Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple TV, Roku or something else?
- Thread starter iRock1
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Apple TV, Roku or something else?
Which services does the Roku offer for renting and buying movies? Because I live out of the US, and the Netflix catalogue is incredibly poor here.
Luckily the iTunes Store provides more recent movies in SD and HD, subbed and dubbed, and for sale and renting, but I really want to stream movies from my Mac that are out of the iTunes ecosystem as well.
Such a difficult decision.
Which services does the Roku offer for renting and buying movies? Because I live out of the US, and the Netflix catalogue is incredibly poor here.
Luckily the iTunes Store provides more recent movies in SD and HD, subbed and dubbed, and for sale and renting, but I really want to stream movies from my Mac that are out of the iTunes ecosystem as well.
Such a difficult decision.
If iTunes offers the best selection of movies for purchase or rent, get an Apple TV and then setup PlexConnect to allow you to stream your local non-iTunes content.
What about Movies through Google Play? If you went with a Chromecast you could rent through Google Play and stream your own content through PLEX.
It probably very much depends on which country you live in.
For example, in the UK, the only option for renting on the Roku is Sky Store. This has limitations such as no option to buy movies, no tv shows, and there does not appear to be 2-tier SD/HD pricing (you pay the equivalent of iTunes HD price for everything). I suspect size of movie rental catalogue is probably also much smaller than iTunes.
We don't even get Amazon Instant Video.
So for these reasons I ended up keeping my Apple TV even after I bought my Roku. I use my Apple TV watching rented/purchased movies and tv shows from iTunes and my Roku for everything else (local content from my NAS, Netflix, national channels not available on Appple TV such as BBC iPlayer, 4oD, and Now TV).
If Google ever added Google Play to Roku or if Amazon ever added Instant Video to Roku UK, I'd probably get rid of my Apple TV
Last edited:
Well, here the situation is far worse. After some research has been done, it turns out that the only services officially available here are Netflix and the iTunes Store.
As I see it, these are my options:
1) Going with the Roku 3 (or maybe the new one by Amazon?), assuming that I'll be limited to the incredibly poor Netflix catalogueand that what's not there will have to be purchased in physical format, then ripped and streamed from my Mac to my TV via Plex.
2) Going with the Apple TV, so I have a wider variety of contents between Netflix and iTunes. The downside here is that I couldn't watch my movies and TV series in MKV, which are a lot.
3) Purchasing both?
Well, here the situation is far worse. After some research has been done, it turns out that the only services officially available here are Netflix and the iTunes Store.
As I see it, these are my options:
1) Going with the Roku 3 (or maybe the new one by Amazon?), assuming that I'll be limited to the incredibly poor Netflix catalogueand that what's not there will have to be purchased in physical format, then ripped and streamed from my Mac to my TV via Plex.
2) Going with the Apple TV, so I have a wider variety of contents between Netflix and iTunes. The downside here is that I couldn't watch my movies and TV series in MKV, which are a lot.
3) Purchasing both?
2. Can you just use Plexconnect on the AppleTV? I do on occasion. Or if you have a Mac convert those for iTunes?
3. You could always do that if you have the expendable income. Maybe do that then see which actually works better for you personally then sell the other.
Also if you have a Mac and a decent local network don't rule out airplay. Although I have accts for all my services I generally airplay mirror my iMac so I can multitask as I enjoy (netflix, hulu, etc). So if you can do it on the computer then the AppleTV can do the rest albeit there is some quality lost by mirroring.
Just in case it wasn't mentioned - Chromecast will not work in hotels. They say it's not secure. I like Roku for its gigantic selection of channels but I take my AppleTV with me on the road.
Apple TV, Roku or something else?
Using Plexconnect on the Apple TV is a risk. Nothing guarantees that a simple firmware update won't make it useless, so it doesn't seem too smart to make a purchase decision based on unofficial software.
Using Plexconnect on the Apple TV is a risk. Nothing guarantees that a simple firmware update won't make it useless, so it doesn't seem too smart to make a purchase decision based on unofficial software.
Last edited:
I'll admit to that and it was on my mind typing that post.
However if you want iTunes streaming and plex then getting an AppleTV is the best bet. A later purchase of chromecast for 35 is a worst case scenario.
Apple TV, Roku or something else?
I was thinking the same. Now, I need to know a few things about the ATV 3rd gen:
1) Does it automatically update? (To prevent installing new versions of the firmware that might mess up the Plexconnect hack.)
2) How does the hack really work? Does it feel exactly like if it was a native app? Is the experience identical to using the official Plex channel on a Roku 3? Please be honest.
3) Can I play games on my TV using AirPlay from my Mac? Is there a lag?
I was thinking the same. Now, I need to know a few things about the ATV 3rd gen:
1) Does it automatically update? (To prevent installing new versions of the firmware that might mess up the Plexconnect hack.)
2) How does the hack really work? Does it feel exactly like if it was a native app? Is the experience identical to using the official Plex channel on a Roku 3? Please be honest.
3) Can I play games on my TV using AirPlay from my Mac? Is there a lag?
Apple TV, Roku or something else?
1. Not if you turn off auto update.
2. It's like an iPhone. A wall of icons each being a different channel. Apple makes the apps while others supply the content (HBO, YouTube, etc). The channels are lacking vs their iOS and Android alternatives. If using airplay (not mirroring) from an iOS device you use the apps normally except when you actually play something the video goes to the tv. The app remains running on the iOS device. So the only difference is the video is on your TV not your iPhone/iPad.
3. Yes you can and yes there is lag. With a GOOD local network there is less lag then a lightning connector to HDMI direct connection (not as fast as the 30 pin though). That said angry birds and similar will be fine you wouldn't want to play a first person shooter IMO but for what it is it does it well.
Edit : YouTube plex on AppleTV 3. It's probably not AS good but it's not bad either.
1. Not if you turn off auto update.
2. It's like an iPhone. A wall of icons each being a different channel. Apple makes the apps while others supply the content (HBO, YouTube, etc). The channels are lacking vs their iOS and Android alternatives. If using airplay (not mirroring) from an iOS device you use the apps normally except when you actually play something the video goes to the tv. The app remains running on the iOS device. So the only difference is the video is on your TV not your iPhone/iPad.
3. Yes you can and yes there is lag. With a GOOD local network there is less lag then a lightning connector to HDMI direct connection (not as fast as the 30 pin though). That said angry birds and similar will be fine you wouldn't want to play a first person shooter IMO but for what it is it does it well.
Edit : YouTube plex on AppleTV 3. It's probably not AS good but it's not bad either.
Last edited:
2. I was referring to the experience of using Plex Connect on the ATV. However I searched some videos on YouTube and I discovered that the experience is way different from a native app. Having to access to the Trailers app and then to another submenu isn't a big dealbut having to open a Terminal window and keeping it running on my Mac every time I want to turn on the TV and watch a movie, that's a pain in the back.
3. I wanted to play some first-person shooters and racing games. So I guess the ATV is useless in that regard.
Well, here the situation is far worse. After some research has been done, it turns out that the only services officially available here are Netflix and the iTunes Store.
As I see it, these are my options:
1) Going with the Roku 3 (or maybe the new one by Amazon?), assuming that I'll be limited to the incredibly poor Netflix catalogueand that what's not there will have to be purchased in physical format, then ripped and streamed from my Mac to my TV via Plex.
2) Going with the Apple TV, so I have a wider variety of contents between Netflix and iTunes. The downside here is that I couldn't watch my movies and TV series in MKV, which are a lot.
3) Purchasing both?
If there are no compelling local channels on Roku that are not available on ATV, that weakens it's appeal quite a bit. Which country by the way?
However, I'd suggest purchasing both the roku and the Apple TV and decide for yourself which fits your needs best. You might as well buy used - since they just sit under the TV, used devices will be in near mint condition anyway. Also, if you don't need the wired Ethernet or USB port, you could get one of the cheaper Roku's - the streaming stick perhaps.
Do you find the scrolling really slow? Last time I tried it, the scrolling was slow enough to annoy me.
Nope, speedy enough, as fast as my apple tv 3
Hrrmmm. Maybe time I gave it another go - maybe they have optimised things a lot since i last tried it.
But it has Plex. Being able to play my local library is 50% of the functionality I need.
I don't need the USB port, but on the other side, I'm not sure about how the WiFi will handle the streaming of 1080p, and I might end up needing an Ethernet connection.
2. Yep, it's not that bad using terminal with a proper scripted but that's a valid concern. Everything else > AppleTV when it comes to plex access.
3. No wireless mirror will be IMO but as far as others are concerned I feel ATV is the best by a landslide. That's only my opinion though.
This past weekend I had to restart my Amazon Fire TV several times in order to stream properly or get PLEX to work. It was working fine for a week now i'm seeing these issues. I might have to get a roku instead, at least it streams video files directly from a hard drive from what I remember. Plus it has amazon prime.
Apple TV, Roku or something else?
I use a Chromecast for everything. Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO, Google Music, YouTube, Podcasts, Plex. It's so much easier to find something to watch on my phone than on some clunky TV UI.
I use a Chromecast for everything. Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO, Google Music, YouTube, Podcasts, Plex. It's so much easier to find something to watch on my phone than on some clunky TV UI.
I slightly retract retract my previous statement. Depending on the FPS its definitely playable. I just played Elder Scrolls Online for about the last 4-5 hours from my Mac to my ATV. Graphics are all maxed out and to my surprise it was rather enjoyable experience.
I still don't think a game like Battlefield would be that great but something like ESO where you can be a little stratgeic and take your time its very much a playable experience...
Yes, it streams from a Hard Disk just fine. I have a 2tb united connected to my router for when I download movies. The Roku 3 pulls them from there with the Roku Media Player Channel just fine.