Battle of the streaming boxes
Both while doing installations and at the Rapallo home we’ve been dealing with streaming devices. There are a few to choose from, so the question is how to decide which is the best for your movie-viewing needs?
Just today we received a brochure in the mail introducing ‘Vodafone TV’ offering Sky (which is very much on the way out, as the number of lawsuits they are initiating out of utter despair would indicate. But that aside.), YouTube and Netflix. While the Vodafone TV box might be very convenient all-in-one package, there is a big world out there with a lot more to offer than “the exciting future’ Vodafone wants us to know about.
Before we start, we want to be clear that unless we include the streaming box of your choice as a part of our installation package, we don’t sell them ourselves. So it’s really fair to say that we are as unbiased as blog posters come.
We’ve used two recent articles from ‘How to Geek’ and ‘Techradar’ as a foundation to start from, but we are pretty keen to add our own experiences and include some info on the New Zealand market.
What’s on offer?
There are a few big names in this game: The Amazon Fire TV (and Fire TV stick), the Google Chromecast, the Apple TV and Roku’s various boxes. Unfortunately, not all of these are widely available in New Zealand, but that’s not going to stop a Kiwi on a mission. But more on that later.
On top of the obvious options mentioned above, there are a few Android TV streaming boxes that run Kodi (like Mi Box and Nvidia Shield). Kodi is a free open –source media player software It has attracted a fair amount of negative attention due to the availability of third party plug ins that allow for unauthorized access to copyright media content. Apart from this piracy issue, which Kodi is distancing itself from, it’s an extremely streamlined media player with a very TV-friendly interface.
But back to our big players. Here’s a breakdown of the big players before we get into what makes them different.
- Apple TV
We’ve been Apple fans since we were students in the ‘80s and have seen Apple going from being the underdog to becoming the flavour of the month. Apple used to excel in design, reliability and innovation. Not anymore. Fair to say that while Apple has never been as popular as it is today, personally, we think the products they put out are rather disappointing, at the moment. But that’s just us, there is no argument that the Apple following is alive and kicking and very well-liked by many out there.
For the Apple fans out there, Apple TV is the obvious pick of the bunch if you are already truly invested in the Apple ecosystem. There are two versions: the Apple TV 4K and the regular Apple TV. The 4K model comes in 32GB and 64GB flavours, while the regular Apple TV only comes in 32GB. If you’re going for the 4K, we recommend going for the 64GB model because that 4K video will eat up space quickly.
- Google Chromecast
This is the simplest and cheapest streaming device on the list—it has no true “interface” on your TV; instead, you bring up an app on your phone (like Netflix) and “cast” video from it to your TV. You can get a “regular” Chromecast, but if you’re living that 4K life, you might as well spring for the Chromecast Ultra.
- Roku
The one that started it all and probably the biggest name in this game; in the rest of the world that is. If you have a Roku on your wishlist, you’re going to have to purchase overseas as it’s not widely available in New Zealand. Roku devices are full of innovative features and a nearly incomparable library of apps, although it does lack the ability to use some NZ-specific apps. You’ll need to trick it into living in the USA to be able to set-up (see the bottom of this blog) and obviously when you want to use the overseas services.
There is a fair amount of options to choose from ranging from a basic stick to a box supporting 4K and HDR.
- Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick
This is Amazon’s take on the streaming box market. Like the Roku, this one will involve an overseas purchase. Both the overseas versions of Fire TV and Fire TV Stick feature Alexa voice controls and a wide range of apps and games to choose from. The 2017 Fire TV can play 4K video; while the smaller, less-powerful Stick and sticks to HD (see also further for New Zealand availability).
But these descriptions are very rudimentary and not that helpful for you when it is decision time. So, here’s what probably really matters to you:
What Services Are Available on Each Box?
Arguably the most important feature of any streaming box is: which services can you watch on it? Not all boxes are created equally here, especially the more specific your needs get. We can’t list every possible service here, so make sure to do your own research if there’s a specific app or service you want access to on your streaming box. But in general, here’s how they compare.
The good news is that all four major players support Netflix and YouTube, the two staples of streaming video.
So beyond the use of Netflix and YouTube, what are the differences?
Well, on Apple TV you have the ability to watch anything from an iOS device thanks to AirPlay – a technology that takes whatever you’re seeing on your screen and sends it to your TV. That includes photos, music and more, and it’s pretty convenient if you’re big on Apple devices.
For Android fans, you’ve got a system called Google Cast that works much in the same way for the Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra. Pick out what you’d like to see on big screen, and press the Cast button to send it to the TV.
What we personally like about Roku is a little thing called universal search that helps you track down the best places to stream shows and movies. Search “Guardians of the Galaxy” on either device, and you’ll see a list of every streaming service offering the film, along with a price for each. This is really handy if you’re a thrifty spender and you don’t care where content comes from.
The Amazon Fire Stick Basic Edition (not Alexa enabled) is now available for Kiwis to buy through Amazon and you can have it directly shipped to New Zealand. The Fire TV you will need to buy through NZ Post YouShop. Apart from streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube, the Fire Stick works with Amazon’s Prime video. New Zealand based services such as Lightbox or Neon aren’t available.
Which Boxes Are Easiest to Use?
When looking for a brand-new streaming video player it’s important to find one that’s easy to setup – especially if you’re buying it for someone who might not know their way around technology like you do.
Considering that Roku and the Amazon Fire TV may require the set-up of a VPN or Smart DNS service (see further) make these options probably more suitable to the person who feels at the least a little bit confident with technology.
Apart from that, all four of the major streaming video players are pretty easy to setup. Chromecast and Roku require you to connect the players to the web using a code that appears on your screen, while Apple and Amazon can connect to the internet without requiring you to go to a website to register them first.
While all four major players differ in the variety of ports offered along their backside, there’s one common thread among all of them: the HDMI cable. What does that mean for you? Well, any TV you want to hook up to one of these players will require an HDMI port. You should also have a relatively fast internet connection (at least ADSL, but preferred VDSL) if you plan on streaming 4K videos.
If a remote is important to you, Chromecast is the black sheep of the bunch. It doesn’t offer anything in the way of a remote and instead asks that you use a phone or tablet as a controller. While, it’s not the worst thing to use a mobile device as a remote, we have noticed a few issues over the years of the Chromecast not transitioning properly from one show to the next, and we’ve been forced to get up and restart the Chromecast on more than one occasion. The other options are much of a muchness when it comes to remote controls.
Whether you prefer a small box or a stick, the most important thing to remember here is that even if you end up with a box, it will be a very small and nondescript one that you can easily hide behind your television. None of these should be a real deal breaker in the design area, we are thinking.
Which Boxes Are Supporting Video Games?
In our opinion, none of these players replace a traditional game console
Of the four we’ve explored so far, Apple TV was built with apps and gaming at its heart and probably offers the biggest diversity on the matter. Roku has a few titles on its store, but the offering isn’t great. And it’s even further downhill from there for Amazon Fire TV and Chromecast, the latter of which requires you to download games from either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and then Cast them to your TV.
Bottom-line: if gaming is high on your list, stick with the game consoles. What’s more, if have you have PlayStation or Xbox, then you already sort of have a set-top box. Modern game consoles support 4K video, have access to Netflix and a slew of other apps, and can really do as much as most of the dedicated boxes out there.
So, Which Is the Best?
Here’s the deal: there isn’t really a “best” box out there—only the one that works best for you.
If you’re so far deep in the Apple ecosystem get the Apple TV. You’ll love it.
Chromecast is for the casual streamer who doesn’t want or need a lot of fluff. If you’re thinking about getting something simple and cheap for the bedroom TV, this is perfect.
Roku almost pioneered this market, so it has a lot of experience under its belt. Because we have long list of things we like to watch in our home theatre, we’re personally liking the search option a lot. If that is you and you don’t mind an overseas purchase, we believe this could be worth the hassle.
Watching Geoblocked content
On a final note, we thought it right to add some info from Consumer NZ on how to watch geoblocked content. After all, that’s where it gets really exciting. Here’s what they have to say:
There are many legal sites selling content, but not to New Zealanders. How can you access this treasure trove of TV and movies?
Under New Zealand law, you’re allowed to get around these “geoblocks” to access legal content. And that’s what we’re going to help you do here. Doing this is legal in New Zealand but it may breach the terms and conditions of the site you are streaming from.
Here are the steps you need to take:
1. Sign up for a VPN or Smart DNS service.
When you access sites on the internet, they “ask” your computer where it’s from. Smart DNS and VPN services can be used to change settings on your computers, tablets, phones and other devices, so they answer “USA” instead of “NZ”. Conveniently, most of these services let you choose which country for each site, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on TVNZ or TV3 OnDemand.
2. Add the VPN/DNS settings to your devices.
Each service has instructions on what to do for each device type. If you add the settings to your router, then they’ll work for any device on your WiFi network.
We want to point out that this is clearly a world that is in rapid change. What is current at the time of writing, might be outdated tomorrow. So by all means, enjoy the blog, but always check for the latest updates before making a purchase is our recommendation.
Source: How to geek, Techradar, Consumer NZ, Stuff, Roku, Apple, Cnet