Features
Michael Grothaus
13:38, 6 Mar 2014
Apple TV is great. But if you don't like Apple you have plenty of other options...
In the last year my Apple TV has slowly become one of Apple’s products that I use with increasing frequency. Matter of fact, now I usually have it onscreen for longer than I do my regular freeview and cable channels. Part of that reason is because, besides BBC news, I don’t watch a lot of live TV; but another part has to do with the fact that Apple TV’s channels are expanding all the time.
I now have access not only to all my content I’ve purchased in the iTunes store, I’ve also got access to Netflix, Sky News, HBO Go, Hulu, ESPN, YouTube, Vimeo, The Weather Channel, and more (still no iPlayer, though).
Another huge plus of the Apple TV is the ability to AirPlay with it from any compatible Mac, iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. This means I can stream most media from any of those devices to my Apple TV, or indeed, mirror the entire display of any of those devices to the Apple TV.
But what if you aren’t a user of the Apple ecosystem? Instead of a Mac and iPhone, you have a Windows PC and Android phone. While the Apple TV can still make a great accessory to have in the home for those users, there are some alternatives that may make more sense for you.
Roku 3 
The Roku 3 is probably by far the best choice for anyone outside of Apple’s ecosystem. Matter of fact, by some accounts, the Roku 3 is the most popular digital media player on the market with a 37% share (compared to Apple’s 24% share).
So what makes the Roku 3 so good? Content. Where the Apple TV has 40 channels, the Roku 3 has over 1000. No, that’s not an extra zero. There are over a thousand channels you can get on the Roku 3. The Roku 3 offers so many channels they all don’t appear by default. The company has helpfully built in a channel store that allows you to add your favorites to Roku’s home screen for easy access.
Given the number of channels it’s no surprise Roku 3 is pimped out for the UK market. Unlike the Apple TV, which offers one UK-specific channel (Sky News), the Roku 3 gives you BBC iPlayer, Demand 5, NOW TV, Sky Sports, and more. That’s not to mention the hundreds of other channels like Netflix, Fox, TMZ, Disney, Flixster, Amazon Instant Video, and, well, the list goes on.
Besides content, other goodies about Roku 3 include both Android and iOS apps to remotely control it over your Wi-Fi network, including the ability to stream videos, music, and photos from those apps to the Roku (but unlike with the Apple TV, you can’t mirror the screen), full 1080p support, and a clever remote that has a built-in headphone jack so you can listen to the Roku without disturbing someone who might be sitting by you reading a book on the couch.
The Roku remote is nowhere near as slim and sexy as the Apple TV remote, but it does double as something else – a game pad. That’s because the Roku 3 is also a basic gaming console. Angry Birds is included for free. I know – could this thing do any more?
Who it’s best for: Everyone – or at least everyone who is outside of the Apple ecosystem – or even inside it, but don’t need AirPlay mirroring. The Roku 3 rocks.
Price: £89.00
Check out our Roku 3 review.
Chromecast
Google’s Chromecast has gotten a lot of attention over the last few months for its diminutive design. It basically looks like a small USB memory stick; except it’s got an HDMI port on the end instead, which allows you to simply plug it into the back of your TV. To power the Chromecast, you’ll also need to plug it into your TV’s USB port with the included cable, or a USB power outlet will do as well.
But for what the Chromecast makes up in size, it lacks in content. It actually offers fewer channels than the Apple TV’s forty offerings. The channels the Chromecast does offer – Google Play, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Netflix, Pandora, Vevo, YouTube, among others – are decent, yet the lack of content is a let down.
Where Chromecast really shines is in its mirroring and streaming abilities. The Chromecast works with most Android phones and tablets, and also the iPhone and iPad, and allows you to stream video from a number of apps right onto your TV via the Chromecast. But what really sets it apart from the Roku 3, and brings it closer to the Apple TV side of things, is its ability to mirror a Chrome browser tab from your Mac or PC to your TV – anything you can see in Chrome you can now project onto your TV with just the click of a button. And given that the Chrome browser also supports apps and games, the Chromecast could be considered a very, very basic gaming console.
It should also be mentioned that Chromecast has an experimental feature that allows you to mirror your entire Mac or PC screen, but at this time it doesn’t work that well.
Who it’s best for: People who love the Chrome browser. People who want a cheap way to get Netflix on their TV or turn their TV into a presentation monitor in meetings.
Price: $35.00 (US-only for now)
Check out our Chromecast review.
WD TV Play
If all you want to do is stream video content from various channels, the WD TV Play by Western Digital is an alright choice. It’s got a decent selection of channels, including Netflix, BBC iPlayer, YouTube, Vimeo, XOS College Sports, Spotify, Facebook, and more. However there’s not much streaming content available beyond those channels, so I’d opt for the Roku 3 over this.
The area the WD TV Play really shines – and that makes this device so appealing to some – is that it has a USB port that you can plug a memory stick into and load up local files right on your device. And boy, does this thing support a myriad array of file types! Check them out: AVI (Xvid, AVC, MPEG4, VC-1), MKV (h.264, x.264, AVC, MPEG4, VC-1), TS/TP/M2T/M2TS (MPEG4, AVC, VC-1), MP4/MOV (MPEG4, AVC), WMV9, FLV (AVC), JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, PNG, MP3, WAV/PCM/LPCM, WMA, AAC, FLAC, MKA, AIF/AIFF, OGG, Dolby TrueHD, PLS, M3U, WPL, M3U8, XML, CUE.
It even support subtitle files (!) like these: SRT, ASS, SSA, SUB, SMI, MKV (embedded sub).
Okay, I’m not pointing any fingers, but if you’re the type of person who maybe, sorta, kinda, downloads movies illegally from time to time, the WD TV Play is for you. There is no easier way to get that crappy CAM version of 300: Rise of an Empire from your hard drive to your TV.
Another nice thing about the WD TV Play is that is supports networked drives, so you don’t even need to plug in a USB stick to watch your pirated movies. It also includes a remote, and, thankfully, offers both Android and iOS apps, which function as remotes as well.
Who it’s best for: Pirates. And not the “Arrgh! Ye, matey!” kind.
Price: Around £60.00
Android TV Stick
I know, what’s an Android TV Stick, right? It’s not something officially sanctioned by Google and it’s not something most people are going to want to mess with. Android TV Sticks are made by third party vendors and are basically an Android phone without the ability to make calls and have no touchscreen.
Android TV Stick looks like a USB memory stick but it has an HDMI port on the end. Plug it into your TV’s HDMI port (and a USB port as well to power it) and you’ll have Android running on your TV. To interact with it you’ll need a Wi-Fi mouse and keyboard. Given that Android was made for smartphones with touch screens and gyroscopes and accelerometers, navigating the OS on an Android TV Stick can be quite tricky.
The big benefit of putting up with navigation headaches is your TV is now an Android device. Surf the web, send emails, and download any app and game you want from the Play store. That means you’ll have Netflix and Amazon Instant and any other video streaming app made for Android right on your TV. Some Android TV Sticks even offer gamepad support, turning the stick into a mini games console.
Who it’s best for: Hackers and Android fanatics. People who want a seamless digital media player experience should stay away.
Price: Between £50.00 and £100.00 depending on the vendor.
Roku Streaming Stick
Just this week Roku announced a new product: the Roku Streaming Stick. While it’s too early to pass any judgments on it now – it doesn’t ship until April – the Roku Streaming Stick is clearly aimed at taking on Google’s Chromecast. And from the looks of it, it’s going to succeed.
The Roku Streaming Stick is basically a shrunken down version of the Roku 3 without the ability to play games. Besides that, it still offers over 1000 channels of content in 1080p, comes with a remote control, and supports Android and iOS devices with a dedicated remote app. The Roku Streaming Stick does have the unfortunate side effect – like all HDMI sticks – of needing to be plugged into a USB port as well to power itself.
Unlike the Chromecast, the Roku Streaming Stick still doesn’t allow you to mirror browser tabs, or entire screens, but if that’s not important to you – and content is – the Roku Streaming Stick is the clear winner.
Who it’s best for: People who want the most content possible in a small, unobtrusive package.
Price: Around £50.00. Shipping in April.
The Future?
While the five devices above are the best alternatives to the Apple TV, things could change in the near future. There are strong rumors Amazon is about to unveil its own dedicated digital media streamer, and over at Apple Tim Cook has said the Apple TV can no longer be considered “just a hobby.” Rumors suggest a new Apple TV with an all-new design – and possibly more channels and even games – could drop soon.
If either of those things happen, the battle for the mantel of “The Best Digital Media Player” will continue for a long time. Either way, there’s never been a better time to ditch your Sky TV subscription. Soz, Rupert!
Devices
Apple
Apple Tv
Roku 3
Chromecast
Roku Streaming Stick