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afd

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Apr 12, 2005
1,142
395
Scotland
For a week or so I was able to select my HPM as default audio output. It was great, didn’t have to re-select HomePod at all. Then it updated and now it’s changed to temporary audio output. I have to select it every time. Is apple deliberately trying to **ss folk off?
 
I have two full sized HomePods and two HomePods Mini. Only the full sized HomePods are able to be selected as the default audio out. You're right, the Minis can be temporarily used, but not set to default. For whatever reason, Apple is clear that HomePods mini cannot be set as the default output for home theater audio. At least for me, the HomePods Mini don't have the bass response I would want in a home theater setup. That's probably Apple's thinking too.


Of course, anything can change with a future software update.
 
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This Apple TV and HomePod mini in kitchen with a small tv. HPM ideal in there as much better than tv speakers and mostly for music or radio. 14.5 worked, 14.6 broke it. It does say HomePod speakers in same HomeKit room can be paired, both are set to kitchen. Surely this should work with Minis and not only with a discontinued product?
 
The Apple support document to which I linked says, “HomePod mini and other AirPlay 2-compatible speakers are not supported with home theater audio.” That’s very clear. I’m sorry. Send feedback to Apple and cross your fingers for a software update.
 
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This Apple TV and HomePod mini in kitchen with a small tv. HPM ideal in there as much better than tv speakers and mostly for music or radio. 14.5 worked, 14.6 broke it. It does say HomePod speakers in same HomeKit room can be paired, both are set to kitchen. Surely this should work with Minis and not only with a discontinued product?

Setting the minis as the default has never worked. Never. It has always been OG HomePod feature.
 
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It worked with 14.5. I could also choose a Sonos one as default audio.

giphy.gif
 
That settles it I suppose.

Yes, unfortunately the HPM does not support (never been since the introduction of the feature in december 2020), being set as the default permanent audio output of an Apple TV 4K. But...

What happens if you go to the "other wireless speakers" menu within the default audio output tab?. Does the Homepod Mini (or the Sonos) appear there?.


apple-tv-arc.jpg
 
Hold on @afd. I f you have the HMP selected as the regular temporary audio output of the ATV, put the apple tv to sleep, and then request some music to the Homepods, they will disconnect from the ATV. This is by design since they do not support being set as a permanent home theater audio output.

Perhaps this is what happened to you.
 
Hold on @afd. I f you have the HMP selected as the regular temporary audio output of the ATV, put the apple tv to sleep, and then request some music to the Homepods, they will disconnect from the ATV. This is by design since they do not support being set as a permanent home theater audio output.

Perhaps this is what happened to you.

B/D You may not be entirely correct. I have just discovered this improvement and only a couple of tests suggest that selecting the HPM as default does seem to stick. HPM’s appear to be reactive, responding to the most recent command. If they are in sleep mode, they hold their last setting. I shut everything off, then restarted with the new TV remote. I checked audio options - no HPM’s, just TV speakers. Earlier they were there, now gone. I asked Siri to play some music. This woke up the HPM’s. I went back to audio options and ot only were they in the list of available devices, but still selected as the default. The music continued to play until I selected a TV show from the Amazon Prime app. Once the TV show began feeding an audio signal, the HPM’s began transmitting the audio, the HPM’s took over the sound. IMHO, they are starting to make these devices work together.
Hope I didn’t miss anyting. I will test further on Thursday.
 
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B/D You may not be entirely correct. I have just discovered this improvement and only a couple of tests suggest that selecting the HPM as default does seem to stick. HPM’s appear to be reactive, responding to the most recent command. If they are in sleep mode, they hold their last setting. I shut everything off, then restarted with the new TV remote. I checked audio options - no HPM’s, just TV speakers. Earlier they were there, now gone. I asked Siri to play some music. This woke up the HPM’s. I went back to audio options and ot only were they in the list of available devices, but still selected as the default. The music continued to play until I selected a TV show from the Amazon Prime app. Once the TV show began feeding an audio signal, the HPM’s began transmitting the audio, the HPM’s took over the sound. IMHO, they are starting to make these devices work together.
Hope I didn’t miss anyting. I will test further on Thursday.


But HOW do you select them as default on th ATV?. According to Apple, is not possible to do that.
 
The wireless devices have to be active, then you can see them and select. It certainly has a ways to go, but why wouldn't Apple want to default to a superior sound device, especially theirs. The recent tvOS update doesn't seem to have changed anything. It would certainly be a big move forward to be able to boot the TV speaker hard default.
 

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But they do not appear in the default audio output menu. Selecting them in the airplay menu as an audio output is not the same thing, both in terms of latency and functionality (regular airplay output doesn´t transmit sound in real time), so no apple tv menus sound, no videogames sound and many apps don´t work with regular airplay either. Also, the new ARC/ eARC function with the new apple tv 4k, which allows you to use the Homepods with other HDMI connected devices, only works with the original Homepod, not the Mini (it requires that you set the homepod as the default audio output).


Is not the same thing.

Also the enhanced ad-hoc default connection support surround sound, something that the homepod cannot do.
 
I think that Apple should give the option to the Minis. Sure, they do not support Dolby sound like their big brother, but there is no reason for them not to be able to act as the default permanent output of an Apple TV.
 
What I’m annoyed about is that Apple are holding back the ability to select Airplay speakers as default speakers for Apple TV. It’s not that they can’t, it’s that apple won’t implement it. Even the Apple TV 4 used to have the default audio setting, now that menu item is totally removed, and Apple are still selling it. So the only speakers that you can choose as default other than the TV’s speakers are the original homepods that apple don't sell any more.
I’ve found that if I select the Sonos speaker as a temporary output, it stays that way for a few days. If I select HomePod mini I have to select it after I’ve put the Apple TV to sleep. Looks like I’ll be getting another SL rather than HPM for a stereo pair.
 
Happy and sad that I read this. I was just about to buy a pair of minis for my apple tv. No way I am going to elect speakers every time I want to watch TV.
 
Glad that it’s coming, should have been available from start though. Should be any AirPlay device. Should be any current Apple TV.
 
Glad that it’s coming, should have been available from start though. Should be any AirPlay device. Should be any current Apple TV.

Not the ATV HD (still selling). The adhoc network created by the default audio setting requires bluetooth 5.0, and the apple tv hd has bluetooth 4.2
 
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Surely could just connect as Airplay speakers though? Pretty sure that was an option when it first came out.
 
Surely could just connect as Airplay speakers though? Pretty sure that was an option when it first came out.

Still is. Open the airplay menu from the apple tv control center and chose them as an audio output.


Is not the same thing as the current option of setting them as the default speakers. Previously, the regular airplay connection was named the same, and the option was in the same menu, but is not the same. Confusing, I know.
 
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I solved the problem. Apple Tv 4k is unplugged. Maybe in a few months I will consider connecting again.

I find it odd that anytime I use Airplay via iPad, the connection is instant and stays solid until I disconnect. The other night, using the new updated Siri remote, I had to connect the Homepod mini’s repeatedly. Then unplugged.
We spent the evening with the tv speakers - painful experience. Just like HDMI issues in my mini and other users Bluetooth issues, is it all software?
 
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I have had mixed results connecting home Pod Mini's to my 4K TV, I usually only try it when watching the odd movie that I want a little better sound experience. This usually requires seeking the pod numerous times until the selection sticks.
Last night, my experience was incredible. I would select the Pods and before I could exit, the selection would revert to TV speakers.???? I have a Yamaha WX-030 speaker that connects first time, every time. What gives Apple?
 
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