That is interesting timing, as Netflix canned the older ATV models. https://www.macrumors.com/2024/06/04/netflix-end-support-2nd-3rd-gen-apple-tv/
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Verizon Launches Rare Discounts on Apple TV 4K ($89.99) and 2nd Gen HomePod ($174.99)
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I'm not upgrading until they bring back optical audio as well as Ethernet. I know the 128 GB model has Ethernet.
They did have a Black Friday promotion on these. It was a $50 gift card. I bought a pair at that time, together with a 128GB ATV (I think the ATV had a $25 GC on it). Paid with apple gift cards I had purchased at a discount from Target, Best Buy, and Amazon leading up to BF. This is still a better deal though, although last time I tried to buy something during a similar sale from Verizon it was a pita and they never shipped the order.
The earlier 4K doesn’t have ARC/eARC. If you pair HomePods to your AppleTV as speakers, you need ARC/eARC on your TV and AppleTV if you want to be able to play audio through your HomePods from other HDMI devices (gaming console, etc) that are connected to your TV.
I get a sinking feeling that this is only happening because a third-gen (compatible with the new Siri changes) will be released/announced at WWDC. And that the first-gen has no chance of getting access to it even if that doesn’t happen.
Verizon not exactly a big retailer for Homepods. And why not blowout the white ones too then.
Why isn't Best Buy blowing theirs out? Or anyone else?
Also does Siri even operate on the Homepod. Wouldn't AI operate via the cloud?
Maybe Verizon stocked a bunch of these to give away with wireless Home internet and hasn't had as many takers as they thought.
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That's a pretty fantastic deal on HomePods. I had to pick up a second one because there's no way I could pass that up. Would've probably bought an Apple TV as well if it had been the proper model (with Ethernet).
Thanks, just ordered two and my sister ordered one. I've already replaced our OG with a 2nd gen, but my inlaws have two and I'm concerned they wont get iOS18. I see that OG's are still selling for about $180 on ebay, with free shipping, so after ebay's cut and shipping, upgrading for $100 (or less) per HomePod is a pretty good deal.
That’s right, I forgot that the gift card was reduced to $50 this year - probably because the HomePod had just come out in January so there was no sense in Apple offering the previous $100 gift card (that they did with the 1st gen HomePod) an effective 33% discount would be a bit excessive
I did go ahead and buy the Apple TV this past fall to upgrade the one that I was using in my living room and I ended up giving my previous Apple TV that I used in the living room to my mom to use at her house. The $25 gift card promotion on the Apple TV was not incredibly great but Apple did lower the price from the previous $199 to $149 (for the maxed out version) which is the one I bought
