This trick acquired my Xbox and Blu-rays to play good with my HomePods

Among the finest makes use of of Apple’s HomePod is not as a traditional

smart speaker
, like an Amazon Echo, which you are normally meant to set on tables, cabinets, and counters for music and

smart home
management. As an alternative, a rising variety of folks — judging from anecdotes — are selecting to make use of HomePods as wi-fi audio system for his or her

Apple TV 4K
. It is not all the time essentially the most cost-effective house theater possibility, however it’s good to remove muddle, and even a pair of HomePod minis can sound surprisingly good. A pair of full-size HomePods enjoying Dolby Atmos materials is a factor to behold.

Some folks do not understand, although, which you could funnel audio from extra sources than simply your Apple TV. The truth is, absolutely anything related to your TV ought to work, together with cable packing containers, recreation consoles, and Blu-ray gamers. The catch is that you just want a particular {hardware} and software program setup for all the pieces to work correctly — and as soon as you’ve got acquired it going, you could end up caught within the Apple ecosystem except you are keen to shell out much more money for a alternative. I am going to clarify all the pieces it’s essential know.

What {hardware} do it’s essential get began?

Excellent news and unhealthy information on this one

Apple

Earlier than anything, you may want a TV with an ARC or eARC port. ARC stands for Audio Return Channel, and the quick rationalization is that it permits audio system and different audio gear to ship their content material through

HDMI
, reasonably than devoted audio cables.

eARC
is an up to date normal based mostly on HDMI 2.1, the profit being a lot greater bandwidth — at its greatest providing uncompressed, 192kHz, 24-bit sound. So, whereas each ARC and eARC help frequent codecs like Dolby Atmos, you will not get essentially the most out of your TV with out eARC. Verify the labels in your TV’s HDMI ports to see what you are geared up for.

Unavoidably, you may additionally want a second- (2021) or third-generation (2022) Apple TV 4K. The primary-gen mannequin merely is not appropriate with Apple’s pass-through tech, and there is no methodology to attach HomePods on to a TV. As an alternative, they should be arrange within the

Apple Home
app, then chosen as audio output on the Apple TV.

Make sure to use the appropriate HDMI cable, too. You may want an HDMI 1.4 cable or higher for ARC, and HDMI 2.1 or later for eARC. There needs to be some model marking on the cable you are utilizing. If not, you’ve got solely acquired two choices: testing a cable to see what it is able to, or shopping for a alternative you already know is appropriate.

You should use both one or two HomePods, however if you happen to plan to make use of a pair, they should be the identical mannequin and technology — you possibly can’t hyperlink a full-size HomePod and a HomePod mini, for instance, or a first-gen and a second-gen. I might strongly advocate shopping for a pair — it is the one technique to allow stereo and

Dolby Atmos
playback. In fact, you may additionally have to test if a selected app, video, or tune is encoded for Atmos.

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The best way to get recreation consoles and Blu-rays to play via your HomePods

All of the steps it’s essential know

Apple

So that you’re conscious, I am not going to run via the complete setup processes for Apple TVs, HomePods, or the Apple Dwelling app. That may prolong issues needlessly, since Apple gives fundamental setup info within the Apple TV and HomePod packing containers. I’ll point out when every setup must occur, although, because you is perhaps unboxing all the pieces for the primary time.

Observe the steps beneath. For those who’ve already acquired one or two HomePods linked to your Apple TV, skip forward to step 10.

1. Replace your iPhone or iPad to the most recent software program through Settings > Normal > Software program Replace.
2. Join your Apple TV 4K (second- or third-generation) to your TV’s ARC or eARC HDMI port utilizing an acceptable cable. Bear in mind, you want a minimum of HDMI 1.4 for ARC, and HDMI 2.1 for eARC.
3. If it’s essential, end establishing your Apple TV, together with assigning it to a room in Apple Dwelling. If you have not already arrange Apple Dwelling, use the app in your iPhone or iPad first.
4. Replace your Apple TV to the most recent model of tvOS by going to Settings > System > Software program Updates and clicking Replace Software program.
5. Flip off your Apple TV utilizing the Siri Distant.
6. Set up the HomePod(s) you are going to use, placing one on all sides of your TV if you happen to’ve acquired a stereo pair. Within the Dwelling app, make sure you assign your speaker(s) to the identical room as your Apple TV.
7. Nonetheless in Dwelling, go to … > Dwelling Settings > Software program Replace to ensure your HomePod software program is present. Be affected person.
8. When your HomePods are prepared, flip the Apple TV again on.
9. You ought to be routinely prompted to make use of your HomePod(s) for TV audio. If not, use Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Output choices as a substitute.
10. Ensure that all of the secondary peripherals you wish to use HomePod output (consoles, Blu-ray gamers, and so forth.) are related to your TV.
11. Again in your Apple TV’s Settings > Video and Audio > Audio Output menu, choose Play Tv Audio below Audio Return Channel.

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Extra notes

Troubleshooting, and the downsides of utilizing HomePods

For those who’re nonetheless having bother, test that ARC, eARC, and/or HDMI-CEC are enabled in your TV’s native settings menu (not the one in your Apple TV). You might also have to double-check the model in your HDMI cable, and whether or not it is plugged into the right port. Most TVs have a number of HDMI ports, however just one geared up for ARC or eARC.

The main draw back of utilizing HomePods as a do-it-all audio supply is, after all, that your Apple TV has to stay completely related. For those who pull it out of the loop, a HomePod will lose its reference to the TV. That is a serious discouragement to leaving the Apple ecosystem, so that you may wish to select a traditional soundbar as a substitute if you happen to’re not an Apple die-hard.

As a result of the connection between a HomePod and an Apple TV will not be solely wi-fi, however linked to Apple Dwelling, there’s additionally the potential for issues from wi-fi interference or unhealthy settings within the Dwelling app. To repeat, your Apple TV and HomePod(s) should be assigned to the identical room in the identical house — if not, they will not be capable of see one another.

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