With one or more autumnal Apple result on the horizon we turn our persuasion not only to what Cupertino has in mind for the iPhone and iPad , but the direction the next propagation Apple TV might take . We ’ve already issue some idea on what a next Apple TV might be in compliments to acontent delivery systemas well as aHomeKit hub , but as much fun as it is to act guessing games with Apple ’s engineers , it ’s also worthwhile to stop and appreciate what advantage the Apple TV offers now over another set top boxwood such as the Roku 3 . While I have each gadget , I see areas where the Apple TV outpace the other .
AirPlay
Although the Apple TV offers solid sound ( sometimes substantial 5.1 environment phone , depending on the source content ) via its HDMI or Optical Audio port , you ’re not confined to playing auditory sensation through the system wired to it . With Apple ’s AirPlay applied science built in , you’re able to stream its audio to any AirPlay - compatible twist ( though , unfortunately , not to multiple devices ) .
Today ’s Apple TVs also have the ability to mirror the port of recent iOS devices and Macs . This can be a great elbow room to play Io or Mac game on the big screen as well as any media these devices hold ( admit slideshows ) . But it ’s a business - friendly feature article as well . With an Apple TV in hand and access code to a wireless web , you may place up a presentation broadcast from your iPad to the company HDTV in a matter of minutes .
With AirPlay you could mirror your Mac ’s or iOS twist ’s screen to an Apple TV .
Intimate relations with iTunes and iTunes Match
If you want to meet iTunes media the Apple TV makes it easy . only log into your iTunes invoice when setting up the Apple TV , displace up your computer ’s transcript of iTunes on the same web used by the Apple TV , and you’re able to play not only the music , video , and podcasts stored in your iTunes library , but also stream purchased ( or free ) content from the iTunes Store .
Roku supports the powerfulPlex medium serverand with it you could play a good deal of the media in your iTunes subroutine library ( and elsewhere ) . However , it ’s more complicated to set up than the Apple TV / iTunes relationship and it ca n’t play iTunes protected medium .
Content
give the over thousand ( and growing ) channels pop the question by Roku it ’s hard to claim that Apple ’s excerpt of 30 - plus channels are in any elbow room free-enterprise . However , you could make the case that when Apple adds a distribution channel , it ’s a worthwhile one . Who could complain about the inclusion of Netflix , Hulu Plus , HBO Go , Showtime , MLB.TV , YouTube , and Vimeo ? Roku offer a ton of channels , but a lot of them are n’t worth install , much less observation .
The Apple TV may not have the most channels , but the ace it has are solid .
That read , the lack of Amazon Prime and Pandora on the Apple TV is a glary omission ( though understandable given they compete with iTunes ) .
Interface advantages
As much as people complain about the Apple TV ’s home screen becoming cluttered with the addition of new channels ( though you’re able to hide them singly ) , I favour the one - screen approach to Roku ’s indolent - Susan carousel .
Other Apple content
Apple ’s controller over the whole experience — from hardware to software system to depicted object — can be limiting in some way , it does reserve the company to push experience it controls to twist it owns . In regard to the Apple TV this means Apple can propose its owing iTunes Festival concert to Apple TV owners for free . And if you ’re concerned in every move Apple makes , you may tune up into its keynote presentation and press events as they happen .
You wo n’t get iTunes Festival on your Roku box .
Yes , we maintain our hope that Apple will do far more with the Apple TV — add television channel , spread out an App Store so we can toy game on it , use it to control the wise devices in our plate — but in the meantime , it ’s not a bad piddling boxwood for piece of work and act .
