You could achieve roughly the same effect with an iOS device, an Apple TV and
the AirPlay protocol.
In addition to being DLNA 1.5 certified, it's compatible with Apple's
AirPlay protocol, so it can support wireless music streaming from a Mac, iPod, iPad, or iPhone (although you'll also need Pioneer's Wi - Fi adapter unless you have a hardwired Ethernet port nearby).
Previously, with
the AirPlay protocol, you could only stream to one AirPlay speaker at a time.
Apple AirPlay 2 is the latest version of
the AirPlay protocol.
I want to reiterate, because I've seen a number of people passing around conflicting information: You can stream any audio (including anything from your iTunes library on your Mac) to HomePod via the original
AirPlay protocol.
Not exact matches
Two HomePods will be able to work together as a stereo pair for an even richer sound, and with multiple HomePods in different rooms in a home, the new
AirPlay 2
protocol can be used to control audio in every area of the house, although Apple says these features will launch later in 2018 through a software update.
Because it's all about screen mirroring and doesn't have the «smarts» you see in
protocols like
AirPlay and Chromecast, which can hand - off streaming to another device and display a different interface on one device's screen, Miracast can best be thought of like a wireless HDMI cable.
Check out our comparison of
AirPlay, Miracast, WiDi, Chromecast, and DLNA to understand the differences between all these different
protocols.
There is also support for
AirPlay 2, a connectivity
protocol introduced with the HomePod and arriving later in 2017.
Best of all, with Wi - Fi enabled speakers like the Cube, you have the ability to use network
protocols such as Apple's
AirPlay and DLNA, so that you can stream music from your computer or music server.
Miracast could be a good solution for replacing HDMI cables with a wireless
protocol, but it's inconvenient for many of the things people use Chromecast and
AirPlay for in the living room.
More robust
AirPlay 2 support is also provided in a limited fashion, where devices running iOS 11.3 beta can stream content to the Apple TV using the
protocol, with more robust support expected in future updates.
The Roku stick also lacks
AirPlay, the streaming
protocol that the Apple TV (see below) uses.
Bluetooth connectivity hasn't been announced yet, but we know that the speaker will employ the
AirPlay 2
protocol for multi-room speaker setups.
AirPlay is one of the oldest and most reliable screen - mirroring
protocols.
Once installed, it adds support for features like multi-room audio and better handling of buffering whilst the media is being beamed from device - to - device using the
AirPlay 2
protocol.
iLounge reports that the
AirPlay 2 wireless streaming
protocol, as introduced last year, is now being tested with Apple TV on the tvOS 11.4 beta.
It's likely that this is the beginning of Apple's plans to slowly reintroduce
AirPlay 2 and offer support for additional devices when the
protocol is pushed out in an official capacity.
AirPlay is Apple's proprietary wireless streaming
protocol that lets you instantly share audio or video between your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and an Apple TV or another
AirPlay - enabled device.
When
AirPlay 2 launches, you'll be able to stream that audio to multiple
AirPlay - compatible speakers, but the
AirPlay 2
protocol is not required to stream audio from your Mac or other sources.
Sonos» new voice - activated Sonos One smart speaker will work with Amazon's Alexa assistant when it ships later this month, and will add support for Apple's new
AirPlay 2 streaming
protocol next year.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is that
AirPlay itself has a bit of a lag since it's a wireless
protocol.
But if you want another music app on the HomePod, you'll have to first send its audio from one of your iOS devices using
AirPlay 2, an update to Apple's wireless streaming
protocol that debuts with iOS 11 and macOS High Sierra this fall.
You can also take advantage of the traditional streaming
protocols such as
AirPlay and DLNA 1.5 or services such as Internet Radio, Pandora, Spotify Connect, SiriusXM.
You can use it with any app or source you like, as long as that source can beam to
AirPlay, Apple's proprietary wireless streaming
protocol.
HomePod also supports
AirPlay 2, an updated version of Apple's media - streaming
protocol that supports multiroom audio.
In addition, Linkplay enables devices to stream from media providers such as iHeartRadio, Spotify and Amazon Music, or enable
AirPlay, Spotify Connect and other various
protocols.
Apple Music now lets you play music in multiple rooms through different speakers, thanks to the new
AirPlay 2
protocol.
Once connected, it supports
AirPlay for iOS devices, and DLNA for all devices that can stream media using that
protocol.
Away from Maps and towards music, Apple has a new
AirPlay 2
protocol.
It will support the new
AirPlay 2
protocol that allows for multi-room audio with connected speakers, as well as a setting to allow for automatic switching between light and dark interface modes and syncing Apple TV Home screens between Apple TVs connected to the same iCloud account.
Apple revealed its new
AirPlay 2
protocol with support for multi-room audio during its WWDC 2017 keynote, noting that the Apple TV is set to be the first device to support the new
protocol, though the
protocol isn't featured in the first release of tvOS 11's beta.
While Apple Music & Podcasts and iTunes purchases & Match can be played natively on HomePod, everything else requires
AirPlay — Apple's streaming audio and video
protocol.
HomePod supports
AirPlay 2, Apple's wireless streaming
protocol.
It's a vast improvement on something that's been bugging us for months, and it's also good news for automated - home fans, who can benefit from iOS 11's new
AirPlay 2
protocol and multi-room audio.
There are also workarounds, such as using
AirPlay, Apple's screen mirroring
protocol, to stream those services from a Mac, iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.