- Understanding Internet Streaming Video
- Watching Amazon Fire TV
- Watching Apple TV
- Watching Google Chromecast
- Watching Roku
- Comparing Streaming Media Players
- Optimizing Streaming Media Playback
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Comparing Streaming Media Players
So, which of the four major streaming media players is right for you: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, or Roku? They all work in a similar fashion but have their own unique pros and cons. It’s likely that any one of these four devices will do the job for you, but there are things that might sway you toward one or the other.
Comparing Features
Table 6.5 compares the important features for the major streaming media players.
Table 6.5 Comparing Streaming Media Players
|
Amazon Fire TV |
Apple TV |
Google Chromecast |
Roku |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Stick format |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Set-top box |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Voice-activated remote |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes (some models) |
Amazon Alexa voice control |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Google Assistant voice control |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
1080p HD |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
4K Ultra HD and HDR |
Yes (Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Cube only) |
Yes (4K model only) |
Yes (Chromecast Ultra only) |
Yes (Premiere, Premiere+, Streaming Stick+, Ultra only) |
Dolby Atmos sound |
Yes (Fire TV Stick 4K, Fire TV Cube only) |
Yes |
No |
Yes (Streaming Stick+, Premiere, Premiere+, and Ultra only) |
Wi-Fi connection |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Ethernet connection |
Fire TV Cube only |
Yes |
Chromecast Ultra only |
Roku Ultra only |
Smartphone app |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
App store for new apps |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Amazon Prime Video and store |
Yes |
Yes |
No* |
Yes |
Hulu |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
iTunes Store |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
Netflix |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
YouTube |
No* |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Website |
||||
Price (USD) |
$39.99”$119.99 |
$149”$199 |
$35-$69 |
$29.99”$99.99 |
Making a Choice
In many ways choosing a streaming media player comes down to what services/apps are available on each—which is where we get down to the peculiarities of each streaming system. Yes, Hulu and Netflix are available on all four devices, but they’re not the only streaming services you might want to watch.
Knowing that Amazon and Google are bitter competitors, for example, you quickly realize that you won’t find apps for Google services, such as YouTube, on Amazon Fire TV devices. Nor, for that matter, will you find Amazon services, such as Amazon Prime Video, on Google Chromecast devices. It’s just not gonna happen.
This is why many users choose Roku devices. Roku doesn’t have a horse in the content race, and thus makes both Amazon and Google (YouTube) services available on all of its devices. Roku players provide access to just about everything; Amazon and Google devices, not quite so much.
Then there’s Apple. The Apple TV player is a fine device, and it provides access to content from both Amazon and Google. However, it’s much higher priced than competing devices; you can buy three or four Fire TV or Roku players for the price of one Apple TV box. If you’re heavily invested in the Apple infrastructure (that is, you have an iPhone and an iPad and maybe even a Mac computer), then Apple TV fits right in without a lot of manual configuration necessary, and you can share media among all of those devices. But if you’re not a heavy Apple user, you get similar functionality from a Fire TV or Roku player at a considerably lower cost.
Finally, consider the quality of the content you want to stream. If you have a brand-spanking-new 4K Ultra HD TV with HDR, you want a player that can stream 4K Ultra HD HDR content. That automatically shifts you into higher-end models from Amazon, Apple, and Roku; lower-cost models are regular old HD only. (The situation is similar if you want Dolby Atmos sound, which is supported only by higher-end Amazon, Apple, and Roku devices.)