HomePod mini as TV speakers
To use HomePod mini as TV speakers, does the Apple TV always have to be on?
Question marked as
Yes. The HomePods pair with the Apple TV, not your TV directly.
Anything not coming from the Apple TV box, will not be able to use the HomePods as speakers. That is if you watching something directly from the TV's apps, or a cable or satellite box, they cannot use the HomePods as there is no connection from the TV or the cable boxes to the HomePods.