Comparing Apple's 4th-gen Apple TV with the competition

There's a new Apple TV coming in October, but before plunking down any hard-earned money, it's worth comparing it with other options out there like Amazon, Google, and Roku — and even the older third-gen Apple TV.

Apple TV (3rd-Gen)

Serving as our baseline, the current Apple TV ($69) streams media from iTunes or the iTunes Store, and offers AirPlay support for pushing music, photos, video, and games from other Apple devices. People who have HomeKit accessories can use the hardware as a remote hub for control away from the house.

The device's interface is still visually slick, if somewhat cumbersome, even when using an iOS device as a touch remote. That's partly because it depends on a cluttered icon interface for browsing services, and every option is displayed by default. Unwanted apps have to be hidden manually.

An iOS device might as well be a requirement. The bundled remote is button-based yet lacks any kind of keyboard, and typing with the product's onscreen keyboard is masochistic.

Thanks to Apple's popularity and financial muscle, there's no shortage of third-party apps on offer — with some major exceptions though, like Amazon, Google Play, and Sling TV. People with an investment in any of those companies should probably look elsewhere. These also aren't "true" apps — Apple has to push them out itself, and you won't be playing any games or using custom media interfaces like Plex.

Exclusivity may be the true deal-killer for some people. Aside from missing some services, the third-gen Apple TV effectively locks people into the Apple ecosystem, one way or another. There are no direct rental options outside of iTunes, for instance, and there's no support for Miracast or Google Cast.

The device might still be worth it in the short-term, but Apple seems poised to abandon support in the next year. The wiser decision may be to spend on hardware that's a little more future-proof.

Apple TV (4th-Gen)

The Apple TV's new incarnation is an improvement in virtually every area. Just on a raw specs level, the device has an A8 processor, and 32 ($149) or 64 ($199) gigabytes of storage.

The set-top's revised interface, dubbed tvOS, is similar to its predecessor on the surface, but has two major improvements. The first of these is Siri support, which — assuming it works as advertised — should make it easier to jump straight to a video, or discover options with vague criteria like "show me movies by Stanley Kubrick" or "find me some funny TV shows." Siri can also be used to control playback, and check things like weather and sports scores.

The second improvement is an App Store with full-fledged apps similar to those for iOS, including games. Perhaps more importantly, the platform should allow a wider and more impressive range of streaming options, including previously unsupported interfaces like Plex. In a somewhat surprising concession to the popularity of Roku, search results include not just iTunes, but any service with an installed app.

Guiding everything is a controller dubbed the Siri Remote, which also has motion sensors — primarily for games — and replaces four-way direction buttons with a touchpad.

These changes would seemingly make the new Apple TV an obvious choice for Apple fans, especially as the only set-top with Apple Music compatibility. It's the most expensive device on this list though, and highly Apple-centric, which could be a problem for households that have a mixed assortment of services and devices.

Roku

The complicated thing about the Roku platform is that there isn't just one device, but many, ranging from the Streaming Stick ($50) to the Roku 3 ($90) and even some TVs. All of them, though, share the same basic approach to content, which is their key selling point.

Whereas even the new Apple TV puts Apple content first and foremost, Rokus are completely agnostic. If it's not from Apple — which is known for shunning other platforms — your service is probably here. This includes not just Amazon, Google, and Sling, but options like Pandora, Spotify, Vudu, Crackle, and Plex. There are well over a thousand choices, even if many of them can be ignored.

Start hunting for a video according to title, actor, or director, and the interface will highlight the same content across multiple services, rental and purchase prices included. With the Roku 3 it's possible to search via voice, though its options aren't as complex as Siri's.

The Roku 3's remote is both better and worse than that of the fourth-gen Apple TV. On the downside: while it does have motion sensors and can be used to play games, it has arrow buttons in place of a touchpad, and gaming is not a strong suit. It compensates by having features like a headphone jack for private listening, and more built-in playback and shortcut buttons.

People who aren't satisfied with their remote can download a separate Roku app for iOS, Android, or Windows Phone. Modern Roku devices are compatible with Miracast/Google Cast, and the Roku 2 and 3 both have USB and microSD slots for external media.

For the person who wants to be platform-independent and doesn't terribly care about high-end apps, a Roku 2 ($70) or Roku 3 may great choices, at least until we see how tvOS develops. The Streaming Stick should be ignored due to long load times.

Chromecast

The Chromecast, by Google, has one key selling point: price. At $35, sometimes less, it's possible to pick up two of them for the price of a Roku 2, or four or five for the cost of a new Apple TV, which is good for multi-screen households.

To manage this though, the Chromecast completely omits a remote. Instead users have to control things from supported iOS and Android apps, or cast tabs from the Mac, Windows, or Chrome OS editions of Google's Chrome browser.

For the most part, this works well. App interfaces can often be simpler to navigate, and a large number of companies have thrown their weight behind the platform, the biggest holdouts being Spotify and of course Apple. The ability to cast Chrome tabs can be helpful for work presentations, and as a way of playing Web content that isn't officially supported.

The Chromecast isn't always reliable, however. Streams can be flaky without a strong Wi-Fi signal, and since apps aren't standardized, their quality can vary drastically. The YouTube app supports voice search and a multi-user video queue for example, but neither of those functions are present in Netflix. Even when things are puttering along, apps can periodically lose their connections and force users to reconnect to regain control.

The Chromecast is not, therefore, the best lean-back device. It works well enough, but people who don't keep a phone or tablet with them at all times will want to look elsewhere. That's a dwindling number, yet there's something to be said for dedicated devices and remotes.

Something to be aware of is that Google is rumored to be launching a second-generation Chromecast by the end of September, with features like better Wi-Fi, faster, more seamless casting, and audio-only options. Spotify could simultaneously announce long-awaited Cast support.

Amazon Fire TV

Much as Apple fans are likely to gravitate towards an Apple TV, the Fire TV is a natural jumping off point for people with an Amazon Prime subscription. There are plenty of services on offer, but it leans heavily toward Prime Video and Prime Music content.

One factor that may draw in people anyway: 4K support. The new top-end Fire TV model ($100), shipping in October, will be the only major streaming device to offer it, so if you have a 4K TV set, your decision may have already been made.

Some other perks of the unit include USB and microSD expansion, and the addition of Alexa, Amazon's answer to Siri. A special Gaming Edition ($140) bundles in a gamepad, two games, and a 32-gigabyte microSD card. For the moment, Amazon has the best set-top game selection and the only first-party game controller — this is excluding dedicated consoles like the Xbox One and PS4, of course, which are far superior to anything in this article but cost $200 to $300 more.

The Fire TV should also support Google Cast, and features like separate profiles for kids, listening on Bluetooth headphones, and the ability to connect to Wi-Fi networks that require Web authentication.

The company's Fire TV Stick ($50) has also been updated with Alexa and should be faster than the Roku Streaming Stick, but it's likely worth spending an extra $50 for 4K.

Conclusions

Ultimately, all of four platforms have their own appeal. The Chromecast is a good bulk or budget option, while the Fire TV is essential for 4K. The new Apple TV may eventually prove the most versatile thanks to its app catalog, but the Roku 3 is the safest bet for watching what you want, when you want it — for now.

In many ways, the playing field for fall 2015 is actually relatively level, assuming your interest is just in music, movies, and TV. The "winner" may depend on factors like whether app developers rally behind tvOS, and just how important 4K or price is.