HomePod Setup advice (Apple TV vs. music

[se99jmk]

I love to do two things:
1) Play music (using HomePod stereo pair)
2) Watch Apple TV

=====

I tried outputting the Apple TV through the HomePods, which works great (and gives some Siri controls)

However if I want to play music through HomePods, it turns on the Apple TV every time (I don't want the TV screen on if just listening to casual music...)

Is there a way to do this?

- If I start music on HomePods, just use HomePods (no Apple TV )
- If I turn on Apple TV, video outputs through HomePods

Presumably I could not use an ARC supporting HDMI port, but then the TV would not auto turn on when I turned on the Apple TV (which is actually very convenient and means I don't have to use multiple remotes)

 

[JBaby]

This is AirPlay. So that means you need to do everything manually. When you’re done watching TV you need to disconnect the tv from the HomePods. You can either use the remote to do it on the tv or via iOS. Get back to the home screen, press and hold the play button, scroll to your HomePod, and click the trackpad. The remote method is how I do it at the end of the day. I don’t like leaving my HomePods connected because frequently I ask Siri to do things in the middle of the night. In the my waking hours I do it via iOS. I enable AirPlay to HomePod from my phone then I disconnect it immediately. That enables me to tell HomePod to play music and my tv remains off.

 

[se99jmk]

This is AirPlay. So that means you need to do everything manually. When you’re done watching TV you need to disconnect the tv from the HomePods. You can either use the remote to do it on the tv or via iOS. Get back to the home screen, press and hold the play button, scroll to your HomePod, and click the trackpad. The remote method is how I do it at the end of the day. I don’t like leaving my HomePods connected because frequently I ask Siri to do things in the middle of the night. In the my waking hours I do it via iOS. I enable AirPlay to HomePod from my phone then I disconnect it immediately. That enables me to tell HomePod to play music and my tv remains off.

Thanks - that's a shame it's manual, realistically I can't see doing this (especially for other family members)

Hoping there's a set-and-forget way of making it just work

 

[JBaby]

There isn’t. You need to keep in mind that AirPlaying from tv to HomePod is still in beta. It’s not a sound bar and was never designed for this purpose. Sounds to me you need a sound bar. I don’t mind dealing with the shortcomings but my tv and HomePods are solely mine.

 

[se99jmk]

There isn’t. You need to keep in mind that AirPlaying from tv to HomePod is still in beta. It’s not a sound bar and was never designed for this purpose. Sounds to me you need a sound bar. I don’t mind dealing with the shortcomings but my tv and HomePods are solely mine.

I do have a sound bar, and yes, sounds like the best solution - in theory outputting to HomePods would mean:
- no soundbar = less clutter
- simple Siri controls (though as I’ve found out, still achievable by specifying “pause TV” or “pause living room”)

Ah well, still playing around with the “optimal” solution

 

[JBaby]

A sound bar will sound so much better than HomePod for a tv. Unless your sound bar really sucks. I never had a desire for a sound bar. I’ve always been fine with my tv speakers. And in truth I’m still fine with them. AirPlaying tv to HomePod is just a bonus for me. It does sound better than my tv speakers. But I know a sound bar would sound way better since it’s not a 360 speaker and has a center channel.