If it's going to be the Apple TV 4k
versus the Amazon Fire Stick 4k,
look, I love almost everything about this product,
it is fantastic, it's just that
I also love feeding my kids.
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Now don't forget to subscribe and
check the description below
because we're giving away three of these things.
I'll get you more details at the end of the video
but you can just hit the description for now.
So if we're talking Apple TV versus Amazon Fire
we want to talk about the devices available
and the costs for each of them.
So, on the Apple TV side we've got the 4k version
that retails for about $160 to $170
depending on the retailer.
You can get it for $200 if you're foolish enough
to actually shop at apple.com
or you can get it for about $130 or $140
if you want the non 4K version.
On the Amazon side,
the Fire Stick 4k that I have right here is about $50,
or for $10 less you can get the non 4k version of that.
There's also the Amazon Fire TV Cube which is $120
and that's basically this plus an Echo Dot
kind of mashed together.
So you do have those options.
So which device should we compare?
Intuitively you might want to compare
the most expensive options from each
since they're naturally the best, right?
So it would be the Apple TV 4k versus
the Amazon Fire TV Cube, right?
Well, hold your horses because
the closest comparison is actually between
the Apple TV 4k and the Fire Stick 4k.
Which, as we just noted isn't really a comparison at all
if you're just talking about price.
I mean, $50 for this one versus $160 for this one.
All you fast math people out there already figured this out
but that's more than three times the cost
for the Apple device.
It's unsurprising, maybe considering it's Apple,
but still kind of shocking.
But if price is your only criteria then problem solved,
you can go ahead and shut off this video
just grab the Amazon one you're done.
But, price might not be your only consideration.
The next thing to think about is which
ecosystem you want to live in.
Because either way, once you plug in one of these devices
some of your future choices have
basically already been made.
If I utilize the voice search feature on the Apple TV to
rent Police Academy or whatever,
it'll send me to iTunes to make that purchase,
or whatever the successor to iTunes is,
I know it's going to be new but
we don't know enough about that yet.
Anyway, point it, on the converse side,
the Fire Stick will send me to Amazon Prime
to make that same rental.
Now yes, there are workarounds in either case,
like you can limit your search to certain apps,
but these devices are designed to work
most smoothly and easily within their own ecosystems.
So, you want to get the most from your Apple TV?
Well then you'd better already be an Apple fan
with a bunch of their devices, or a new willing convert.
And of course, ditto for the Fire TV.
But these devices have a ton of different apps, right?
So which one has the better apps?
Well I think generally speaking, we're pretty even here.
Most of us are going to be using a streaming box like this
to access the big stuff, Netflix, Hulu, Sling,
that sort of thing.
And both players perform that function admirably.
Most apps, most big apps,
are going to be available on either one.
But let's scratch the surface a little bit.
Both devices also do a pretty good job with gaming as well.
They have remotes that let you play
great looking games with simple controls,
or you can even go the extra mile and install
a game emulator and use a bluetooth controller to
say play classic games like on the NES or SNES.
But when it comes to apps and daily functionality,
if we dig just a little bit deeper,
I think the Apple TV starts to inch ahead.
Thanks to the TV app on the Apple TV.
I know, it's kind of a weird name,
but it's just called the TV app.
There's a lot to dig into with this
but I'll keep it pretty short for now.
The TV app is the simplified applified version of
something I wanted for quiet a while.
See, it pulls together your content from
various other apps like Hulu, ESPN Plus, HBO, Stars,
and yes, even Amazon Prime,
and it lets you see everything in once place.
Instead of jumping in and out of every app
every time you want to switch over.
So, the watch now tab will pull
all of the stuff you're in the middle of watching
and put it one list that you can see across your devices.
Whether it's the Apple TV or
it's your phone, or your tablet, or your Mac,
it is extremely convenient.
Unfortunately, Netflix isn't participating in this yet,
I hope they do someday but I guess we'll see.
Now, while we're on the subject of apps,
I haven't said anything yet about the new Apple TV Plus
service that's scheduled to come out later this year,
and that's on purpose.
We just don't know enough about it yet.
We'll have to see how it does when it comes out.
For now I do think it's safe to say it will work best
on the Apple TV.
Now, one last thing where I think the Apple TV
comes out a bit ahead, and that has to do with the remote.
Both remotes are good, don't get me wrong,
and I actually think I prefer the clickable circle
on the Fire TV remote over
the track pad on the Apple TV remote
when it comes to everyday use.
That track pad is not friendly to sticky fingered kids,
I can tell you that right now.
But, the Apple TV remote has
the little microphone button on it
that lets you issue commands to Siri,
but it also lets you dictate email addresses and passwords
so you don't have to hunt and peck every time
you need to log in to something.
This is especially helpful during the initial setup phase,
but it comes in handy pretty frequently even after that,
as you can imagine.
Now, with either the Apple TV or the Fire TV,
you can always connect your phone
and just use it for its keyboard.
But, the convenience of pressing a single button
on your remote to take care of all that
passwords and email addresses and stuff,
is one of my absolute favorite things about the Apple TV
and has been for some time.
So there are a couple areas where I think the Apple TV
pulls ahead a bit,
but for the most part both are great devices
and I really enjoy them both.
They're easy to use,
they display crisp 4k HDR et cetera.
But while I love the Apple TV,
it's hard for me to get past that price point.
So for the majority of streamers out there
I would actually recommend the $50 Fire Stick 4k
over the $160 Apple TV 4k.
But, if I'm talking to an Apple superuser,
then I think the Apple TV has some cross-functionality
like with the TV app that does make it a no brainer.
And I figure if you can afford
a Mac, and an iPhone, and an iPad,
then you can probably shell out for an Apple TV.
And frankly, you probably should, it's great.
Now, there are a hundred other areas that I could address,
but I don't want this to be an hour long video,
and I do think that covers the broad strokes.
So if there are any other little things that
you love or hate about one device or the other,
hit the comments below and let me know.
And on your way down give this video
a like if you enjoyed it.
Thanks for watching guys, I'll see you next time.
(techno music)
We are giving away an Apple TV 4k,
three of them actually.
So hit the description below,
there's a link there where you can get all the details.
Like, comment, share, there's a bunch of ways
that you can enter to win this.
We're doing this until June 19th, 2019,
so if you're watching this before then,
then congratulations you can still enter.
If it's after that then, hello from the past.
Oooooo.