Something Big is Coming to WiiM Home

[BK308]

Hello again,

I just tried at home and:

1 - you can actually lauch the WiiM Home app fom Siri on the remote control of the AppleTV (press the siri button and say "launch the WiiM Home app"

2 - You can launch it from your iPhone ("Hey Siri ... Launch WiiM Home on the AppleTV")

Only problem is I have 2 AppleTV devices and Siri on iPhone asks which one it should launch the app on, and you have to select on the screen. As much as I tried, no way to specify which AppleTV from your prompt - I have tried with the device name without success. If anybody has the answer ...

Regards,

TB

I found

I think this is overall a very promising start. I like the app look on the big screen and I am completely happy with the HDMI/CEC implementation: turn the TV on and launch the app with the AppleTV remote. For now, select music from a smartphone and the WiiM device switches back to network input: perfect. This is the exact

I think this is overall a very promising start. I like the app look on the big screen and I am completely happy with the HDMI/CEC implementation: turn the TV on and launch the app with the AppleTV remote. For now, select music from a smartphone and the WiiM device switches back to network input: perfect. This is the exact same behavior as the TV:REMOTE AppleTV app for Roon, and it is a good example for WiiM to follow. I am confident for the upcomig improvements, and hoping WiiM will soon create the necessary software bits for us to not need the expensive Roon anymore. One glitch I noticed: if you change the volume from another way than on the App screen, it does not reflect on the TV. Room to grow, but but once again dazzled by WiiM software enhancements.

Yes I can confirm that when the music starts you can’t see the volume on the screen anymore.

 

[BK308]

Hello again,

I just tried at home and:

1 - you can actually lauch the WiiM Home app fom Siri on the remote control of the AppleTV (press the siri button and say "launch the WiiM Home app"

2 - You can launch it from your iPhone ("Hey Siri ... Launch WiiM Home on the AppleTV")

Only problem is I have 2 AppleTV devices and Siri on iPhone asks which one it should launch the app on, and you have to select on the screen. As much as I tried, no way to specify which AppleTV from your prompt - I have tried with the device name without success. If anybody has the answer ...

Regards,

TB

I don’t like how Siri prompts which room. On my iPhone I’ll specifically tell it to open the app for the Apple TV in the Living Room (which is the assigned name) but it still prompts me. Highly doubt WiiM could remedy this considering it’s most likely on Apple’s end.

 

[vdp]

Seems I will still have to look and invest in custom implementations. Not what I was hoping for...

Independent of what is the source it should output to some screen (could be a TV, could be something without a linked OS). As such was hoping for a hdmi out type solution and was willing to buy an upgraded hardware/product. But not the TV app being the source?

I'll give it a try when it comes to Tizen or Android.

Now they'll have to maintain a ton of different TV OS apps. More and more start thinking the WiiM was a bad buy as they are going in an opposite direction I was hoping for with all their implementation choices I was hoping to get a solution for (Plexamp endpoint no communication at all).

But clearly kudos for them to keep developing free additional features...

 

[WiimyselfandI]

Hi Wiimer, Team

Google TV is definitely on the horizon. Regarding the FireTV stick, our team is still evaluating the feasibility. Thank you for your patience and support!

Any word on Roku?

 

[Burnside]

Now they'll have to maintain a ton of different TV OS apps.

I’d doubt that very much - you’ve got Apple, probably will get Android TV and hopefully fire tv. Given the very cheap cost of the last (the entry level one is on sale today for £25), I wouldn’t see them needing to go any further with tv manufacturer specific versions.

Also, having an app version means that you can display what’s playing on any WiiM device on the network, rather than an hdmi based solution that relies on a close physical connection.

I think an app is an excellent implementation choice - I’d even go as far as to say it’s the only sensible choice.

 

[pieterv1]

I’d doubt that very much - you’ve got Apple, probably will get Android TV and hopefully fire tv. Given the very cheap cost of the last (the entry level one is on sale today for £25), I wouldn’t see them needing to go any further with tv manufacturer specific versions.

Also, having an app version means that you can display what’s playing on any WiiM device on the network, rather than an hdmi based solution that relies on a close physical connection.

I think an app is an excellent implementation choice - I’d even go as far as to say it’s the only sensible choice.

Yes I don't get why people keep fixating on a wired solution so much. Some of them seem to have a hard time understanding that the Ultra/Amp can not output video over their HDMI ports (just like a soundbar can't). To do a hardware revision just to achieve this makes little sense... An app can be supported by all of the existing WiiM devices, Pro and Mini included.

 

[rjcrum]

One more vote for Roku..

 

[Mduf]

Roku please also!

 

[CliffyBC]

I've been a big proponent of album art on the big screen while streaming for a long time and while this is obviously a great step, I think the utility is a bit lacking. One has to turn the tv and Apple TV, start streaming music to the wiim (this has to be done after powering on the tv if you have CEC enabled or the tv will kick the wiim out of wifi mode), and launch the app and then do those steps again in reverse. If you mainly use Spotify, it's the same process for their native app which exists on basically all platforms (although they refuse to show large album art for some incomprehensible reason).

This is why a hardware hdmi output would be much more streamlined/usable. You could start streaming to the wiim and have the hdmi output wake the tv and select the correct input automatically, and power everything off with one button. Fingers crossed for that option in future hardware revisions.

Until then, I'll be looking for some way to automate the process, maybe with shortcuts/apple home.

I don't understand the rationale for putting artwork on a large screen TV?
I use the WHA on my phone or my 10" tablet to see what I'm playing thru my Ultra, they use hardly any power and that gives me all the info I need.
I run all my music and video content through Plex which runs on a very small and efficient mini PC. My 85" Samsung TV uses 20 times the electrical power than using my phone or tablet does.
I only run Plex on the TV if I'm watching video content.
Electricity is very expensive here in the UK so spending money just looking at a static album cover on an 85" TV doesn't make much economic sense to me at all.
Or am I missing something?

 

[Wiimer]

I don't understand the rationale for putting artwork on a large screen TV?
I use the WHA on my phone or my 10" tablet to see what I'm playing thru my Ultra, they use hardly any power and that gives me all the info I need.
I run all my music and video content through Plex which runs on a very small and efficient mini PC. My 85" Samsung TV uses 20 times the electrical power than using my phone or tablet does.
I only run Plex on the TV if I'm watching video content.
Electricity is very expensive here in the UK so spending money just looking at a static album cover on an 85" TV doesn't make much economic sense to me at all.
Or am I missing something?

I would like to hang a 24" Google TV on the wall and use it to remotely switch multi-room groups and play presets etc..

 

[CliffyBC]

I would like to hang a 24" Google TV on the wall and use it to remotely switch multi-room groups and play presets etc..

Ahh, that makes more sense to me now, I thought it was just expensive eye candy but it has useful purpose. I thought I must be missing something.

 

[Wiimer]

Ahh, that makes more sense to me now, I thought it was just expensive eye candy but it has useful purpose. I thought I must be missing something.

Yes but as you say some people just want to see album art on the big screen.

 

[Steve Woodhouse]

I don't understand the rationale for putting artwork on a large screen TV?

…am I missing something?

Yes. You’re missing the fact that, just because you don’t see the point, others can.

If you don’t want to look at the artwork on your TV, you don’t have to. Others would like to do so.

Is it possible to explain why? Or why we prefer a certain flavour ice cream over an other? Does everyone have to justify their tastes?

I’d have thought the easiest explanation is this. When we were all vinyl, people loved nice packaging, booklets, gatefold sleeves, etc.

When we went to CD, even CD lovers missed that large scale artwork. When we went to controlling streaming apps from our phones, the artwork got even smaller, and less satisfying.

Now we can put it on a big telly, it’s bigger than a 12” gatefold used to be.

And that’s as good an explanation as I can give you.

 

[slartibartfast]

Yes. You’re missing the fact that, just because you don’t see the point, others can.

If you don’t want to look at the artwork on your TV, you don’t have to. Others would like to do so.

Is it possible to explain why? Or why we prefer a certain flavour ice cream over an other? Does everyone have to justify their tastes?

I’d have thought the easiest explanation is this. When we were all vinyl, people loved nice packaging, booklets, gatefold sleeves, etc.

When we went to CD, even CD lovers missed that large scale artwork. When we went to controlling streaming apps from our phones, the artwork got even smaller, and less satisfying.

Now we can put it on a big telly, it’s bigger than a 12” gatefold used to be.

And that’s as good an explanation as I can give you.

Looking at album sleeves didn't use electricity though

 

[pjorgenunes]

Looking at album sleeves didn't use electricity though

Only at night...

 

[EddNog]

I don't understand the rationale for putting artwork on a large screen TV?
I use the WHA on my phone or my 10" tablet to see what I'm playing thru my Ultra, they use hardly any power and that gives me all the info I need.
I run all my music and video content through Plex which runs on a very small and efficient mini PC. My 85" Samsung TV uses 20 times the electrical power than using my phone or tablet does.
I only run Plex on the TV if I'm watching video content.
Electricity is very expensive here in the UK so spending money just looking at a static album cover on an 85" TV doesn't make much economic sense to me at all.
Or am I missing something?

Seems you mostly nailed it--some of us don't care about the electrical cost of doing it this way, and rather enjoy seeing it on the big screen.

However, I've stopped using it as it still needs to provide more information than it is at this time, like how much of the track remains. Additionally, upon my first attempt to use it, I found that it was locking everything to a resampled 48KHz when using it. I had to reboot the WiiM Ultra to restore track by track sample rate, but then the Apple TV app stopped working when I did that, and I have not bothered trying to get it back up since because I refuse to resample my music to 48KHz just to see the artwork on my TV.

-Ed

 

[jxrxme]

Just checked out the „public beta“ of the new Apple TV app.
While it looks promising I found this issue: When AirPlaying to the Amp or Pro+ the WiiM Home TV App doesn’t show any artwork (the WiiM Home Phone App does).

 

[WiiM Support]

Just checked out the „public beta“ of the new Apple TV app.
While it looks promising I found this issue: When AirPlaying to the Amp or Pro+ the WiiM Home TV App doesn’t show any artwork (the WiiM Home Phone App does).

Hi jxrxme, team

Support for AirPlay album art will be included in the next app update, targeted for release this weekend.
Stay tuned - more improvements are on the way!

 

[twamdotcom]

This will only work if both Apple TV and Wiim product are connected via wifi, will not work if products are connected to ethernet, and definitely best to have atv connected to ethernet for playing 4K content. App is also very basic. Would be better if it had more functionality, closer to the IOS app.

 

[Burnside]

This will only work if both Apple TV and Wiim product are connected via wifi, will not work if products are connected to ethernet, and definitely best to have atv connected to ethernet for playing 4K content. App is also very basic. Would be better if it had more functionality, closer to the IOS app.

WiFi or Ethernet won’t make a difference, and I believe you’re missing the initial point of this app - it’s to meet a demand for a display of the now playing screen on a tv, not to dispense with the mobile apps.