Comparison between smart tv’s : Roku 4 vs Apple Tv (2015) vs Amazon Fire Tv (2015) vs Nvidia Shield Android Tv vs ChromeCast
Smart TVs and chrome cast have amused users with some very compelling features and UX. Every product has different capabilities and qualities and choosing one over the other can vary from person to person according to their needs and past experience with technologies.
Three main categories in smart TVs that attract users are:
- Apps and Services
- Remote
- Voice Feature
1. Apps and Services :
Apple TV now has app ecosystem via tvOS. If we are talking about apps and services, Roku is the first runner, while Amazon Fire TV being the second runner. Both offer a good number of applications with proper categories like news, weather, games, and so on. Nvidia Shield Android TV also has a strong selection through Android tv platform. But Android TV is still pale in comparison to Roku 4 and Amazon fire TV.
2. Remote :
Below are listed the feature of smart tv’s remote:
Roku 4 :
- Microphones for voice control
- Very handy headphone jack for private listening
- Adds motion control for some games
Fire TV:
- Microphones for voice control
- Doesn’t provide motion control
- Offers optional gamepad controller
Android TV :
- Microphone-equipped remote
- Microphone-equipped gamepad in the Shield
- Option for conventional remote
Apple TV :
It has everything that holds Roku 4, Amazon Fire TV & Android TV ( except headphone jack).
- It has motion control
- Microphone and touchpad
- No first-party gamepad
3. Voice Search :
Voice search system is available on Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku 4, and Android TV devices. All of them have remotes with built-in microphones.
The voice search feature of Smart TV, Android and Fire TV are relatively stronger. Roku 4 voice search is also able to find plenty of content but it is not as good as Android TV devices.
Now let’s have a brief introduction of Smart TV’s technical specifications and then we will move on to some pros and cons of these devices as per my personal experience.
Roku 4
Pros :
- Intuitive interface and easy setup
- 3000+ streaming channels that provide us 300,000+ movies & TV episodes
- Proper categorization of apps through channels
- Headphone jack in remote for private listening
- Game playback via motion control capabilities in remote
- Remote Finder
Cons :
- Doesn’t have internal storage
- Doesn’t have capabilities to stream content from computers
Verdict :
Roku has a rich number of applications for movies and episodes with proper categorization. It has a great user interface and a great remote. I really love the remote for its private listening feature and other multipurpose uses like for gaming.
Apple TV (2015)
Pros :
- Fourth Generation has Siri, App Store, and Third Party Controllers
- No batteries needed, remote has a charging connector
- Very familiar user interface for Apple users
- Apple 4th generation TV can be controlled by the Apple devices like iPad or IPhone.
- Can be controlled on the TV via WiFi
- Has internal storage
Cons :
- Doesn’t have a good amount of apps like Roku or Amazon
- Cannot search content across different applications
- Doesn’t have Android app to control Apple TV
Verdict :
It’s a great choice for Apple addicts. Personally, I really like it’s remote because of an excellent touch pad and great motion sensor capabilities. Its AirPlay feature is really cool as we can show our Mac screen to Apple TV.
Amazon Fire TV (2015)
Pros :
- Android control app also supports voice search
- Easy access to Amazon Cloud Drive
- FreeTime is a great way to engage children
- Voice search works well
- Motion control is also available
- Has the screen mirror capability for compatible devices
Cons :
- Voice search only works on Amazon content
- Doesn’t have web browser capabilities
- There is no control app for iOS, though it’s in the roadmap
- Android app’s virtual keyboard does not work properly in all applications
Verdict:
The amazon fire TV is an excellent choice for users who are Amazon Prime members. Kids love its FreeTime service a lot. It’s a good choice if you have small children.
Chromecast
Pros :
- Inexpensive
- Works on Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android
- Chrome browser mirroring is simple and effective
- Plug in and enjoy the chrome cast, no need for a separate box
- We can “cast” videos from the Chrome Web browser
Cons :
- Mandatory to have mobile devices or computer
- Our TV should have an HDMI port because it doesn’t support analog and digital audio outputs
- Wifi is the only medium for connection
Verdict :
Chome cast is the best suit for the users who uses their mobile device as a primary entertainment source. Easy to use it.
Roku 4 can stream content from a PC via the Roku Media Player app, and media server, which is built into windows media player, or there are many programs that can do this, along with most routers.