I set up a Google Nest speaker thing for a friend's parents (they were all Android users, so it seemed like the best fit). I connected it to their network, plugged it in, then said "Hey Google, turn on the TV" — their smart TV turned on. I said "Hey Google, play Cory Carson on Netflix", and it opened Netflix on the smart TV and started playing an episode of the kids' show

I was blown away because I had no idea what TV they had, how it was connected, and didn't do anything to set it up other than connecting the Google Nest speaker to their WiFi

I really wish my HomePod + AppleTV could do that! The best I get is "Hey Siri, turn on the living room TV" and even that only works by the grace of HDMI CEC (randomly, it will just turn on the AppleTV and will fail to turn on the TV)

The Google Nest speaker was able to turn on a random smart TV in the same room with zero setup, and not even a direct connection. Play specific shows and more. My HomePod + AppleTV can't do anything close to that

All that said, I refuse to allow any smart TV in my house to be connected to WiFi. So I doubt the Nest solution would work for me. It was just impressive to see it in action