Apple has revealed that the new Apple TV 4K will allow users to enable HDMI ARC and eARC, which will let audio from all input sources stream over HomePod Speakers. According to 9To5Mac, Apple originally enabled the ability for older versions of Apple TV to stream audio to HomePod Speakers last fall. That software update only allowed audio from Apple TV, itself, to be shared. The Apple TV 4K will allow all audio from all of your TV inputs to be played through your HomePod, if your TV supports ARC output. Before you can make use of the new ARC feature, you must set up your system properly. Apple says the HomePod speaker needs to be connected to the same room as the Apple TV 4K, then you’ll need to set the HomePod as the default audio output. Once done, you can enable the Audio Return Channel feature, which is in beta at the moment. It is important to note that the HomePod mini—the only version of the HomePod that Apple is still actively manufacturing—is not supported. Instead, ARC is only compatible with the larger HomePod speaker, which the company discontinued earlier this year. The move to enable universal ARC support is important because previous reports have pointed towards the eventual release of a HomePod-like television speaker set. Bringing universal audio passthrough could be a logical step towards something of that nature. However, such a device has yet to be officially announced.
