speakers. A single HomePod does not have the ability to play some, not all of the audio through individual speakers. I’m not talking about the HomePod having the ability to adjust volume through different speakers like others seem to suggest as the answer.
I have songs when played, you hear one thing on the left earphone or speaker, and something completely different in the right earphone or speaker.
Left and right channels. A single HomePod does not have the ability to do this. Point blank. This is why Apple themselves said stereo sound is coming in an update.
You guys don’t seem to understand stereo music at all. You even ignore what Apple said themselves about stereo sound coming in a future update.
If I want music I'm playing it through my bose and not through hPod.... don't need it to run anything.... guess I just don't need it. Will be skipping this one from Apple.
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Bravo! I see what you did there!
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Bravo! I see what you did there!
The last pair of speakers I purchased cost more than your car and were tuned in my home by someone who has won more than 20 Grammys for their sound mixing. But please, tell me how I need to listen on good equipment.
I’m absolutely sure a single HomePod does not have stereo capability. Yes it plays sound through all speakers, and with its beam forming and spatial awareness capabilities it is able to measure objects and walls in the room and adjust, increase and decrease volume through various speakers individually. Everyone is mistaking this for being able to play a music track recorded in stereo and send individual sounds from a track through specific speakers, it cannot do this.
This will come in an update that will allow 2 HomePods to play music in stereo. While all the speakers in 2 HomePods will be playing, one HomePod will be a left channel while the other is a right channel. Based on what song you are playing you will hear certain sound effects in one speaker and not the other speaker.
Most people aren’t understanding this because they probably don’t have good audio equipment to have heard sounds being played through left and right channels. The easiest way to hear it is through a good set of headphones.
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