TV streaming boxes are like buses it seems. Nothing much happens for
months, and then you get two high profile launches at once (potentially
three if rumours of an imminent new Roku streamer also turn out to be
true).
First there was Apple, which finally launched its new Apple TV box on September 9th
- the best part of three years after it launched its previous one. Then
just seven days later Amazon, with delicious timing, launched the
second generation of its Amazon Fire TV box.
Having both new products unveiled in such close proximity to each
other highlighted what looks set to become a much more intense direct
rivalry between these two high profile TV accessories - as well as
affording us the chance to make some pretty direct comparisons between
what each will offer ahead of their on sale dates in the coming weeks.
So let’s have a look at some of the key
similarities and differences between the two streaming box’s features
according to the information that’s been released so far.
Video Playback
Amazon’s box gets off to a flier in this section by offering support for 4K UHD streaming while Apple’s new box is limited to full HD resolution.
For
those of you not familiar with 4K UHD, it’s a new picture format that
delivers four times as many pixels as full HD - and as you might expect,
it’s capable of giving hugely superior image quality.
With 4K UHD
TVs available at a huge range of sizes and price points now, and more
4K content sources appearing almost daily, Apple’s refusal to include 4K
support in the new Apple TV seems like a major oversight.
Especially as Amazon has been able to offer it
in a box that actually costs considerably less than the new Apple TV
(more on price later).
Apple could defend itself by pointing out
that there are considerable hurdles to streaming 4K UHD, such as the
need for at least 15Mbps of broadband speed into your home, a relative
shortage of 4K UHD content versus HD and standard definition, and even
potential issues (based around unresolved royalty costs) with the HEVC
compression system currently being used by the main 4K content
providers.
Plus, of course, people will need to own a 4K
UHD TV to see the streamed 4K pictures. However, if offering 4K UHD is
so easy Amazon has been able to do it in a box that costs under $100,
why not just throw it in as a bonus on the Apple box too? Especially
when during times of radical change in the technology world one thing
consumers tend to respond positively to is future proofing.
It’s not clear at the moment if the new Amazon Fire TV box will also support streaming of the growing number of high dynamic range shows on offer via Amazon’s Prime and Instant video streaming platforms.
Computing power
Both
new TV boxes use 64-bit processors - a quad-core MediaTek chipset in
the Amazon Fire TV, and an A8 chipset in the Apple box. There’s a
definite difference when it comes to the built-in memory each box
carries, though, and initially it seems to go in Apple’s favour. Apple
is offering two Apple TV versions, one with 32GB of built-in memory, one
offering 64GB of built-in memory. The new Fire TV, by comparison, only
manages 8GB. However, the Fire TV handily carries a microSD card slot
you can use to add up to 128GB of extra storage. Though of course,
buying a large-capacity microSD card if you end up needing more than 8GB
of internal memory will add to the effective cost of Amazon’s box.
Price
As
you’ve probably guessed by now, the new Amazon Fire TV box is
substantially cheaper than either version of the ‘new Apple TV. It costs
just $99.99, while the 32GB Apple TV costs $149 and the 64GB costs
$199. Though you will nudge the ‘all-in’ cost of the Amazon box up if
you decide to add enough storage capacity to bring it up to a level that
rivals what you get with the new Apple TV.
Apps
This
one will be hard to call definitively until we’ve got both boxes hooked
up to a TV. And it’s also an area where the playing field can change
continuously as more apps are added. In sheer app number terms Amazon
Fire TV initially looks likely to have the edge; Amazon claims its Fire
TV platform now supports upwards of 3,000 apps - a 17-fold increase on
the number available when the original Fire TV launched.
However, unlike its predecessors the new Apple TV can use standard iOS
apps that work across other Apple devices like phones and tablets.
Making Apple TV a more integrated part of the Apple family in this way
will instantly lead to a huge increase in the number of app options
available to it - as well as making it even easier to share content
between all your Apple devices.
It’s worth remembering, too, that
Apple is purportedly working on a TV streaming platform of its own to
rival that offered by Amazon, so if Apple can do a good job with that in
content and interface terms it could become a significant draw for the
Apple box.
Operating system
I’ll need to
use both boxes for a few days to be sure which one will come out on top
in this section. However, from what’s been revealed so far, while the
previous Amazon Fire TV was certainly slicker to use than the old Apple
TV, Apple appears to have made the biggest moves forward with the new
Apple TV.
In fact it’s developed a completely new tvOS operating
system that looked during Apple’s launch demos to be much more
intuitive, inviting and slick than the previous Apple TV menus, finally
introducing a touch of the usual Apple OS ‘magic’ to the one product in
Apple’s line up that’s always previously felt a bit peripheral to
Apple’s ecosystem.
Making sure the new Apple TV can share apps
across platforms with other Apple devices has clearly played a big part
in the Apple TV OS revamp, but at the same time Apple seems like it may
have customised the Apple TV interface enough to avoid the common smart
device mistake of just trying to shoehorn a smartphone or tablet
interface into a TV environment.
Apple has also attempted to
improve the experience of using the new Apple TV box by introducing a
fairly radically redesigned remote control, which sports a thumb-swipe
touch pad on its upper end, and carries a built-in gyroscope and
accelerometer so that you can use it like a Nintendo Wiimote for gaming
applications.
The new remote is rechargeable too, delivering up
to three months of use from a single charge, and communicates with the
Apple TV box via Bluetooth so you don’t need to be pointing it directly
at an Apple TV IR sensor.
As if all this wasn’t innovation enough for the new Apple TV OS, it also introduces Apple’s Siri voice recognition system.
This will of course come in handy for speeding up searches for content,
but Apple seems to have introduced some more innovative features for it
too. For instance, say ‘What did he say?” and Apple TV will rewind what
you’re watching for a few seconds so you can see it again.
Personally
I’m pretty sceptical about voice control in a TV environment, but maybe
the new Apple TV will be the product that changes my mind.
At
which point it’s high time I pointed out that Amazon hasn’t just been
sitting around twiddling its thumbs over the past 12 months. Its ramped
up operating power should make its already slick OS run even better, and
Amazon has also introduced a significant voice recognition system based
on the Echo system. This won’t be available at launch; it’s due to be
uploaded via a free upgrade next year. But if it proves as effective as
it is on Amazon’s ground-breaking voice-operated Echo speaker/computer
gizmo then it will likely be a strong rival for Siri’s efforts.
Gaming
Unexpectedly
and perhaps controversially, both Apple and Amazon are keen to push the
gaming credentials of their new streaming boxes. Amazon is even
offering a Gaming Edition version of Fire TV for $140, which includes a
games controller, 32GB microSD card and two games alongside the main
Fire TV box.
The new Apple TV tries harder to be a gaming device
directly out of the box, especially with its innovative new remote
control. This potentially goes some way to justifying its price hike
over the Amazon Fire TV.
However, the gaming potential of both
new boxes is essentially app based; essentially playing apps you can
play on your phone or tablet on your TV instead. Personally I’m not
convinced many people will really want to do this, so at this point I
don’t see either the new Apple TV or the new Amazon Fire TV taking on
the traditional console market to the extent some pundits had
speculated/hoped they might. Though I’m open to having my mind changed
if either streaming box comes up with some killer gaming app that feels
more at home on my TV than my phone.
Conclusion
Both
the new Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV boxes deliver some significant
steps forward from their previous incarnations. Apple seems to have
focussed primarily on improving the interface of its new TV box and
making it a more integrated part of a wider Apple eco system, while
Amazon scores a major coup over its arch rival by supporting 4K UHD video streaming.
Personally,
given that I’m a huge fan of the 4K UHD experience, Amazon’s 4K move
makes it feel to me like the more future-proof option right now -
especially as sales of 4K TVs are increasing exponentially year on year.
But there’s every chance Apple could wrestle back the advantage once
I’ve got both boxes hooked up to my TV, so look out for a full reviews
of each box in the coming weeks.
By John Archer
TV/Video Expert
