HomePods now play well with AppleTV...

[DaveN]

I have two HomePods playing as a stereo pair connected to one of my AppleTVs. It used to be that every time I started my AppleTV and wanted to play the auto of whatever I was watching, I would have to go to the output option on AppleTV and direct the audio to the HomePods. Now it works as it should for most apps including iTunes movies, Netflix, etc. but not YouTube. I just start the AppleTV, select a movie from iTunes or Netflix, and the sound comes out through the HomePods! Yeah! This doesn't work in YouTube yet but there is hope.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

Very cool. Really Really Really Really Really hoping that Apple will release some kind of beautifully designed soundbar with Dolby Atmos to work sublimely with the Apple TV 4K.
So many - in nearly the majority of new releases on iTunes along with Apple TV+ are in Atmos so an beautiful Apple offering would be just sick.
It's certainly what i'm waiting for as no other manufacturer excites me.

 

[Corsig]

Was there a software fix for this or did it just start working?

 

[mallbritton]

If you never, ever do anything else on the HomePods this is how it will work. However... if you, say, play music from a playlist on the HomePods that you initiate with Siri, then the next time you want to use HomePods as an audio out for the Apple TV you'll have to select them again. The Apple TV does not automatically reconnect to the HomePods.

As to the YouTube app I have also noticed the behavior you mention and I believe it is a bug in the app. So, Google will need to fix that.

 

[DaveN]

Was there a software fix for this or did it just start working?

It just seemed to start working. I'm thinking that maybe TVOS was updated in between?
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If you never, ever do anything else on the HomePods this is how it will work. However... if you, say, play music from a playlist on the HomePods that you initiate with Siri, then the next time you want to use HomePods as an audio out for the Apple TV you'll have to select them again. The Apple TV does not automatically reconnect to the HomePods.

As to the YouTube app I have also noticed the behavior you mention and I believe it is a bug in the app. So, Google will need to fix that.

That s a possibility but it never seemed to work even when I didn't use Siri in between TV vi.e. wings before. If it truly isnt fixed, i do hope Apple addresses the issue.

 

[jackietreeh0rn]

Do you experience any audio lag while watching stuff on netflix? I've set up a pair of dumb speakers connected to an airport express. Often see a discernible lag whenever I try to airplay audio from the apple tv.

 

[mallbritton]

That s a possibility but it never seemed to work even when I didn't use Siri in between TV vi.e. wings before. If it truly isnt fixed, i do hope Apple addresses the issue.

Keep in mind that this has never been a feature supported by Apple. From their perspective there’s nothing to “fix.”
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Do you experience any audio lag while watching stuff on netflix? I've set up a pair of dumb speakers connected to an airport express. Often see a discernible lag whenever I try to airplay audio from the apple tv.

I do not experience any audio lag when using my HomePods as the audio out for my Apple TV.

 

[DaveN]

Do you experience any audio lag while watching stuff on netflix? I've set up a pair of dumb speakers connected to an airport express. Often see a discernible lag whenever I try to airplay audio from the apple tv.

I've experienced an audio lag on occasion if I switch from TV audio out to HomePod out in YouTube if I make the switch wile watching a video. Not all the time. When I watch Netflix, the audio is more important to me so I always make sure I have the audio output to the HomePods before launching Netflix.

Audio sync is tricky. My Panasonic plasma tv loses sync when I play the audio out through the stereo (main TV, not the one I have connected to my Home Pods). It does this over time so if I watch a movie, it will be ok in the beginning but can be quite off by the end of the movie.

 

[DaveN]

Keep in mind that this has never been a feature supported by Apple. From their perspective there’s nothing to “fix.”

I disagree. As setting HomePod audio out on AppleTV is an option, it is feature they should support. After all, the HomePod audio option remains selected on AppleTV when the AppleTV is reawakened from sleep so it should still output to the selected option.

 

[mallbritton]

And I agree with you.

 

[AxiomaticRubric]

Do you experience any audio lag while watching stuff on netflix? I've set up a pair of dumb speakers connected to an airport express. Often see a discernible lag whenever I try to airplay audio from the apple tv.

The AirPort Express doesn't support AirPlay 2. That's why there is a lag.

 

[Mr. Zarniwoop]

The AirPort Express doesn't support AirPlay 2. That's why there is a lag.

They do if updated.

Apple Releases Firmware Update for AirPort Express With AirPlay 2 Support

 

[afd]

Airport Express got updated to AirPlay 2 a while ago. Isn't there a setting that can listen for lag and adjust it? Or am i thinking headphones?
I have the same issue with Airplay not working with YouTube. Also with the Channels app and VideoDS. Using a Sonos speaker over Airplay though.

Wireless Audio Sync

 

[mpainesyd]

Most tvOS apps seem to work well with stereo Homepods but a few have lip-sync problems or don't work at all. By default my ATV connects to my old hifi by HDMI cable (split to send video to a projector) and it is always in sync. If I plan to use a compatible (Airplay 2) app then I have to select the Homepods for audio output. This is irritating but I can live with it.
I suspect that Getting tvOS app developers to fix the "bug" won't be easy!

 

[DaveN]

Airport Express got updated to AirPlay 2 a while ago. Isn't there a setting that can listen for lag and adjust it? Or am i thinking headphones?
I have the same issue with Airplay not working with YouTube. Also with the Channels app and VideoDS. Using a Sonos speaker over Airplay though.

Wireless Audio Sync

Thanks for the “Wireless Audio Sync” link.

 

[jackietreeh0rn]

The AirPort Express doesn't support AirPlay 2. That's why there is a lag.

It actually does. There was a firmware update precisely for airplay 2.
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Airport Express got updated to AirPlay 2 a while ago. Isn't there a setting that can listen for lag and adjust it? Or am i thinking headphones?
I have the same issue with Airplay not working with YouTube. Also with the Channels app and VideoDS. Using a Sonos speaker over Airplay though.

Wireless Audio Sync

yes there is, but it hasn't helped much (at least in my use case - a pair of stereo speakers connected to airport express and the Apple TV beaming audio to them). I've tried the audio sync a few times and it seems to work fine at first but eventually the lag just creeps in.

 

[AxiomaticRubric]

It actually does. There was a firmware update precisely for airplay 2.
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yes there is, but it hasn't helped much (at least in my use case - a pair of stereo speakers connected to airport express and the Apple TV beaming audio to them). I've tried the audio sync a few times and it seems to work fine at first but eventually the lag just creeps in.

That’s what I’m getting at. The AirPort Express may technically support *some* facets of AirPlay 2, but even with the firmware update there is something about the hardware that just can’t sync up sound properly with video.

It was just like this before AirPlay 2 so that tells me it could be a hardware limitation.

 

[philMBP]

Was there a software fix for this or did it just start working?

My audio settings still revert back to Apple TV HDMI after a few days. Latest OSs for everything.

 

[subjonas]

If Apple made the HomePod to be used with Apple TV, then a stereo pair would be a no-brainer purchase for many people. Maybe even more for surround sound. But it would need full-sounding audio, the option to choose the HomePods as the default speakers, and maybe Siri shortcuts to switch audio outputs.

But I also need it to somehow handle audio from my TV (antenna) and blu ray player. Either that or those get routed into the Apple TV and are controlled via their own Apple TV apps. The latter is more ideal but I don’t see either happening.

 

[iAssimilated]

But I also need it to somehow handle audio from my TV (antenna) and blu ray player. Either that or those get routed into the Apple TV and are controlled via their own Apple TV apps. The latter is more ideal but I don’t see either happening.

I love my Homepods for streaming music, but this is why I am thinking about a Sonos Beam for the TV. The plus is I can stream music to the Beam if needed (although not sure about the sound quality).

 

[subjonas]

I love my Homepods for streaming music, but this is why I am thinking about a Sonos Beam for the TV. The plus is I can stream music to the Beam if needed (although not sure about the sound quality).

Yeah I’m similar, but rather than a soundbar I’m planning on getting a pair of speakers and an amp that supports airplay. (The airplay is basically only so that I have a way to send lossless music from my iOS devices directly to my wireless sennheiser headphones, the base of which would be plugged into the amp.)

For speaker music and Siri functionality, I‘d continue to use my HomePod. I’ll probably get another for stereo pairing, but I really hate the idea of having two sets of speakers in my living room. It’s a waste of money and space, awkward looking, and functionally very redundant. How simple and elegant would it be to have one pair of stereo homepods do it all. It’s just such a shame.

 

[mpainesyd]

...

But I also need it to somehow handle audio from my TV (antenna) and blu ray player. Either that or those get routed into the Apple TV and are controlled via their own Apple TV apps. The latter is more ideal but I don’t see either happening.

I have a HDHomerun tuner on my network and Channels app on my ATV to watch OTA TV (for free). The tuner also lets me watch TV on an iPad Or Mac.
I use a Mac as a media server, via iTune/Homesharing, to play videos on the ATV. Of course DVDs/Blu-rays need to be converted to MP4 format for this. I guess this loses video quality but I can live with that for the convenience.

 

[subjonas]

I have a HDHomerun tuner on my network and Channels app on my ATV to watch OTA TV (for free). The tuner also lets me watch TV on an iPad Or Mac.
I use a Mac as a media server, via iTune/Homesharing, to play videos on the ATV. Of course DVDs/Blu-rays need to be converted to MP4 format for this. I guess this loses video quality but I can live with that for the convenience.

I just looked into that HDHomerun tuner. $125 (for the box and app) is quite a bit more than I would have expected to pay for this function, but since it seems to be the best solution, I’ll probably go ahead with it. Thanks.

I use my Mac as a media server as well, but it’s a lossy experience that I definitely notice, and there are some movies and shows that I want to enjoy in the highest quality possible. In those instances, I break out the 4k blu ray disc. I’d love to rip and home share them losslessly, but I have yet to find a straightforward way to do so.

 

[HDFan]

I use a Mac as a media server, via iTune/Homesharing, to play videos on the ATV. Of course DVDs/Blu-rays need to be converted to MP4 format for this. I guess this loses video quality but I can live with that for the convenience.

I use my Mac as a media server as well, but it’s a lossy experience that I definitely notice, and there are some movies and shows that I want to enjoy in the highest quality possible. In those instances, I break out the 4k blu ray disc. I’d love to rip and home share them losslessly, but I have yet to find a straightforward way to do so.

You can get lossless up to 4K HDR without the need for conversion (.mkv from the MakeMKV app) if you use Plex or Infuse on your Apple TV Plex has a ton of options but requires a Plex server on your Mac, NAS, etc. Infuse is much simpler and does not require a server if you use SMB access, but it will also stream from a Plex server.

 

[DaveN]

My audio settings still revert back to Apple TV HDMI after a few days. Latest OSs for everything.

I did a little testing and here is when it works for me.

1. With the output set to the HomePods, turn off your system. I generally do this using the Apple TV Remote as I have the Apple TV set to control the tv.
2. Turn on your system using the Apple TV's remote
3. Go directly to iTunes and start a movie

I did the above after having my tv off for a night and the sound played through the HomePods. If I play something on YouTube (haven't tested other apps), the sound plays through the tv's speakers. I'm sure there are other methods that may but I haven't tested all the options.