Apple Expands HomePod Ambitions With Four-Speaker Surround Sound Test – Channelnews

It looks like Apple will finally support four HomePods in Dolby Atmos surround sound with Apple TV 4K — and it'd be a pretty good price compared to Sony's equivalent system

Apple's audioOS code reveals support for four-speaker HomePod audio, which isn't currently available in any of Apple's products

Apple Expands HomePod Ambitions With Four-Speaker Surround Sound Test – channelnews

Is Apple bringing surround sound to Apple TV? The company looks to be preparing a major upgrade to the way its HomePod speakers work with Apple TV after code references were found that indicate the company is testing support for up to four HomePods as a wireless surround sound system. At present, Apple TV 4K can wirelessly pair up to two HomePods. Now, even after the speaker system has failed to gain much traction, it seems the company is further developing the HomePod’s capabilities.   The test discovery was made in the latest audioOS 27 beta, where references point to a multi-speaker configuration using four second-generation HomePods positioned as front-left, front-right, rear-left and rear-right speakers, as first reported by MacRumors. If introduced, it would represent a significant expansion of Apple’s current home theatre capabilities. While Dolby Atmos and 5.1 soundtracks can currently be sent to the speakers, it is virtual surround sound via two physical speakers rather than a true four-speaker surround-sound configuration. The software references suggest Apple is working on much more sophisticated processing for the four-speaker arrangement. Reported features include automatic room calibration, speaker position mapping, timing adjustments, bass management, equalisation and dialogue enhancement, with different processing modes for movies and music. The proposed system would be limited to the second-generation HomePod, as it appears the original HomePod and smaller HomePod mini are excluded from the feature. Rather than consumers needing to purchase a dedicated AV receiver and multiple speakers, Apple’s approach could turn several HomePods already positioned around a room into a fairly simple wireless home theatre set-up. Apple’s interest in HomePod surround sound is not new and the company has been exploring the concept for a while. The technology first appeared in an Apple patent in 2017.  This latest development comes as Apple is reportedly preparing an expansion of its smart home strategy. A third-generation HomePod with AI-powered Siri is reportedly in the works and references discovered in Apple’s software also point to other potential home products. It could mean Apple is looking to make the HomePod more central to its connected-home strategy, rather than sitting as a standalone smart speaker. There is currently no confirmed launch date for four-speaker surround support.

Apple tests four-HomePod surround system for Apple TV 4K

And the first game controllers from Apple?

Apple seems to be working a four-speaker surround sound system with HomePods

Apple seems to be working a four-speaker surround sound system with HomePods.