HomePod
I wrote about my initial impressions of the HomePod in prior articles, but Apple has updated it with one great new feature called AirPlay 2. This already works with AppleTV 4 and 4k. However, they also updated 2012 and later Airport Express units.
The thing that makes this so great with these other devices is that you can now say something like "Hey Siri, play Prince in the Den" and music can play over the stereo or home theater system you have connected to your AppleTV.
For me, this means, I can use voice control to send audio to my main music setup or the multiple setups I have around the house connected to an AppleTV or Airport Express.
The thing that makes this so great with these other devices is that you can now say something like "Hey Siri, play Prince in the Den" and music can play over the stereo or home theater system you have connected to your AppleTV.
For me, this means, I can use voice control to send audio to my main music setup or the multiple setups I have around the house connected to an AppleTV or Airport Express.
The Microphones are Underestimated
All the reviews comparing the HomePod to Alexa mention some of Siri's current shortfalls. I understand that because I also have three Amazon Dots and an Amazon Spot. They have their upsides, so there is no argument there.
However, the thing that is often missed is that the HomePod can hear commands in loud rooms much better than any of my Echo devices. If I can listen to music and ask the HomePod to change what is playing in a normal voice without screaming, then I am more likely to use the feature. Of course, with the AppleTV, you get beautiful artwork and/or fantastic 4k screensavers:
However, the thing that is often missed is that the HomePod can hear commands in loud rooms much better than any of my Echo devices. If I can listen to music and ask the HomePod to change what is playing in a normal voice without screaming, then I am more likely to use the feature. Of course, with the AppleTV, you get beautiful artwork and/or fantastic 4k screensavers:
iOS and Airplay 2
Of course, you don't have to own a HomePod, though it makes things ultra-convenient. You can simply use iOS with Airplay 2. This allows you to send the same audio stream to all of your Airplay 2 devices in sync, including the HomePod. It will also let you send a different audio stream to each Airplay 2 compatible device. It is a notable feature that has been missing from iOS for years. It always seemed strange to me since the WHAALE app allowed some of these features with the prior version of Airplay!
In the photo below, you can see that I am sending Prince to the Bedroom and Den. AC/DC is playing in the Living Room and Nirvana is playing in the Office.
In the photo below, you can see that I am sending Prince to the Bedroom and Den. AC/DC is playing in the Living Room and Nirvana is playing in the Office.
In the picture below, I simply changed the Living Room from AC/DC and added it to the Prince audio stream.
Final Thoughts
For me, this is a long awaited feature that will keep me in Apple's ecosystem for a long time to come. It adds flexibility, ease of use, and great sound to nearly every room in my house!
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