Yeah you can buy 2 or 3 echo dots if you want it for basic functions and not good sounding music. But you do you
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Top Five Reasons to Buy a HomePod Mini
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Yeah you can buy 2 or 3 echo dots if you want it for basic functions and not good sounding music. But you do you
In the scenario I'm mainly thinking of using it, in our backyard, I have a strong wifi signal, so it was more an issue of not wanting to have to get one of my long extension cords to plug in a mini for those times when we want to listen to music or a podcast while sitting around a fire. We use a cheap BT speaker now, but it's not great for sound quality and it's definitely not a smart speaker.
I'd have to hear the sound quality before I pulled the trigger, even at $100. I don't exactly have a burning need to use Siri regularly, and the little Yamaha wifi speaker I bought a few years ago does nicely for streaming and AirPlay.
“When paired up, two HomePod minis can create a more immersive sound experience.”
I believe this is the future of audio playback Someday all well recorded great music will be played back with two speakers. I’m not sure what it will be called yet but I bet it will be big!
I believe this is the future of audio playback Someday all well recorded great music will be played back with two speakers. I’m not sure what it will be called yet but I bet it will be big!
I think I’ll pick one up once available. Looking for something for background music in my home office and don’t need anything that takes up too much space.
Oh, it’s hilarious. She just says that and then nothing shows up on your phone/any other home device.
Seriously, this has happened to me before.
(*I love my HomePod…but we all know Apple’s weaknesses.)
no doubt they will go out to “influencers“ who wouldn’t know decent sound if it slapped them around their vacuous heads.
can i play spotify on these? BBC radio? until then i could not even consider them. i have a pair of Sonos Ones. fantastic sound!
no, the current ATV doesn’t support it. I’m in a similar situation of needing a second aTV and am waiting to see if there is a new one coming in the near future. I’m guessing built in thread will be a standard feature of any future devices they sell with the intent of acting as HomeKit hubs.
If Apple could do a deal with BBC Radio in the UK they would sell loads, i would definitely buy one if they did.
Unfortunately i don't think it will happen any time soon.
They put it at the forefront of your mind.
They got caught doing exactly what they said they didn’t do...listening, recording and being reviewed by human beings. (Admitted and explained as trying to make your experience better)
By default you have to give permission with Echo and Google products to do that. With Apple you have to actively opt out. You can also switch the mics off, cameras (if fitted) off
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As described in the TOS, so no real surprise there, except for those who like to catch Apple on the sub-nuances.
The only fault of Apple’s I see there was not being more transparent, as they have a tendency to not be, to a fault. I can reasonably believe Apple when they say that they recorded audio only to improve Siri’s success rate because that is in line with their business model, not selling personal data. Alexa on the other hand cannot be trusted because of Amazon’s advertising and data-selling business model.
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Just double checked myself and it’s not clear if Amazon sells data, maybe not. But they definitely use personal data for their own marketing purposes.
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Now it’s in the TOS (overtly, rather than being buried) after they get caught and having to admit to paying subcontractors to listen to Siri messages. First they denied it, then admitted it, then stopped it, and now acknowledged they need to do it ,and so do it after asking users to opt in.
I wonder if it can function away from WiFi by connecting with an iPhone for internet or airplay. That would make it truly portable. One would need a pretty high capacity battery pack though I’d bet.
I got antennae channels routed through my Apple TV with an HDHomerun. Only thing left now is my Blu-ray player, which I do like to use for special movies and shows. I wish that could be routed through my Apple TV as well, and playback controlled via an Apple TV app, but that would require probably an hdmi cable from the player to the Apple TV, which isn’t possible unfortunately. Not to mention someone would need to make the software. There are other limitations of using homepods as home theater speakers too. Due to the delay of airplay, it’s not feasible for games, karaoke, navigation sounds, and airplay video mirroring. Though with airplay video mirroring, I would think Apple could just delay the video to match the audio.
I don’t understand ARC very well.. If it was added to Apple TV, what kind of setup would that allow? What would be connected to what?
No, there was no caught. I was in the TOS all along, just that people didn't read it. That is what I call a "sub-nuance". Most of corporate america augments their IT workforce with contractors who are subject to the same confidentiality of employees. Of course, employee or contractor under NDA, can't stop someone from breaching their employment contract.
They may have denied it, because that's business in corporate america, but it doesn't mean their customers weren't protected. However, now there are additional options, but it didn't mean before-hand the data wasn't handled with the utmost of confidentiality. Again, catching Apple on the sub-nuances with a narrow view of the entirety of the thing.
I get perfectly good sound for my needs from the Echo+, I didn't buy the Homepod as I just didn't value it at its original price or even the reduced price today.
I will however give the mini a try, it is attractive to me at that price and I can't see the sound being worse than the echo.
I will however give the mini a try, it is attractive to me at that price and I can't see the sound being worse than the echo.
I’m confused about using HomePod minis as a home theater system with Apple TV. I already have a sound bar connected to my Apple TV. Can I use 2 HomePod minis as rear speakers that will only produce sound for rear channels, or will it just reproduce sound coming from the sound bar? In other words, will you get the same sound everywhere, or individual sounds (like 5.1 surround sound) using the sound bar as a front channel and 2 HomePod minis as rear channels?