List: TVs with Airplay 2, iTunes app & HomeKit

10 Jan 2019 | Rasmus Larsen |

Samsung was first to announce but LG, Sony and Vizio are also onboard. iTunes, Airplay 2, and HomeKit will come to TVs soon – but no single TV will get all three.

iTunes app only on Samsung TVs

One of the biggest surprises at CES 2019 was an Apple announcement. The company is partnering with leading TV manufacturers to bring iTunes, Airplay 2, and HomeKit to TVs.

Samsung was the first partner to announce but as CES 2019 was getting up to speed it became clear that other major TV brands were joining, too. The initiative covers three features, specifically an iTunes app, Airplay 2 (including Siri via iOS devices), and HomeKit.

iTunes app Samsung TV

No single TV will offer all three features at launch. Samsung will support Airplay 2 and be the only brand to offer the iTunes app but Samsung does not support HomeKit. At CES 2019, Samsung was showcasing TVs with an iTunes icon in the bottom menu but the app was not functional yet. it gave us a ”coming soon” when we tried to launch it.

Airplay 2 and HomeKit in TVs

TVs from LG, Sony and Vizio will support Airplay 2 and HomeKit. It will be possible to play an iTunes movie to the TV via Airplay 2 in up to 4K Dolby Vision.

TVs with Airplay 2 can be included in multi-room music setups, too. The Apple TV box supports wireless TV audio output to Airplay-enabled speakers but this feature is not supported on the TVs announced at CES. Siri on iOS devices and HomePod can also control TVs with Airplay 2 but Apple points out that some Siri features require HomeKit.

Vizio Airplay 2

Apple HomeKit will enable users to include their TVs in the connected home. For example, it will be possible to create a scene called ”movie night” that turns on the TV and dims the lights with a single Siri command. The other devices will also need to support HomeKit.

Airplay 2 & HomeKit TV

Apple has published a list of TV models that will be compatible with Airplay 2 but there is still no official list for HomeKit-enabled TVs (most likely the same TV models with the exception of Samsung’s).

Airplay 2: Confirmed TV models

LG OLED (2019) LG NanoCell SM9X series (2019) LG NanoCell SM8X series (2019) LG UHD UM7X series (2019) Samsung QLED Series (2019 and 2018) Samsung 8 Series (2019 and 2018) Samsung 7 Series (2019 and 2018) Samsung 6 Series (2019 and 2018) Samsung 5 Series (2019 and 2018) Samsung 4 Series (2019 and 2018) Sony Z9G Series (2019) Sony A9G Series (2019) Sony X950G Series (2019) Sony X850G Series (2019 85", 75", 65" and 55" models) Vizio 2016 SmartCast TVs Vizio P-Series Quantum (2019 and 2018) Vizio P-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017) Vizio M-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017) Vizio E-Series (2019, 2018 and 2017) Vizio D-series (2019, 2018 and 2017)