Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV Stick
You may be in a dilemma to choose between the Apple TV and the Amazon Fire TV Stick. Nowadays, the number of available streaming video players are vast unlike in the past where only a few of them could be found. Therefore, these are the video streaming media are among the streaming media players which are readily available in the market as they catch the attention of most customers. Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV stick perform the same functions, however, there are several ways in which the two differ. Do you find the selection daunting? Don’t worry, keep moving.
While considering the ease of use, quality, availability of content, the price as well as the overall performance among others, you will be able to comfortably settle for one to take home. Therefore, we have come up with an exhaustive and in-depth comparison between the Apple TV and the Amazon Fire TV Stick to help you decide which is the finest for you and your budget. To find out more about the two, keep taking a tour on this page to quench your thirst with ease.
What is Apple TV?
This is one of the finest digital media players developed by Apple Inc with its first release date being the year 2007. This streaming media player will allow you to receive music and video contents from specific sources on your iOS device or Mac and stream them to your television set. Moreover, it supports 4K Ultra HD and HDR video which comes in either 32GB or 64 GB. It is also easy to set up and connects to the TV’s HDMI port.
What is the Amazon Fire TV Stick?
This streaming device is a digital media player developed by Amazon in the year 2014. It comes in two forms which include the Fire TV which is a set-top box and the Fire TV Stick which appears in an HDMI plug-in stick. The Fire TV Stick will allow you to stream video and music contents such as Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and much more over the internet to the TV. This is achieved by simply plugging the device into the TV’s HDMI port and setting it up.
Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV: Design and Appearance
Now that you know the basic description of these two streaming devices, it is now time to get deeper to get what they are made of. To begin with, we will compare the design and appearance of the two media players. The first thought that will capture the customer’s mind is the design and appearance of the streaming device.
The Apple TV is a set-top box which will need some good space somewhere while the Amazon Fire TV is an HDMI dongle which dangles off the back of your TV, hence, no need for looking for some extra space. The Apple TV, therefore, does not attach to your TV. This means that you will need to place it anywhere with some cool air to give no room for overheating. It measures 10cm square and 3.5cm tall.
The Amazon Fire TV on the other side is much smaller in size measuring 10 cm long. It is a stick-shaped streamer whose appearance looks like an elongated USB drive. There is no much to do with it rather than plugging it into the HDMI port at the back of your TV. However, the device might protrude past the edge of your TV when you plug it into the sideways. This can also be cumbersome if the adjacent sockets are occupied. Therefore, in terms of space occupied by the devices, the Fire TV occupies a smaller space than Apple TV.
Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV: Smart Home Compatibility
In the current era, everything is turning from the traditional technology of doing things into smart technology. With the new technology onboard, the smart home ecosystem has been the talk of the century as it takes the smart world to a whole new level. Therefore, there is much need to check the smart home compatibility of the streaming devices available in the market today.
The Apple TV streaming device is smart itself capable of performing various amazing tasks like streaming video and music contents on your TV. To enjoy more out of it, the Apple TV is equipped with a digital voice assistant known as Siri which allows you to perform various tasks just by the use of a voice command. Even more, Apple TV has an additional feature of being a HomeKit hub. It is also compatible with the HD and UHD TVs with HDMI. This, therefore, is the best fit for you if your ecosystem revolves around the HomeKit.
On the other side, the Amazon Fire TV is an economical type of streaming device that can comfortably fulfill your smart home desires. It has a smart voice assistant, Alexa, which allows you to control your TV to turn on, play a movie or music and much more by voice command as well. Most of the smart home devices have the Alexa support, therefore, it is still an amazing feature in the smart home ecosystem.
Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV: Ease of use
The usability of a device is also another consideration to put in place before purchasing it. Especially if you are not good with the technical stuff, you will require to settle for a device that is not complex but simple to understand and use. This will make your life easier and comfortable as you will be able to control the device with ease.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick’s menu has sharp fonts, bold colors and a fluid operation which makes it easy to use. This is contrary to other Amazon products like the Amazon Video app on some devices which is cluttered and not user-friendly. On the other side, the Apple TV is intuitive and easy to use with its icons designed in iPhone style which makes it easy for you to effortlessly spot what you are looking for and quickly access it.
In similar ways, they both have an easy to use voice control feature which enables you to easily take control with the use of a voice command. For instance, the Amazon Fire TV Stick can turn itself as well as the TV on and begin playing your favorite movie or TV show all through one simple voice command. This can be made easier with the availability of any Echo device in your house as you will not need to issue the voice command through the remote. The Apple TV 4K is known to be more intelligent as it provides context-sensitive voice control.
Even more, the ease of finding content from the devices is quite challenging. However, the Apple brand tries harder to produce impressive results from more streaming services and presenting them in a more benevolent way. The Amazon Fire TV Stick on the other side omits more services from its results, like the BBC iPlayer, and the prioritizes its services.
Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV: Setup Process
Another consideration to put into place is the setting up procedure of the streaming devices. It is important to select one that is easy to set up. This will be more helpful to a person who might not be well conversant with the technical stuff. Most of them are very easy and straightforward, thus, not involving and does not consume much of your time. To set up the streaming devices, you might need to have additional requirements such as the mobile devices and apps which will help you with the setup process. Point to note, ensure that you have a stable and active internet connection in your home.
For both streaming media devices, setting up is just as easy as 123. All you need to have is a TV with an HDMI port on it since all these devices will require an HDMI output. For Apple TV, you will directly connect the device into the HDMI port of the TV like the Amazon Fire TV dongle. Hence, you will need to look for some good space in the rack to place your Apple TV. Thereafter, you will need to use the HDMI cable provided and plug one into the Apple TV’s HDMI port and the other end into the TV’s HDMI port. You can proceed to setup up the device by following the on-screen instructions provided on the screen.
The amazon fire TV, on the other hand, is also simple to set up. You just need to plug in the device into the HDMI port of your TV without the need of the HDMI cable itself. However, you will also need to connect it to a power source using the power cable provided. You have to plug one end into the Fire TV Stick and the other end into the power adapter provided. Once connected, the Fire Tv Stick will automatically pair with the Fire TV Remote provided and then set up your device. You can as well download the Amazon Fire TV Remote app which will help you with the setting up process as well as performing other control activities. The two streaming devices, therefore, are amazingly easy to set up.
Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV: Remote Control
The remote control is the electronic device that will help you to operate your TV from a distance without the need for physically moving from one point to the other. Since there are greater chances for you to spend most of your time with the remote control, there is a greater need for considering the best remote control with the finest features and functionalities. This will also play a big role in selecting the type of streaming media device to take home.
Both remote controls for Apple TV and Fire TV possess microphones which allows you to use your voice control. The Amazon Fire TV remote controls are not rechargeable but use batteries which are usually replaced when drained. The Apple TV remote control on the other side will require recharging as it has a rechargeable battery that is not replaceable.
The Apple TV remote control is commonly known as Siri remote. It is coupled with several features that make it stand out. It also has a glass touchpad which allows you to control up and down as well as sideways. Furthermore, it has a sensor, an accelerometer, and gyroscope which allows it to be used as a gamepad.
Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV: Streaming Apps
The number of streaming apps available in a streaming media player is likely to determine the customer’s choice of the desired device to settle for. The more the number of available apps in the streaming device, the higher the chances of fulfilling the desires of the customer. Therefore, this is also a determining factor for the choice between Apple TV and the Amazon Fire TV Stick.
The Apple TV supports a good number of apps as well as the access to streaming services like Netflix, Sky’s Now TV, and Red Bull TV among others. The apps which are available on the Apple TV include, the Hulu Plus, iTunes Music, iTunes Movies and TV Shows, HBO GO, iTunes Radio, HBO Now, and many more. Most of them are free while others like Netflix require a direct subscription and others require a subscription through a cable or satellite provider.
Amazon Fire TV on the other side put much emphasis on its services, the Amazon Prime. Its customers benefit from the unlimited streaming of movies, music, TV, and videos from the Prime Library. There are several free apps and channels available through the Amazon Fire TV Stick, however, most of them require additional subscriptions to enjoy their services. Some of these include Kodi, HBO, BBC News, Crackle, and Netflix among others.
Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV: Picture Quality
The picture quality of any streaming product is a common determining factor when selecting the type of streaming media player to settle for. This is the level accuracy in which images are captured, processed, stored, compressed, transmitted and displayed in different imaging systems like the TV, streaming media players among others. Therefore, through subjective or objective methods, you can easily determine the perceptual picture quality of these two streaming media players and decide which of them you will take home.
The picture quality of Amazon Fie TV Stick is quite incredible with its sharp and clear picture that is appealing to the eyes of the viewers. It also has bright and vibrant colors which are natural and finicky. Even more, it has an amazing contrast feature, however, there are little missing details in the very brightest and the darkest parts of the image.
Apple TV still goes further to outshine the Fire TV in terms of the picture quality. This is because it offers more captivating features like the three-dimensional aspect and the offering of greater subtlety and nuance. The images are crisp, bright and clear and the colors are incredible. It also eliminates the downfall that the Amazon Fire TV has. This is through digging up some of the bright and dark details, thereby, providing a crisper image quality. Even more, the picture quality of this streaming device in HDR mode is outstanding. In addition to this, the 4K HDR images are more enticing, engaging, and incredibly stunning.
Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV: Sound Quality
When it comes to sound quality, everyone would love to settle for the best streaming media player that offers the finest and great sound quality. Thus the quality of the audio is also another determining factor when selecting the type of streaming devices. now, between Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, which one has the best sound quality? Let us find out.
The Amazon Fire TV offers great room-filling sound quality with amazing effects and real sound. Moreover, its support for Dolby Atmos adds more to the Fire TV as it sounds really good. Even more, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K sounds great with the standard 5.1 as well as stereo which produces a clear, detailed and spacious sound. It also has a decent sound system which takes the audio quality to another level.
The Apple TV on the other side offers a greater and excellent sound quality than that of the Amazon Fire TV Stick. It offers an immersive sound experience. This moves the audio all around you in three-dimensional space, thanks to the Dolby Atmos. Even more, it has a great polished sound which has low-level dynamic elusiveness. It is also able to automatically play sound in the highest quality which is supported with the type of entertainment system you are using. This, therefore, gives it the ability to support the finest sound experience that your entertainment system supports. Therefore, it is with no doubt that the Apple TV is capable of offering the finest sound quality.
Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV: Price
The cost of a given product will have a great impact on you whether to purchase the product or not. However, at times you don’t have to settle for a cheaper price since the price difference might come at a cost. Therefore, you are free to purchase a commodity that is within your reach but keeping in mind the quality of the product you are purchasing.
Therefore, the price difference between Apple TV and the Amazon Fire TV is quite big with approximately $130 difference. Apple TV costs approximately $180 at various online shopping platforms while the Amazon Fire TV costs approximately $50. Despite the huge price difference, these streaming devices surprisingly offer the same features and functionalities but also some huge differences between them. Thus, depending on your choice, you can easily settle for the best streaming media player to purchase.
Apple TV vs Amazon Fire TV Stick: Verdict
Now that you have a detailed description of the comparison between the Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, you are now in a good position to select the streaming media which comfortably suits your heart desires. Considering the features and several functionalities like the sound quality, usability, apps availability, image quality, and cost among others, it all comes to selecting one of the two with more votes. Therefore, with the in-depth analysis of the two, you can easily settle for the best option.
In terms of price, the Amazon Fire TV is the most affordable option than Apple TV. Despite its lower price, it is still capable of offering great functionalities like support for HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos. It is also suitable for the Amazon Prime watchers and works just fine with most users.
The Apple TV is much pricier, however, it is worth the price. The two streaming media devices can perform the same functions. However, Apple TV performs the functions much better than the Amazon Fire TV. Right from the sound quality, image quality, usability, remote control and many more, the Apple TV goes ahead of the Amazon Fire TV. This leaves no choice but to settle for the pricier streaming device which comes with an added advantage over the other one.
