Amazon Fire TV vs. Apple TV, Roku & Chromecast

Right now on the market there are four primary streaming media services with everyone comparing the Amazon Fire TV vs. Apple TV, Google Chromecast and Roku. Each has their own different aspects with some common similarities among several of them. If you’re struggling to decide which one is best for you, never fear. We’ve put together a brief and comprehensive overview of these four devices along with what you get to help you make the most bang for your buck. 

Amazon Fire TV ($99)

The Amazon Fire TV is a set-top media device, similar to the Apple TV in that you are using an external HDMI cable to hook it to a television set. It has a similar price point to the Apple TV as well, for $100 or less, and includes apps as the channels you can add to the device. It also features the ability to retrieve Amazon videos that have been purchased, music and photos that you store in your Amazon Cloud account. Below are the key features that make up this device:

– Instantly stream dozens of “channels,” such as Hulu Plus, Netflix, Amazon Streaming, ESPN, and many more. HBO Go is currently not among the listings, although Amazon does offer various HBO content through their video services.

– Free 30 day trial of Amazon Prime. Thousands of free movies and TV shows offered for Prime members to watch.

– Prime members have access to free streaming media service with over 1 million songs offered from a variety of artists in different genres.

– Features ability to play games downloaded from the Amazon site for free or purchase. Owners can play games using an additional game controller they purchase for over $30.

– Voice recognition remote that lets you vocalize your searches instead of typing them.

– Quad-core processor that boasts to offer 3x the speeds of Apple TV and Roku.

– Dedicated Adreno 320 graphics engine for clear picture

– 1080p HD display.

– Dolby Digiral Plus 7.1 sound.

– 2gb of memory (4x that of Apple TV and Chromecast)

Apple TV ($99+)

The Apple TV is priced just like the Amazon Fire TV at $99 or more and features built-in channels right on the device, so you won’t really need to add any yourself. Basically the channels on the device are what you will get. Among them are the popular listings such as Netflix, HBO Go, WatchESPN and more. You can also order TV shows and movies, play music from your iTunes collection and access photos from your albums.

While it doesn’t include a dedicated channel from Amazon, the Apple TV features the Airplay streaming feature which allows for sending Amazon video from an iPad, computer or many other devices. Below we’ll break down key features for this set-top streaming media device:

– AirPlay feature lets you connect and stream your Apple handheld devices and other devices with Apple TV

– 1080p HD display.

– Stream from multiple sources, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO GO, History Channel, etc.

– Compact size saves you space and prevents you from having to rearrange your media center.

– Very quiet and energy efficient. It uses about the same amount of energy as a nightlight.

– iCloud compatible, letting you access and use stored media such as music, videos and photos

Google Chromecast ($35)

The Google Chromecast is an inexpensive “dongle” device costing just $35. The streaming device looks a bit bigger than most USB jump drives, and plugs right into your television’s HDMI input. While it is among the least expensive on the devices here, it differs from the other three devices in that it really doesn’t have specific channels built into it. Instead, it is a device that you stream media to from a smartphone, tablet or computer, so you can watch it up on the television. Here’s the brief run down of key features:

– A dongle that works by plugging into a power source (USB or wall outlet) and into an available HDMI input on a television.

– Streams Netflix, Hulu Plus, Google Play Movies & TV, and many other services via apps on your various devices.

– Completely app based, there are no channels built into the device.

– Offers the lowest cost and simplest set-up of the streaming media devices. Very portable, but requires another device (smartphone, tablet, computer) to send it content.

Roku ($49.99+)

As it stands, many consumers might tell you that the Roku is their favorite streaming media device, and for good reason. At $49.99, it looks very similar to the Google Chromecast, although for $15 more it packs in quite a bit more. The Roku has over 100 channels available to watch streaming media content from including Netflix, HuluPlus, HBO Go, Amazon and WatchESPN. Here are the key features of the Roku Streaming stick, which is the newest Roku device available.

– Over 100 channels available for streaming.

– Easy set up: just connect to your TV and internet.

– Many different levels of devices to give you the exact experience you want or need.

– The Roku Streaming stick is smallest of the devices and similar to Chromecast in size/connection, but includes multiple built-in channels and a remote control.

– At $49.99 it is slightly more expensive than Chromecast, but half the price of Amazon TV or Apple Fire TV.

– The $49.99 streaming media stick is portable and easy to use in many locations with a TV and WiFi connectivity.

As you can see, the four main media streaming services all offer a few similarities, but also very different things. If you already have handheld devices, you can save some serious money with a Chromecast. If they are Apple devices and you have lots of content in the Apple clouds, the Apple TV is very convenient as they all interconnect and can share the iCloud. Roku is good if you don’t have devices and need a cheaper model. Amazon Fire TV offers the best of all worlds for Amazon fans and Prime Members. It can connect to your Amazon tablets (such as Kindle Fire) while also being an independent system with great specs.

Ultimately, it depends on what you want the most and what streaming media channels you rely on for your entertainment needs. If you want to save money, we recommend a Roku or Chromecast. If you want a whole experience, Apple TV and Fire TV both offer a lot for a fair price. All of these devices work depending on your situation.