Both Apple TV and Roku TV are streaming media devices very popular in the market, so it can be quite a tough decision, selecting one of the two options.
Though there are many other streaming boxes, these are the mainstream devices that can offer you streaming content on your television. They offer a lot of functionality at a cost of $100. Both the devices also receive software updates regularly.
Benefits of Apple TV
If you have invested heavily in the Apple system, it is better to opt for Apple TV, as it can offer you the best means of watching content on iTunes, on your big television screen. Apple also offers a lot of other important applications, such as HBO Go, along with WatchESPN; so it is no longer just a limited or closed selection of services from Apple. Another important feature of Apple TV is the AirPlay feature, whereby you can stream your favorite music and videos from iTunes or from an iOS device to the television. AirPlay also works for many other third party applications, like Pandora and Spotify.
Benefits of Roku TV
It has been noted that Roku TV gets new applications along with new services, at a much faster pace, when compared to Apple TV. Roku now has more than 750 channels. However, all the content may not be of a high quality, as much of it is only of a filler type of content. There are also other important services offered by Roku TV, which is absent in Apple TV, such as the Amazon Instant. The interface on Roku is also very much enhanced now and is quick on the hardware. The remote that is available with the integrated headphone jack is a great feature. It allows the user to stream content without disturbing others.
Enhanced Experience on Roku
Roku 3 was launched in the early part of 2013 and is a simple device. The interface has been redesigned. However, the experience is different within some applications, such as Amazon Instant and on HBO Go, compared to the other platforms. The contents on Roku have always been the highlighting points, as Roku offers Netflix and Hulu Plus along with HBO Go, NHL GameCenter, Crackle Radio, TED Talks, CNET, Amazon Instant and many others. Content is also being continually added to Roku TV and it offers many live television options, such as Aero and the Time Warner Cable application. The box has a good design and the remote is an outstanding feature.
Roku also offers a cross platform search feature, where you just need to type in some characters and the device checks it out in the major services, for the content you are looking for. The major disadvantage is that YouTube is not available and is not likely to come any time soon as well.
Apple TV – Best Streaming Video Box
Though it started out as a clunky box, there have been constant updates to the device and it is no longer just a glorified player for Netflix. The complaint against Apple TV was that there is only a limited option of services; but the recent additions, such as HBO Go make this complaint invalid. All major services, such as Netflix, YouTube and Hulu Plus or MLB.TV are available, though Amazon Instant is missing. Apple TV also offers iTunes with plenty of movies and television shows and its presentation is the best, as it also offers scores from Rotten Tomatoes and other information about the product. All purchases from iTunes are also stored in the cloud, so it makes it very easy to stream anything that you have purchased, again and again. AirPlay is also a great killer feature and it is easy to stream Pandora using an iOS device.
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