Hey guys this is Austin. With so many options for streaming which one should you go for?
Kicking things off is the Nvidia Shield and I have to give Nvidia props here, they wanted to
sponsor a no holds barred comparison which is awesome. Up against it is the all new fourth
generation Apple TV which has seen a major overhaul, the Roku 4 which delivers 4K on
a budget and the new Amazon Fire TV gaming edition. Unlike the majority of streaming
devices the Shield looks a lot more like a game console. Powered by an Nvidia Tegra X1
processor it’s no joke when it comes to performance and it has everything you need
to take advantage of it with the included game controller. Even though it’s on the
larger side it’s a comfortable gamepad with a rechargeable battery and traditional layout
of the buttons and sticks. It’s outfitted with a 4K HDMI 2.0 port, gigabit Ethernet,
two USB 3 ports, MicroUSB along with MicroSD. This is important as with sixteen gigabytes
of storage out of the box you’ll probably want to add a MicroSD, use a USB drive or
even opt for the 500 gig Pro model. Moving on we’ve got the new Apple TV. On the surface
this looks basically identical, the main difference is that it’s taller than the last generation
but still small enough to blend into your setup. Included is a new remote, a Lightning
cable to charge it along with the small power cable for the Apple TV. The remote is about
the same size as the last one but it has a glass touchpad along with a few dedicated
buttons like volume and Siri. The Apple TV itself is pretty basic when it comes to ports,
there’s an Ethernet jack along with HDMI, USB-C and the power cable. There’s no expandable
storage but it does come with 32 gigabytes with a 64 gig option which is helpful. Next
up we have the Amazon Fire TV. This is the gaming edition which comes with an updated
controller and a 32 gigabyte MicroSD card but that’s not the only difference, the
new Fire TV also supports 4K. Unfortunately it’s only 4K at 30 hertz but it’s better
than the Apple TV that doesn’t support 4K at all. The controller is really nice though,
it’s a big improvement over the last version with nice balance and a tapered grip. It’s
a small set top box with a USB port, MicroSD slot, Ethernet, HDMI and a power connector.
You’ll definitely want to use that MicroSD card too, the Fire TV only has around five
gigs available out of the box. Lastly we have the new Roku 4. This is quite a bit larger
than the Fire TV, it looks like someone squashed an older Roku. It’s unassuming enough to
blend into your setup though and comes with a solid remote, it’s not as premium as the
Apple TV but has a headphone jack and volume control built in. While the hardware is important
in the end it really comes down to what you can do with it. The Nvidia Shield is running
Android TV which I really like, it’s quick to navigate and gives you a seriously useful
voice search.
Austin Evans.
Okay, that’s, that’s cool. There are a solid amount of streaming apps available for
the Shield and it also works with Google Cast from your phone that gives you access to a
ton of services. It also supports 4K 60 frames video from Netflix and YouTube, especially
if you use Google apps Android TV really makes sense. The Apple TV is also a nice improvement
over the last generation. Everything from the setup which uses your phone to subtle
things like video screensavers make it a nice experience to use. It has a very nice interface
and while some of the apps like YouTube aren’t quite as nice there’s a good selection of
video apps available. The Fire TV is a slightly different take on things. The interface is
a series of main sections with additional options on the sides which works but it isn’t
the most intuitive way to navigate. It is quick though as you’d expect and you’ll
find all the staples like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now along with Amazon Prime Video but there’s
one big exception: YouTube. There is a third party app that uses the web UI which is usable
but as a heavy YouTube user it’s a bit of a disappointment. Things are a bit behind
on the Roku side. The interface looks more dated and it’s not as quick to get around
as the others, it’s easy enough to navigate but it just feels out of date in comparison.
There’s a good selection of apps but many of them like YouTube and especially Google
Play just feel dated. The voice search works for some things but it’s quite a bit behind
the others.
Breaking Bad.
One of the biggest advantages of the Shield is gaming. With a controller included in the
box you can play some serious games like Half Life 2 as well as the Talos Principle, both
of which look seriously impressive for a streaming device. It even handles more ambitious titles
like War Thunder pretty well. If you have a decent internet connection you can also
stream PC games using GeForce Now. It’s like Netflix for games, you pay $8 a month
to stream as many titles as you’d like. In practice it’s cool, there’s a slight
amount of latency but it’s usable especially if you’re connected via Ethernet. The game
selection isn’t massive but with a free three month trial it’s worth a shot. The
Apple TV handles gaming a little differently, you’ll mostly find games that were originally
made for the iPhone. Many games look nice which considering there’s an Apple A8 under
the hood shouldn’t be a huge surprise but while the remote is fine for casual games
it’s not really meant for more serious titles. With tvOS being so new time will tell how
the game library turns out but for now it’s all about potential. The Fire TV takes gaming
more seriously. You’ll find staples like Minecraft: Pocket Edition which works well
here, especially with the impressive controller and games like Telltale’s Minecraft: Story
Mode to make sure you’re getting your Minecraft fix. You’ve got some older classics too
like GTA: San Andreas, the library isn’t massive but there’s some pretty quality
titles. The Roku technically games but it’s not really in the same league as the others...unless
you’re down to play Snake all day in which case you’re totally set. If you’re really
into Roku it gets the job done but there are better options out there. The Fire TV is technically
the cheapest option here if you don’t want the gaming edition and while it’s good there’s
not a lot to recommend it over the others. There’s a lot to like with the Apple TV
but it’s not a massive leap over the last generation and you really need to be deep
in the Apple ecosystem to get the most out of it. When it comes to gaming the clear winner
is the Shield, it’s also a solid streaming box as well with support for 4K and a massive
library of apps when you include Google Cast. So which is your favorite streaming device?
Let me know in the comments below and I will catch you in the next one.