Now that Apple's new set-top box is a reality and many are starting to receive their unit or intend to get one soon, it might be interesting to know how to set up a HomePod as a speaker for the Apple TV 4K HDR.
How to use Apple TV and HomePod together
If you are an Apple user and have both an Apple TV and a HomePod (or several) you will know that you can use them together to create a much more immersive sound experience, especially if you use two HomePods to create a stereo sound setup.
Thanks to these configuration options and the capabilities of the original HomePod (now discontinued, but with the option to purchase while stocks last) you can even enjoy Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital 7.1 or Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. With the HomePod mini you will not be able to, but you can use a pair to have stereo sound that also improves the sound experience that many televisions offer.
To make use of this setup of an Apple TV plus one or two original or mini HomePods (for stereo sound both Apple smart speakers must be identical, you can't mix a HomePod with a HomePod mini) all you have to do is the next:
- From your iOS, iPadOS or macOS devices, start the home application and press and hold on the icon that you will see corresponding to the Apple TV that you want to configure
- Once the new popup menu is displayed, go to the bottom and tap on the gear icon to access the device settings
- Now tap on the option Default audio output , then tap the room where the HomePod is located or the stereo setup created from the use of two HomePods
That's it, you can start enjoying this much more immersive sound experience thanks to HomePods and Apple TV. Just one last thing about this initial configuration, to enjoy the surround sound offered by the original HomePod, the company recommends that the distance between your speaker and the wall does not exceed 25 cm. This is the only way to properly calculate the necessary parameters to project the sound against it and for this rebound to generate the sensation of surround audio.
How to send all the sound of a Smart TV through an Apple TV 4K HDR (2nd Gen)
So far everything you have read is possible that you already knew if you were a user of Apple TV or HomePods. However, together with the launch of the new second-generation Apple TV 4K HDR model, Apple published a new support document that offers a very interesting detail: the option to send all the sound that a television reproduces to the Apple TV so that it in turn send it to the original HomePod or pair of HomePods you may have connected to your TV.
Yes, you read that right. This new feature is only compatible with the original HomePod . One of those strange decisions Apple makes for some reason. It's hard to understand why it's not possible, because in theory, it's a device with better connectivity options due to being newer. We could understand the surround sound issue, but not being able to use the HomePod mini with stereo speakers... that's odd.
However, that's the way it is. So let's move on. What do you need to send all the sound from your TV to the new Apple TV and from there to your HomePod or pair of HomePods? Well, the first essential requirement is having the latest version of the second-generation Apple TV 4K HDR. The previous model doesn't appear to be compatible.
The second thing is that your TV has an HDMI ARC port. This will be the one that allows you to send the audio signal that you are receiving through another player, streaming platform or even the DTT signal.
And finally, the aforementioned of having one or two original HomePods, models that are already discontinued and that Apple keeps on sale until the end of stock. So it is to be hoped that at some point they will support the mini, as much as it now annoys that it is not.
If you meet all these requirements, to activate the use of HDMI ARC or eARC on your Apple TV 4K HDR (2nd Gen) you have to do the following:
- Set your HomePod, multiple HomePods, or even other speakers as default output devices. To do this, you just have to go to the Apple TV settings and in the audio option select the mentioned setting. Having previously established the use of that or those HomePod as speakers of the Apple set top box
- Next, from the Apple TV home screen if you've navigated to it, go to Settings > Video & Audio. There note that you will or should have an option called Audio Return Channel
- Now you only have to activate this option and you will see how the audio reproduction of the television appears activated and in parentheses you will see if it is via HDMI ARC or eARC
Ready, enjoy this new option that will allow you to use your HomePods as speakers thanks to Apple TV. Something that Mac users would particularly like to do, is to be able to set them up as system speakers.
How to fix problems with HDMI ARC, eARC or CEC on your Smart TV
Until now, all the steps had to be carried out on the Apple TV itself, because it is understood that this option is already enabled on your television and you have used the HDMI connector that supports this technology. Even so, in case you encounter or suffer some type of problem or anomaly, here are some possible solutions in case you need them:
- It is not usual, but in some television models you have to activate the use of the HDMI connectors as ARC, eARC or CEC
- If the HomePods do not play sound, check that everything is checked and activated as it should and if so, restart the HomePod so that possible internal configuration errors are eliminated and you can successfully achieve what you want
Now to enjoy the experience.