Apple TV 4K vs. Roku Ultra vs. Chromecast Ultra: 4K Showdown

Apple tree has made the bound to 4K media streaming with the Apple TV 4K, and it's been a long time coming.

Companies like Amazon and Roku have had 4K-capable media hubs for a year or two now, then the Apple Goggle box feels a bit late to the party. Functioning and value matter more than haste, though, so we're going to see which device has the edge for getting 4K video on your TV: the Apple tree Television receiver 4K, the Google Chromecast Ultra, or the Roku Ultra.

The Amazon Fire Goggle box would also be considered every bit part of this roundup, but the latest 4K-capable streamer is currently unavailable; we wait Amazon volition refresh its own 4K media hub in the almost future.

4K and HDR

All three media streamers support 4K resolution, but that'southward only function of the story for getting the best picture on your TV; high dynamic range (HDR) is as well function of the equation. 4K defines the number of pixels, just HDR defines how dark, vivid, and colorful each pixel tin can get. If your TV tin can handle it, HDR content can look much better than 4K video played dorsum using standard dynamic range (SDR).

Apple TV 4K

At that place are ii major HDR formats currently out there—HDR10 and Dolby Vision. HDR10 is a standardized format commonly found on both Ultra Hard disk drive Blu-ray discs and HDR video streams, defining color and brightness values in a predefined range. Dolby Vision is mostly institute on streaming services (just Dolby Vision-equipped Ultra Hard disk drive Blu-ray discs have started coming out), and it defines color and effulgence for each pixel based on a unique contour for each Goggle box, adjusting those values to suit the capabilities of the panel. Neither format is necessarily superior, but they're still distinct, with different levels of support from different studios, services, and TV manufacturers.

The Apple Tv 4K supports both HDR10 and Dolby vision, making information technology extremely well-rounded on the HDR front. The Google Chromecast Ultra and Roku Ultra only back up HDR10. The lack of Dolby Vision back up isn't a huge problem, since and so much HDR content is available in either just HDR10 or in both formats, only it is a minor edge the Apple TV 4K has over the competition.

Winner: Apple TV 4K, past a Dolby Vision hair

Ecosystem

Apple begrudgingly started to support non-Apple tree apps and services on the Apple TV with the launch of tvOS on the near contempo 1080p Apple TV two years ago. Meanwhile, Roku has been building its library of thousands of "channels" (apps and services), and Google has wildly expanded the capabilities of the Google Bandage platform that drives the Chromecast for at least twice every bit long.

Apple TV 4K

Equally information technology stands, Apple TV still falls a flake curt backside Roku and Google in terms of what third-party content you can admission. Major streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, and Sling TV are available, and Amazon Video is expected by year's cease, but Google's on-need library is absent, along with many smaller names. Apple besides seems to be hamstringing third-political party music services on tvOS to nudge users towards iTunes and Apple Music for tunes; you wont discover Spotify on the Apple Goggle box 4K, even if you can get information technology easily on Amazon, Roku and Google media streamers.

For first-party content, however, Apple tree has an edge. If you get most of your movies, music, and TV shows through iTunes, the Apple TV is made for you. You can easily bring up whatever of your purchases, and search for content on iTunes but by speaking into the remote. Roku supports voice search, just information technology doesn't accept its own comprehensive media library and generally relies on third parties similar Hulu and Netflix. Google, meanwhile, has enough of content available on Google Play, but the Chromecast Ultra requires using your own smartphone or tablet to navigate through it instead of an easy, on-screen interface.

Winner: Tie

Power

Power is hard to measure for media streamers. All of these devices can stream 4K HDR video, so they have the processing speed to handle that. The newest chips and the most sheer ability can decide how smoothly your browsing experience is, and at that place aren't many ways to directly test that.

On paper, though, the Apple Idiot box 4K is the nigh powerful simply because of its beastly A10X system-on-chip. Information technology'southward the aforementioned processor used past the iPad Pro, and it's incredibly fast. The Roku Ultra uses an unspecified quad-core CPU, and Google doesn't say what sort of processor the Chromecast Ultra uses, and they're both about a year old. Though, since the Chromecast Ultra relies on your smartphone or tablet for navigation, its interface responsiveness depends entirely on what device you utilise it with.

Winner: Apple Telly 4K (only it doesn't necessarily mean anything)

Voice Features

Both the Apple Television receiver 4K and Roku Ultra back up voice search and controls through microphones built into their remotes, but the extent to which they piece of work varies wildly. Roku focuses primarily on vocalisation search, letting you observe the movies and TV shows you want to access only by talking into the mic. Apple TV 4K, on the other paw, has Siri.

Roku Ultra

Apple'south voice assistant is incredibly powerful, with reach that goes far beyond picking what to watch. You tin ask Siri to respond questions, set alarms, and directly control media playback. It tin even control your smart home devices if they're Apple tree HomeKit-compatible.

The Google Banana vocalisation assistant seems equally powerful as Siri, simply once again the smartphone/tablet requirement for Chromecast comes into play here. The Chromecast Ultra doesn't have a remote with a microphone so you lot tin't but give it commands, and not every Android device has Google Assistant, then yous tin't exist certain your voice commands will mesh well with the device. Your best bet for Google Banana working well with your Chromecast is to add a Google Home or another voice assistant speaker to your setup, so you don't demand to depend on whatever smartphone implementation for those controls.

Winner: Apple Boob tube 4K

Price

This is where Apple undeniably falls behind the contest. 4K media streaming has been bachelor for $100 or below for over a twelvemonth. The Apple Television set 4K, meanwhile, starts at $179 (and even the 1080p Apple TV is a hefty $149). Chromecast Ultra is $69, and while the Roku Ultra is $100, the step-down Roku Premiere+ we prefer retains all of our favorite features for $xc.

Apple Boob tube 4K pre-orders begin Sept. 15; it arrives Sept. 22.

Winner: Google Chromecast Ultra