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Apple TV or Chromecast?

ghsDUDE

ghsDUDE

macrumors 68030
Original poster
May 25, 2010
2,949
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I am heavily integrated into the Apple ecosystem. iMac, iPad and iPhone.

I've been looking for something like an Apple TV or Chromecast to stream stuff over to my TV.

I'd like to do it off my devices and iTunes, Amazon Video, Netflix, ESPN GO, HBO GO etc.

What is the better option? The $35 pricetage makes the Chromecast desirable, but I'm not sure about its functionality.

Any help? I've never owned an Apple TV so I don't have previous experience with either.
 
ghsNick said:
I am heavily integrated into the Apple ecosystem. iMac, iPad and iPhone.

I've been looking for something like an Apple TV or Chromecast to stream stuff over to my TV.

I'd like to do it off my devices and iTunes, Amazon Video, Netflix, ESPN GO, HBO GO etc.

What is the better option? The $35 pricetage makes the Chromecast desirable, but I'm not sure about its functionality.

Any help? I've never owned an Apple TV so I don't have previous experience with either.
Click to expand...

I think the Apple TV would be a better fit for you as you mentoned you are already invested in Apple's ecosystem.

with the Apple TV you have native HBO Go, Netflix and ESPN apps. You can either stream iTunes purchased movies from the cloud or stream from itunes on a computer. With airplay you can stream Amazon Prime from an iOS device.
 
2010mini said:
I think the Apple TV would be a better fit for you as you mentoned you are already invested in Apple's ecosystem.

with the Apple TV you have native HBO Go, Netflix and ESPN apps. You can either stream iTunes purchased movies from the cloud or stream from itunes on a computer. With airplay you can stream Amazon Prime from an iOS device.
Click to expand...

From what I'm seeing Chromecast supports native HBO Go, Netflix, Youtube, Hulu Plus, and Pandora now.

It also doesn't mirror over from the streaming device, it just loads the content to Chromecast. Therefor causing your devices battery to save power and stop the lag that you get when streaming to Apple TV.

I don't know, trying to watch more Youtube review right now.
 
canuckle said:
Can you explain please?
Click to expand...

When you stream off your iMac, iPad, iPhone it takes the stuff your streaming from your device, and buffers it to your Apple TV.

With Chromecast it buffers the material directly off the internet vs your device.
 
ghsNick said:
When you stream off your iMac, iPad, iPhone it takes the stuff your streaming from your device, and buffers it to your Apple TV.

With Chromecast it buffers the material directly off the internet vs your device.
Click to expand...

That's not actually the case. Any developer who wants to can have the stream directed to the Airplay device with the iDevice acting only as the control. It's up to developers to implement this properly, however.

Honestly, I think you should be comparing the Appletv to a Roku. For $70 you get a heck of a device. The only thing you'd be missing is Airplay, but Roku has support for most services.
 
ghsNick said:
From what I'm seeing Chromecast supports native HBO Go, Netflix, Youtube, Hulu Plus, and Pandora now.

It also doesn't mirror over from the streaming device, it just loads the content to Chromecast.
Click to expand...
Well, AppleTV does play most of these content providers also natively, getting the stream itself from the network without the need of any other device. I actually think the whole list is on AppleTV, except for Pandora.
 
Since many want to stream/play movies from a hard drive, pretty sure their is no option with the Chromcast.

With Apple TV, you can stream movies if hard drive is connected to computer, and or maybe the network?
 
nostresshere said:
Since many want to stream/play movies from a hard drive, pretty sure their is no option with the Chromcast.

With Apple TV, you can stream movies if hard drive is connected to computer, and or maybe the network?
Click to expand...

You can use plex with chromecast but I think you have to subscribe to plex pass.
 
ghsNick said:
When you stream off your iMac, iPad, iPhone it takes the stuff your streaming from your device, and buffers it to your Apple TV.

With Chromecast it buffers the material directly off the internet vs your device.
Click to expand...

So you're not talking about buffering or jerky playback, just a delay vs realtime?
 
ghsNick said:
From what I'm seeing Chromecast supports native HBO Go, Netflix, Youtube, Hulu Plus, and Pandora now.

It also doesn't mirror over from the streaming device, it just loads the content to Chromecast. Therefor causing your devices battery to save power and stop the lag that you get when streaming to Apple TV.

I don't know, trying to watch more Youtube review right now.
Click to expand...

Except for Pandora and Amazon Prime, you can access all the other services on the Apple TV without another device in between.

Just so we are on the same page.... Do you have a lot of movies/tv shows purchased from itunes?
 
ghsNick said:
It also doesn't mirror over from the streaming device, it just loads the content to Chromecast. Therefor causing your devices battery to save power and stop the lag that you get when streaming to Apple TV.
Click to expand...

I think there may be som misunderstanding here. First of all AirPlay can be divided in three modes:

- AirAudio for pure audio transmission. Typically used by music players. Apps making use of this can be run in the background while you use something else in the foreground or turn your display off.

- AirVideo for video (with audio) transmission. Typically used by apps like NetFlix, HBO and some video players. Apps making use of this can usually be run in the background (exceptions may exist) while you use something else in the foreground or turn your display off.

Last time I checked, AirVideoing for 1.5h with the display off consumed something like 1% or less battery on my iPad, so it is not such huge battery hog as some people claim, at least not from my unscientific experience and neither have I experienced any lag or choppiness.

- AirMirroring where the whole desktop is mirrored. Convenient for apps playing music, videos or pictures with no AirVideo support or if the format they play is not supported by iOS. The apps playing must be in the foreground and the display must be turned on. This mode (which I think you were thinking off) drains the battery a bit more and can show a bit of lag and/or choppiness (not too bad thought).

If you use a MAC and install a Safari extension called ClickToPlgugin, you can send youtube links directly from your computer to ATV. Once done the computer can be turned off (may work for other services as well, but I'm not sure).

The beauty with ATV is that you can pretty much send anything to it from any iOS device (not sure this is the case with ChromeCast).

ghsNick said:
From what I'm seeing Chromecast supports native HBO Go, Netflix, Youtube, Hulu Plus, and Pandora now.
Click to expand...

As mentioned previously, most of these services support AirVideo as well when run from an iOS device. However, they are also natively supported by ATV so you don't need to run them from an iOS device.

Apple also provides an iOS remote for ATV, which makes navigation much easier.
 
Last edited:
There is one other mode I can think of twintin- an app can do real air video, sending content directly to the ATV, but the developer can opt out of allowing the app to be put in the background. The current a Slingbox app uses this mode.
 
I currently have Chromecast. There are some reasons why I really like it, but I am considering going back to Apple TV. I am a heavy Plex user, and I did buy a lifetime PlexPass subscription (mostly to show my appreciation for all the years I've used Plex and the free desktop software but also for use with Chromecast). Some things I like about it is that all I have to do is turn on the TV and then cue up a movie from Plex on my iMac, Macbook Pro, iPad, or Android phone. The Chromecast changes the input for me. I usually use the iPad and can control the movie from there (even volume).

However, I am having issues with losing connectivity with the Chromecast regardless of which device I use to cue the video. This issue either shows up as the video freezing or I lose the ability to control the video from my device. That is very frustrating. If it were not for this, I find that playing my own content through Plex is more convenient with Chromecast than with an Apple TV. I've done this only with a Jailbroken Apple TV 2. The workaround on the Apple TV 3 didn't exist yet the last time I had a 3.

I am probably going back to the Apple TV despite how much I want to like Chromecast for the connectivity issues mentioned above and also for the fact that I have video content I purchased on iTunes and also have music and photos in the Apple Ecosystem that are easier to access on an Apple TV. So I think I am going to move back to the Apple TV for now. Too bad because Chromecast is a nice device and doesn't add more cords/clutter to my setup.

By the way - you can access you iTunes music and playlists through Plex and Chromecast, but isn't nearly as good as on the Apple TV.

(I hope this info helps a little even though our needs and uses are different)
 
I'd echo the advice of others, if you're invested in the Apple ecosystem, then get the Apple TV.

It's a much more refined system and the future looks promising for Apple TV if you listen to the rumours.
 
neilmacd said:
... and the future looks promising for Apple TV if you listen to the rumours.
Click to expand...

Unless Apple does something totally different and ATV gets lost/dumped as they roll out something "better". Not slamming Apple, but that is just how they do things - like the new IOS. We changed the icons for you because we know better.
 
nostresshere said:
Unless Apple does something totally different and ATV gets lost/dumped as they roll out something "better". Not slamming Apple, but that is just how they do things - like the new IOS. We changed the icons for you because we know better.
Click to expand...

Apple Not Yet Ready to Show Major Revamp of Apple TV Hardware

I get that the link above downplays the rumours, but it still has a credible source saying there's something big planned for Apple TV (read: not a television).

But I also sort of agree, Apple need to stop treating ATV as a hobby and start taking it more seriously.
 
DAMAC3 said:
I currently have Chromecast. There are some reasons why I really like it, but I am considering going back to Apple TV. I am a heavy Plex user, and I did buy a lifetime PlexPass subscription (mostly to show my appreciation for all the years I've used Plex and the free desktop software but also for use with Chromecast). Some things I like about it is that all I have to do is turn on the TV and then cue up a movie from Plex on my iMac, Macbook Pro, iPad, or Android phone. The Chromecast changes the input for me. I usually use the iPad and can control the movie from there (even volume).

However, I am having issues with losing connectivity with the Chromecast regardless of which device I use to cue the video. This issue either shows up as the video freezing or I lose the ability to control the video from my device. That is very frustrating. If it were not for this, I find that playing my own content through Plex is more convenient with Chromecast than with an Apple TV. I've done this only with a Jailbroken Apple TV 2. The workaround on the Apple TV 3 didn't exist yet the last time I had a 3.

I am probably going back to the Apple TV despite how much I want to like Chromecast for the connectivity issues mentioned above and also for the fact that I have video content I purchased on iTunes and also have music and photos in the Apple Ecosystem that are easier to access on an Apple TV. So I think I am going to move back to the Apple TV for now. Too bad because Chromecast is a nice device and doesn't add more cords/clutter to my setup.

By the way - you can access you iTunes music and playlists through Plex and Chromecast, but isn't nearly as good as on the Apple TV.

(I hope this info helps a little even though our needs and uses are different)
Click to expand...


How many wifi networks around you?

----------
oldhifi said:
I have the Apple TV and luv it, but I might get the Roku too..
Click to expand...

Family member just got the roku
It pretty good but most of the channels are useless. The good ones are on apple tv
 
DAMAC3 said:
You think interference is the issue? Never have trouble with anything else.
Click to expand...

Some devices can be more sensitive for certain type of interferences than others. My MBA for instance exhibited strange WiFi issues a year ago while all other devices worked OK. Change of WiFi channel resolved the issue.
 
Apple TV or Chromecast?

ghsNick said:
When you stream off your iMac, iPad, iPhone it takes the stuff your streaming from your device, and buffers it to your Apple TV.



With Chromecast it buffers the material directly off the internet vs your device.
Click to expand...


That's true if you are mirroring which Chromecast can't quite do yet (I've read it's in the works and may actually be available now).

However if you are using AirPlay the ATV is using the ATV app not the device which is now just a controller. You can watch the data is coming from via certain routers.

With your Eco system I'd get an Apple TV however chromecast is only 35. So.....risk it! :)
 
Right now, the only advantage the Chromecast has is for playback of median purchased from the Google Play store. You will have access to all of the same channels and many more either via native app on the Apple TV or AirPlay.

One channel you won't have access to using the Chromecast is Amazon Video. Considering there isn't even an app available for Android, I doubt you'll see the iOS app coded for compatibility with Chromecast anytime soon, if ever.

I have both but right now only use the Chromecast when traveling. They're each relatively cheap so you could always try both. If I could only choose one, it would be an Apple TV.
 
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