Apple TV 4K vs Roku Ultra

Are you torn between an Apple TV and a Roku? Both are strong digital media players that deliver near-effortless discovery and viewing. But which one is best for you? We compare both players to find out.

The latest versions are the Apple TV 4K (2022) and the Roku Ultra.

Overall Findings

Apple TV and Roku provide intuitive user experiences that make it easy for anyone in the house to find something to watch. Both stream up to 4K video to an HD-capable TV through an available HDMI port.

Both devices also offer full-featured apps that find and play content. These apps open your TV to free and premium programming, movies, games, and apps.

Plus, both come with remotes featuring voice search. Apple's slender Siri Remote is an art piece compared to Roku's chunkier, plastic one, but both work as expected.

So far, the two are evenly matched. But as you look closer, differences soon emerge that put one ahead of the other.

Out-Of-The-Box Experience: Smooth Setup

Setup-wise, Apple TV delivers an experience that's close to automatic. Connect the power and HDMI cables, then touch your iPhone to the Apple TV. Wi-Fi settings and the Apple ID are then handed off to the new unit. Further, the Apple TV app logs in to many content providers with a single sign-in once configured.

Roku has a few more steps to complete, including network connections, setting up a Roku account, and individual channel logins. Its onscreen guides make this process straightforward. However, because it involves more button presses, we must give this to Apple TV.

It's worth noting that Apple TV requires an additional HDMI cable, which you need to provide. On the other hand, Roku Ultra not only includes this necessary cable but also adds value by providing headphones for private listening via the remote.

In an unscientific timed setup of both units, Apple TV had an episode of American Horror Story up and playing in 15 minutes, while the Roku took 20 minutes to get from the box to broadcast.

Price: Apple Charges More

You'll pay a premium for the convenience of Apple TV. The Apple TV 4K with Wi-Fi comes with 64 GB of storage and retails for $129; the Wi-Fi + Ethernet model costs $149, but you get twice the storage capacity. Meanwhile, the Roku Ultra only has 2 GB of storage, but it comes with Wi-Fi and Ethernet out of the box and only costs $79.99 (it's also often on sale).

If you have a lot of content on your Android device or want to control what you watch with your Android phone, choose Roku. While you can control an Apple TV from Android, it doesn't feel as intuitive as using an iPhone.

Channels and Apps: Thousands of Viewing Options

There's plenty of content on Roku or Apple TV. With thousands of channels and apps, there's something for everyone to watch, no matter which device you pick.

Numbers are hard to come by, but Apple TV likely has fewer apps. Still, all the big names (Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video) are present, along with the major broadcast networks and premium channels.

Apple's stringent developer requirements ensure that its channels are more refined than many on Roku. While some Roku channels may have been abandoned by developers after being populated with content, you can trust in the quality of apps on Apple TV.

This is too bad because some gems in the Roku Channel Store offer classics, public domain cartoons, obscure Indian cinema, and more. So, while most users will be satisfied with the programs on either platform, we give this one to Roku based on sheer numbers.

Something else to know is how these devices present their apps. Once you've installed some apps and you visit the home screen to select one, Apple TV shows twice as many. This means you may be scrolling more often if you pick the Roku Ultra.

Total Media Solution: Everything Everywhere

"Everything everywhere" seems to be the Apple TV mantra. iTunes users and anyone in the Apple ecosystem will appreciate the seamless integration between TV and Apple devices.

Music, photos, movies, and television shows are available on all screens at all times. The compact set-top box is controlled by an app or the slender remote that ships with every unit.

On the other hand, navigating through the Roku channels and apps is a breeze. Whether you prefer the included remote or the smartphone app, Roku's user-friendly interface ensures a seamless and stress-free experience.

But because Roku is meant to be a video streamer, the built-in media player feels unfinished and tacked on as an afterthought.

Roku connects to a USB thumb drive or networked storage to access your media. This is an inelegant way to manage music, keep track of playlists, etc.

Voice Control: Your Connected Home

Chalk this one up to Apple's "everything just works" ecosystem. Whether you use the Apple TV remote, the app on your iPhone, Siri on your MacBook, or the HomePod, saying, "Hey Siri, play Maniac on the bedroom TV" launches the Apple TV Netflix app, and the Emma Stone and Jonah Hill Mindfreak plays where you left off.

Meanwhile, Roku can be connected to a Google Home device, and the same instruction will get the show rolling—Ditto for Alexa and Roku.

What gives Apple the edge here is integration with Homekit. The Apple connectivity suite handles lighting, cameras, outlets, and other home automation systems. Connecting an Apple TV with your home automation setup is simple.

Final Verdict: Apple TV Is Hard to Beat

For its hard-to-beat combination of easy connection, native smartphone apps, polished user interface, and seamless connection between streaming and owned content, the Apple TV wins. And if Apple and Android learn to play better together, the Apple TV could become the box to own.