Upcoming 17.1 Software Brings Enhance Dialogue to Original HomePod and HomePod mini

Tuesday October 17, 2023 12:40 pm PDT by Juli Clover

With the HomePod software 17.1 update that is set to be released in the near future, Apple is bringing support for Enhance Dialogue to the ‌HomePod‌ mini and the original ‌HomePod‌.

AppleTV and HomePod Feature
Enhance Dialogue is a feature that is meant to boost the volume of spoken voices to make dialogue easier to hear over effects, action, and music in a movie or TV show. The feature works when a ‌HomePod‌ or ‌HomePod‌ mini is paired to an Apple TV and used as the audio output option.

Prior to now, Enhance Dialogue was available on the second-generation ‌HomePod‌, and it was a feature that was first introduced in tvOS 17. With tvOS 17.1 and ‌HomePod‌ software 17.1, Enhance Dialogue can be enabled on any ‌HomePod‌ (or set of HomePods) paired to an ‌Apple TV‌ 4K.

Enabling Enhance Dialogue can be done by playing a TV show or movie, bringing up the playback controls with the Siri Remote, and choosing the Enhance Dialogue feature from the Audio Options button. It can be enabled for all content by going to Settings > Video and Audio > Enhance Dialogue.

Apple today seeded the final beta version of the ‌HomePod‌ 17.1 software, and it should see a release as soon as next week alongside iOS 17.1 and tvOS 17.1.

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Top Rated Comments

G3Blue

39 months ago

For a few years I’ve always had subtitles turned on (this highlights another issue with subtitles missing words).

I have HomePod minis in stereo and this feature works great. I don’t have the courage to install beta software on my original HomePod.

Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

B/D

39 months ago

So why is this possible with "outdated" socs?

Good question. The story with 17.0 was that the feature was only available to the big second gen Homepod, because the processing of the audio mix to bring foward the speech was done by the speakers themselves in real time, and that process used some machine learning instructions set. This required a Bionic processor. The S7 chipset is based on the A13 Bionic, and therefore support this particular set of instructions, whereas the A8 does not.

Perhaps now, with 17.1, Apple have made the Apple TV 4K, not the Homepods, the device in charge to the processing of the audio mix, which would allow this feature to be available on the entire Homepod family.

Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

NervousFish2

39 months ago

Oh my god, this is cool!

Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Schnegg

39 months ago

I don‘t own Homepods, but this is great. Something needs to be done about these awful surround mixes with the loud effects and droned out dialogue.

Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

HobeSoundDarryl

39 months ago

Nothing beats a good center channel speaker for clear dialogue. Phantom centers like phantom overheads (ATMOS) or phantom surround speakers is not the same as actual centers, actual overheads or actual surrounds.

Those happy with stereo, enjoy this new feature. Those willing & able to go for true surround or true ATMOS, there is abundant offerings that can deliver that as fast as you want to move. Your ears will definitely notice.

That's not meant to put down HPs at all- they are great for what they are... which is NOT home theater speakers unless one defines home theater audio as stereo. A good Apple product or two budget will buy an incredible, true surround sound setup that will sound as good 10, 20 or 30 years from now as it sounds day 1. The "smarts" in the Apple devices you already own can make it work just like HPs do... except it will work with EVERYTHING that produces audio, including all streaming audio sources, anything pre-HDMI... and all to come that expands above current audio standards.

Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Jeaz

39 months ago

Just speculation. By the way, has this ever happened in the past or is it the first time ever?. I´m talking of Apple introducing a feature for a particular generation of devices, and then some time later making that same feature available to older devices via a software update . I find it curious.

Not that I can recall right now, although I have a nagging feeling it's happened before. Either way, it's very rare at least but I'm not complaining.
I was bummed before that this wasn't on the OG HomePods, but this feature alone was hardly enough to upgrade for. But very nice it's coming in 17.1. Looking forward to it!

Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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Upcoming 17.1 Software Brings Enhance Dialogue to Original HomePod and HomePod mini

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