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Apple TV

Apple TV can play an important role in a smart home as a central point for HomeKit and Matter protocols. With Apple TV, you can control smart devices both from the local network and remotely over the internet.

Additionally, there is a HomeKit integration into Home Assistant, which allows you to control devices connected to Home Assistant – for example, via Zigbee – using the Home app, and vice versa, control HomeKit devices connected via Apple TV in Home Assistant.

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Apple TV 4K 2022 128GB

Apple TV 4K 2022 128GB

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Why buy Apple TV if you already have a SmartHome?​

  1. Apple Ecosystem - If you already use Apple products like MacBook, iPhone, or iPad, Apple TV will allow easier synchronization and collaboration with these devices.

    For example, the AirPlay feature allows you to share content from your iPhone or Mac to the TV. Although this feature is now part of many smart TVs, Apple's implementation is often smoother and offers lower latency compared to alternatives like Samsung.

  2. Quality User Interface - Smart TV manufacturers invest in developing interfaces to cater to a wide range of users, but they often include services and ads that are not always desirable.

    Apple TV offers a clean, simple interface without unwanted content. You can organize everything on the home screen according to your needs and preferences.

    iOS 18

    Additionally, Apple provides long-term software update support, which is an advantage over smart TVs that are often quickly abandoned by the manufacturer.

  3. Apps and Games - On Apple TV, you are more likely to find the apps you are actually looking for. For example, the F1.TV streaming platform is not available on some smart TVs like Samsung TV, but you can find it on Apple TV.

    On the other hand, some apps like Nvidia GeForce Now are available on Samsung TVs but not on Apple TV.

    By combining both worlds, you get the widest range of options.

  4. Performance - Apple TV is equipped with a powerful processor that ensures smoother operation and faster response compared to some TV operating systems like Tizen. This advantage is especially noticeable when switching between apps.

  5. Privacy and Security - Apple is known for its emphasis on protecting personal data. Unlike some other platforms, Apple does not collect and sell user behavior data to advertisers, which can be a key factor for some users.

  6. Smart Home Hub for HomeKit - While smart TVs usually just connect to a smart home, Apple TV can serve as a central point for pairing and managing smart devices using HomeKit/Matter protocols (supports WiFi, Bluetooth, and now also Thread).

tvOS 18​

The latest version of the operating system for Apple TV follows the same numbering as the OS for iPhone/iPad and is numbered 18.

In addition to improvements related to Apple's services and products, the Home app has been significantly improved. New screensavers have also been added.

iOS 18 - news

A highlight in tvOS 18 is the ability to find the physical remote control for Apple TV if it gets lost using your iPhone.

iOS 18 - search remote controller

Integrating Apple TV into HA​

  1. Adding the Apple TV Integration:

    • Automatically - if Apple TV is on the same network as Home Assistant, it should be found automatically using the auto-discovery feature and you will find it in the Integrations section under Discovered.

    • Manually:

      • Go to the Settings -> Devices & Services menu and make sure you are on the Integrations tab.
      • Click on Add Integration and search for Apple TV.

      or click on:

      Open your Home Assistant instance and start setting up a new integration.

  2. Setting up Apple TV: Click on the setup button and if everything is fine, you should see the Success! screen, where you can also set the area where the device is located.

  3. New Entities:

    You should now have two new entities available:

    • The first is of type media_player, which can be used, for example, in the media-control UI.

    • The second is of type remote, which serves as a virtual remote control for Apple TV.

HA - AppleTV integration

Services​

Playing Videos​

By calling the media_player.play_media service, you can start playing a video on one of the popular streaming platforms.

To start a specific title, you will need so-called deep links, which you can find directly on the streaming platform.

Example for YouTube​

# Open a specific YouTube video:
action: media_player.play_media
data:
  media_content_type: url
  media_content_id: youtube://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
target:
  entity_id: media_player.living_room_apple_tv

The easiest way to find useful deep links is to use the "Share" feature in the iOS or macOS versions of the app.

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