Apple and Roku have both announced their next-generation streaming boxes and as a result, fans will have a really hard time selecting among the two. Both of these devices should be quite competitive and choosing among them will definitely be a difficult task.
In case you are looking at specifications, the system in Roku is more suited for the casual online streamers. It has added support for both IOS and Android and on top of that, it comes with its special 4UHD category in the channel store through which users can select 4K channels only. In the meantime, the Apple TV is far more suited for the true Apple fans and users.
Apple made the Apple TV a central hub for its home based system. The Apple fans who are always online and basically use Apple HomeKit-supported gadgets should find that the new set top box from Apple is a great optimization for their devices while maximizing their potential as well.
When it comes to design, the Apple TV has a smaller footprint than the upcoming Roku 4. The dimensions for Apple TV are 3.9 x 3.9 x 1.4 inches while Roku 4 has dimensions of 6.5 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches. The difference may not be that great but if you are into hardcore comparisons, the Apple TV will occupy around 15.21inches of the user’s square room while the Roku 4 will occupy around three times as much.
In reality, the Apple TV seems to be more portable than the Roku 4. However, the new player compensates for it by providing a much better resolution compared to that of the Apple’s Box. Apple TV supports a full-HD display resolution of 1080p while Roku has the capability of streaming 4K content with up to maximum resolution of 3840x2160pixels.
The HomeKit Hub is one of the newest features of the Apple TV and this necessarily means that users with their smart appliances and devices can easily incorporate them into the home network while making user control as well as remote viewing more relevant.
At the same time, the all-new Siri Remote comes with a touchscreen, accelerometer and gyro that will definitely help you while playing games.
In comparison, the Roku 4 comes with a set of games that can be considered subpar when compared with other console specific platforms. However, the Roku 4 provides all-over support for Apple and Android, along with cross-platform functions, which sounds rather great.
The Roku 4 triumphs in the fact that it can handle 4K Ultra HD videos and support frame rates up to 60fps. This is quite an impressive feature right now. You will notice that most of the 4K TV sets can support 60fps due to the presence of an HDMI 2.0 port.
However, there aren’t any providers for 4K content beside YouTube which is recently offering 4K content at such stellar frame rates. The 4K content for Netflix and Amazon is presently delivered at 24fps but Netflix has made it clear that they wish to bump up their frame rate to 60fps and more.
Roku’s channel comes with hundreds of on-demand services but all of them are not available in the UK but it supports BBC iPlayer, 4oD, ITV Player and Demand 5 along with Google Play Movies & TV, Netflix, and Sky Store along with many others like TED TV, Revision 3, Crunchyroll and BBC sport.
You will also find applications for Plex and Dropbox that allow you to access and stream files stored in the cloud and network drives, directly to your TV. In the meantime, you will find services like BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Netflix and Google Play Movies and TV on Nvidia Shield. It is basically an Android TV-based device and quite compatible with Google Cast as well.