Apple TV vs Roku Premiere – Which one TV streaming device is the best?
Most TVs nowadays are smart TVs, but they can have a clunky interface and may not always give you access to all the latest apps or stream the apps in the best picture quality. The Apple TV and Roku Premiere are popular streaming devices designed for streaming video, photos, and audio content from the internet and locally found content on your phone, tablet, or computer.
The Apple TV has seamless interaction and integration with all Apple devices which is very useful information if you’re an Apple fan. The Ruko premiere, on the other hand, uses the latest streaming standards and supports a wider range of content with excellent performance.
Table of Contents
What are the differences between Apple TV and Roku Premiere?
Product |
Apple TV |
Ruko premiere |
Video output |
2160p |
720p and 1080p at 60fps |
Ports |
Power, Ethernet, HDMI |
HDMI, USB |
Remote |
Siri remote |
Simple remote |
Mobile control app |
With iOS devices |
Android and iOS devices |
Apple TV vs Roku Premiere. How do they differ?
Design
Apple TV is a small black box, but it’s not small enough to hide behind your TV nor big enough to be an eyesore next to your TV. It’s simple yet elegant. At the back are ports for power, HDMI, and Ethernet connection. However, it doesn’t have a digital audio port that can enhance your audio experience significantly. On the other hand, the Ruko premiere is a small compact rectangular box that looks like a small chocolate bar. At the back are HDMI and USB connections and comes with cables for the micro USB and HDMI and a power adaptor in the box. It has adhesive tape so you can tape it at the side or bottom of your TV. There’s an LED light at the front that flashes if there’s a connection problem or turns red for power issues.
The ruko premiere has a better design because it’s smaller and doesn’t take up much space.
Interface
Apple TV has a very clean interface with a customizable menu and a very attractive home screen. Each app has large movable icons and you don’t have to use guesswork when trying to figure out where to go to access your favorite content. It has been designed with ease of use in mind where you can mirror across devices with your iPhone for a consistent experience. The new TV app is a one-stop-shop for everything you’re watching including content form apps like ABC, Hulu, and HBO Go and even help you keep track of the episodes you’re watching. However, its overall performance is a bit slow when transitioning between apps. As for the Ruko premiere, it has a simple and easy to use interface that has a main screen divided into home, search, my feed, settings, and streaming channels. You have access to more than 1000 streaming channels and you can easily add more channels and move them around for quick access with the help of the star button on your remote.
Apple TV has a more comprehensive clean interface that is not only simple to use but customizable.
Remote
The Apple TV has a Siri remote that has a square touchpad that you use to get around instead of directional buttons. You just tap and slide your finger around to navigate through your content. It also provides voice access where you just give Siri voice commands which makes it easier than using your fingers to navigate through. The Ruko premiere has a very simple remote with buttons for 4 major apps including Netflix, Spotify, Google play, and Rakuten TV, and buttons for navigation, playback, home, and return keys. However, there are no volume control buttons. You can also opt to use the Ruko app to control using wifi which you can also use for voice search.
The Apple TV Siri remote is more sophisticated and comes with voice access to better control.
Apple TV vs Roku Premiere – A comparison review
Apple TV
Apple TV is a streaming box that uses Siri navigation, intuitive home screen with superior voice-command features, and compatibility with Dolby Vision HDR. You’ll not only get a nicer remote with sleek controls and a better-looking menu, but you also get superior voice search and control, more updated apps, great access to TV shows, and movies purchased from services like Amazon and Vudu. It has all the major streaming apps you could want. It operates using a speedy A10X processor that allows you to load apps and navigate the interface faster and it supports Dolby vision which is a huge advantage over other streaming devices. Apple TV has just about everything you need when it comes to content and apps.
Apart from iTunes, you’ll also have access to Netflix, Crackle, Pandora, Hulu, Spotify, and network-specific apps like HBO, ABS, Starz, CBS, Fox, FX, and many more. You also have cable TV alternatives like Sling TV and YouTube TV. With Apple TV, you can control your smart home devices like Philips bulbs, thermostats, cameras, etc. as long as they run on the Apple Homekit protocol. It can also display videos in 4K and HDR that comes in both Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats so you get excellent picture quality when watching your movies and TV shows.
Pros
- Has a clean and simple interface
- The remote is very responsive
- Excellent Siri voice options
- Delivers great 4K HDR content
Cons
- It’s expensive
- No USB ports or digital audio
Roku Premiere
- Perfect for HD and 4K Ultra HD TVs, features fast quad core processor and 802.11AC dual band wireless
- 4k ultra HD at 60fps with four times the resolution of 1080p HD, delivering crisp detail and brilliant,...
Ruko premiere is a streaming player that provides a wide range of services including Disney+ and access to quality 4K HDR content. Having a proper user interface makes it easy for you to get to what you want to watch. You can access a wide range of content and apart from the Disney+ app, you also have access to Google play movies, Apple TV+, Hulu, Showtime, Amazon prime videos, Starz, HBO Now, Now TV, and many more. The best thing about this streaming device is the universal searching option where it can search for movies or TV shows across all the services. On the vision front, it will give you 4K 2160p at 60fps and also support HDR10, but lacks Dolby vision. Its performance will very much depend on your internet connection. In the audio department, it supports Dolby Atmos and DTS digital surround although these are via passthrough which means you’ll need to first decode them like an Atmos-enabled AV receiver.
Pros
- Simple and easy to use interface
- Offers a wide range of content
- It’s very affordable
- It supports 4K HDR
Cons
- Doesn’t support Dolby Vision and HDR10+
- No voice remote
Conclusion
The Apple TV is an incredible streaming device that is feature-packed, but very expansive while Roku Premiere has an easy to use interface and a gigantic collectionof streaming channels that make it a great streaming device.
So which one is better Apple TV or Roku Premiere?
The Ruko premiere is a better 4K streaming device because it’s affordable, comes with a wide variety of streaming channels, a clean and easy interface, and excellent performance.
FAQ
Do you still need Apple TV with a smart TV?
If you have a home with Apple devices and want to access iTunes on your big screen, you’ll need an Apple TV because it’s the only device that can give you an iTunes connection.
Is anything free on Apple TV?
Apple TV+ has a collection of original series and films that you can access for free on the Apple TV app.
