Seeking feedback on an Apple TV concept

[jamescharley22]

Hi everyone! I was hoping to receive some feedback on a smart soundbar concept I’ve over-imagineered as “HomePod Hi-Fi” inspired by terrible smart TV UI’s, HomePod, Apple TV, iPod Hi-Fi, and the rumored home hub “HomePad.” I’m extremely opinionated on the idea of a small screen on a HomePod, it can’t be used centrally the way HomePod’s voice-controlled interface can be, and a small screen cannot be seen from just anywhere in a room the way its speakers can be heard from any direction, so I figured why not flip the script and go for a HomePod on the biggest screen in the room usually positioned for central and wide-angle viewing? Considering the built-in cameras, I’m not suggesting replacing Apple TV completely, rather the two could co-exist fitting into their own spaces with different levels of privacy. Critiques, questions, suggestions, and conversation are welcome, thank you!

1. 4 HDMI 2.2 in
2. 1 eARC HDMI 2.2 out
3. HomeKit-CEC Interoperability
4. 5.1.2 soundbar
5. Dual 10 GbE
6. Dual N1 wireless networking
7. 6 FaceTime Cameras
8. Second-generation Ultra Wideband
9. HomePod apps

• Maybe about 4 2.5 GbE ports

1. The reason I want 4 HDMI 2.2 inputs is mostly for future proofing. I never appreciated turning early 4k TVs around and having to pick what displayed at 4k60 and the rest displaying at 4k30 or 1080p60. This enables the OS to do a few things like 8k fullscreen passthrough, 4 x 4k SplitView apps/inputs, 8k + 1080p Picture-in-Picture, and maybe even 4 x 4k + 720p PiP.
2. Obviously, the eARC HDMI output is 2.2 so that HomePod Hi-Fi can output 8k uncompressed, but the output can also double as an HDMI sync box for compatible RGB HomeKit lights.
3. This also gives HomePod Hi-Fi the opportunity to take over CEC functions and delegate everything. Wake HomePod, TV on, and vice-versa. Console/device on, HomePod wakes and opens input, TV on, and vice-versa for power off. Close input, console/device off, and vice-versa for open input. Furthermore, this allows HomePod Hi-Fi to surface CEC devices as HomeKit accessories allowing you to turn an HDMI console/device on directly from the Home app or via Siri also waking the HomePod and TV in succession using CEC even if none of them natively support HomeKit.
4. I want HomePod Hi-Fi to be built around, on, and into a 5.1.2 soundbar - hence HomePod: smart speaker, and Hi-Fi: a callback to the iPod Hi-Fi - eliminating the wireless Home Theater setup between an Apple TV and two HomePods. More often than not, Home Theater was error prone and temporary at best, at least in my experience. It was always disconnecting leaving my family with no audio unless done over again or switching the TV back to using its built-in, slightly better than anemic speakers. This also reduces, if not eliminates, latency from passing audio wirelessly from Apple TV to the HomePods.
5. HomePod Hi-Fi can ship with two 10 GbE ports with the first one for hardwiring HomePod to the network.
6. For convenience, HomePod Hi-Fi can ship with two Apple’s N1 wireless networking chips using the first to connect to a Wi-Fi network where Ethernet isn’t available. Where Ethernet is available, the second 10 GbE port can be connected reversing the role of HomePod’s first N1 chip into a Wi-Fi 7 WAP for the house (high-power) or the room (low-power). The second N1 chip, on unused remaining channels, operates as a dedicated wireless audio backhaul for connecting multiple HomePods into a surround sound system.
7. Taking from Vision Pro, HomePod builds in 6 ultra wide FaceTime cameras with two front facing and the other four facing outwards at the front corners stitching each stream together creating an expansive Center Stage view. Given the soundbar’s larger internal volume and body, at least relative to an iPhone, iPad, or MacBook lid, HomePod Hi-Fi’s cameras can offer internal focus lenses and variable aperture making it perfect for low-light SharePlay when watching a movie or show together with the lights turned out. If LiDAR is included, HomePod can focus on users even in low-light conditions as well as couple room dimensions with audible-band impulse delay measurements for mapping purposes further fine tuning the audio for the room.
8. With second-generation Ultra Wideband, HomePod Hi-Fi can assist in locating misplaced items offering an estimation as to which room an AirTag or Find My compatible object might be in based on which HomePod reads the strongest signal: “Hey Siri, where are my keys?” “Your keys may be in the living room and are playing a sound.” If second-generation UWB were built into future HomePods as well, Hi-Fi can use UWB to determine positioning of the surround HomePods and fine tune audio timing across the dedicated N1 audio backhaul.
9. As this is a hybrid of HomePod and Apple TV, key HomePod apps like Home, Clock, Weather, Calendars, Reminders, and News could all be ported over with different levels of privacy like a shared space in the Living Room showing only shared calendars and Reminders, while private deployments in a bedroom or office could open up all the reminders and calendars for a specific user and Apple Account.

• A couple more ideas I had was potentially adding a few more Ethernet ports to the back at 2.5 Gbps, so downstream Home Theater surround sound satellite HomePods - they’d need to be updated with Ethernet as well - could hardwire together minimizing latency and syncing together with PTP precision timing. Maybe HomePods could use UWB and audible-band impulse delay measurement to dial in the exact timing needed for whatever arrangement the satellite speakers might be in. While the hardwired Home Theater surround sound connections operate at 2.5GbE bottlenecked from the Hi-Fi, updated regular and mini HomePods could also have a 10 GbE port that when independently deployed and connected to LAN, allows them to broadcast as a Wi-Fi 7 WAP in other areas of the house.
• For areas of the house you don’t want cameras in, say your bedroom, maybe a version lacking the cameras could release as an Apple TV Pro/8k/Hi-Fi.

I have vehemently been detailing these ideas to Apple in their feedback website so if they haven’t blacklisted my entries, they at least know about this themselves. Obviously they’re not gonna say “Hey great idea, thank you,” so I wanted to poll an at will audience. Sorry for the potentially poor grammar where I may have missed it and the run-on sentence galore, but please let me know your thoughts and thank you for coming to my TEDTalk.