HomePod How To Connect HomePod Mini To My MBP?

[EDLIU]

How to connect HopePod Mini to my MBP(17-inch, Mid 2010. macOS Catlina v.10.15.7)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[EDLIU]

Can I use Airplay to play all kinds of music(YouTube, Safari, FaceTime) from my MBP to the HopePod Mini?

 

[StumpyBloke]

Yep

 

[EDLIU]

Yep

So I don't need to get a "Bluetooth Speaker"?

BTW, are Bluetooth Speakers more convenient than HomePod Mini?

Will HomePod Mini 2 have Bluetooth?

 

[EDLIU]

"Stream audio from your Mac to a HomePod

1. On your Mac, find the audio you want to stream.
2. Click
   
   or
   
   , then select your HomePod.

To stop streaming, click

or

in the app you’re streaming from on your Mac, then click your Mac in the list."

-

How do I select the audio I want to stream(YouTube, Safari, FaceTime)? Do I have to setup the stream every time I turn on my MBP?

 

[waw74]

just be aware, sometimes playing videos and airplaying the audio is a little laggy. You won't have that using bluetooth.

Airplay has a delay used to build up a little buffer to avoid drop outs, apple gets around that by also delaying the video portion a bit. So technically it plays out of sync, with the audio a second or so ahead of the video. But it all hits the screen and speakers at the same time.

you won't notice this while in the middle of playing things, but you will notice It when starting or stopping.
When you hit play (or skip around), the audio starts streaming, then a second or so later, the video will start when the audio actually starts to come out of out the speakers. and the same on stopping/pausing, the video will stop almost instantly, but sometimes you may get a bit of audio after.

when I'm doing things that require me to jump around in videos, I will not use airplay speakers.

same for audio only playback, when starting or skipping to the next song, there's a brief delay. This only applies to hitting play or the next button, advancing to the next track at the end of the previous is fine.

also airplay depends on a decent wireless network. Your wifi devices all connect to your router, not directly to each other. So any audio will have to make a wireless jump from Mac to router, and then again from router to HomePod. If you've got a poor signal where you are, the audio is traveling over 2 poor links.

If you have Apple Music, then you can use the music app on your phone or Mac as a remote for the player built into the HomePod, which bypasses most of the problems that airplay brings. Outside of being a bit more stable, both airplay and remote control look and work the same in the app for the user, there's just a small icon difference at the bottom of the phone screen.

 

[EDLIU]

just be aware, sometimes playing videos and airplaying the audio is a little laggy. You won't have that using bluetooth.

Airplay has a delay used to build up a little buffer to avoid drop outs, apple gets around that by also delaying the video portion a bit. So technically it plays out of sync, with the audio a second or so ahead of the video. But it all hits the screen and speakers at the same time.

you won't notice this while in the middle of playing things, but you will notice It when starting or stopping.
When you hit play (or skip around), the audio starts streaming, then a second or so later, the video will start when the audio actually starts to come out of out the speakers. and the same on stopping/pausing, the video will stop almost instantly, but sometimes you may get a bit of audio after.

when I'm doing things that require me to jump around in videos, I will not use airplay speakers.

same for audio only playback, when starting or skipping to the next song, there's a brief delay. This only applies to hitting play or the next button, advancing to the next track at the end of the previous is fine.

also airplay depends on a decent wireless network. Your wifi devices all connect to your router, not directly to each other. So any audio will have to make a wireless jump from Mac to router, and then again from router to HomePod. If you've got a poor signal where you are, the audio is traveling over 2 poor links.

If you have Apple Music, then you can use the music app on your phone or Mac as a remote for the player built into the HomePod, which bypasses most of the problems that airplay brings. Outside of being a bit more stable, both airplay and remote control look and work the same in the app for the user, there's just a small icon difference at the bottom of the phone screen.

Thanks.

BTW, so I should get a Bluetooth Speaker?

 

[StumpyBloke]

So I don't need to get a "Bluetooth Speaker"?

BTW, are Bluetooth Speakers more convenient than HomePod Mini?

Will HomePod Mini 2 have Bluetooth?

1) not necessarily if you are in the Apple ecosystem and have a HomePod or want a HomePod

2) for general connectivity with other devices, yes

3) who knows but I would say no personally

 

[EDLIU]

1) not necessarily if you are in the Apple ecosystem and have a HomePod or want a HomePod

2) for general connectivity with other devices, yes

3) who knows but I would say no personally

What do you think of the HomePod Mini?

 

[StumpyBloke]

For the money it’s very good. It doesn’t sound as full-range as the full size one obviously.

 

[EDLIU]

I found a bluetooth speaker. The speaker uses USB Type-C for charging. My MBP(17-inch, Mid 2010) has USB 2.0. Can I use the speaker with my MBP?

The bluetooth speaker needs 0.5A(500mA) charging.

 

[EDLIU]

Can I connect the HomePod Mini to my Mac using Airplay. Then setup the two HomePod Mini(pair) with my iPad. And use the paired HomePod Mini with my Mac? Or I'll need to pair the HomePod Mini from my Mac? Mac running macOS Catalina v.10.15.7

 

[EDLIU]

just be aware, sometimes playing videos and airplaying the audio is a little laggy. You won't have that using bluetooth.

Airplay has a delay used to build up a little buffer to avoid drop outs, apple gets around that by also delaying the video portion a bit. So technically it plays out of sync, with the audio a second or so ahead of the video. But it all hits the screen and speakers at the same time.

you won't notice this while in the middle of playing things, but you will notice It when starting or stopping.
When you hit play (or skip around), the audio starts streaming, then a second or so later, the video will start when the audio actually starts to come out of out the speakers. and the same on stopping/pausing, the video will stop almost instantly, but sometimes you may get a bit of audio after.

when I'm doing things that require me to jump around in videos, I will not use airplay speakers.

same for audio only playback, when starting or skipping to the next song, there's a brief delay. This only applies to hitting play or the next button, advancing to the next track at the end of the previous is fine.

also airplay depends on a decent wireless network. Your wifi devices all connect to your router, not directly to each other. So any audio will have to make a wireless jump from Mac to router, and then again from router to HomePod. If you've got a poor signal where you are, the audio is traveling over 2 poor links.

If you have Apple Music, then you can use the music app on your phone or Mac as a remote for the player built into the HomePod, which bypasses most of the problems that airplay brings. Outside of being a bit more stable, both airplay and remote control look and work the same in the app for the user, there's just a small icon difference at the bottom of the phone screen.

Will the HomePod Mini 2 fix the "delay" problem?