Basically title says it all - if I get an Xbox Series X, do I really need an AppleTV? What can it do that the Xbox can't?
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.
Do I need an AppleTV if I get an XBOX?
- Thread starter TSE
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
That's a good question. I suspect it's fair to say the benefits of ATV will not be much above any device that can stream at 4k. IMHO most important questions are:
what apps do you use: If they're all available on Xbox then that is IMHO the biggest item. For some odd reason the Spectrum App is available on a couple of streaming platforms. If you have Spectrum then ATV would be worth it (as an example).
UI: is the Xbox UI good for your app changing, channel guides, etc?
Standards: are you trying to run specific A/V standards. I don't know of anything that ATV does that Xbox doesn't. Does ATV use HDMI 2.1? (I am hoping Apple does something with that, right now they don't that I am aware of).
ATV does have a seamless integration with other Apple devices. That's a nice convenience iIFyou're in the Apple eco (I do. One gripe: APPs would auto route to ATV. Hoping that is the case in a future release).
Ultimately is it worth it to buy ATV on its own? For the majority of users the benefit for ATV is unlikely necessary if you have a good streaming capable device that provides good apps and at least a fair UI.
what apps do you use: If they're all available on Xbox then that is IMHO the biggest item. For some odd reason the Spectrum App is available on a couple of streaming platforms. If you have Spectrum then ATV would be worth it (as an example).
UI: is the Xbox UI good for your app changing, channel guides, etc?
Standards: are you trying to run specific A/V standards. I don't know of anything that ATV does that Xbox doesn't. Does ATV use HDMI 2.1? (I am hoping Apple does something with that, right now they don't that I am aware of).
ATV does have a seamless integration with other Apple devices. That's a nice convenience iIFyou're in the Apple eco (I do. One gripe: APPs would auto route to ATV. Hoping that is the case in a future release).
Ultimately is it worth it to buy ATV on its own? For the majority of users the benefit for ATV is unlikely necessary if you have a good streaming capable device that provides good apps and at least a fair UI.
One of he main differences between an actual ATV and the ATV app on third party devices is iTunes Extras on movie purchases as the third party device app doesn’t have them.
For some people they don’t really care for movie extras but for some movies those Extras might include any Directors/Extended cuts. Avatar Special Edition for example has 3 versions of the film available, Superman The Movie has the 3hr TV as an Extra.
Other than that the only other difference is the bit rates are slightly lower on the ATV app compared to an actual ATV.
For some people they don’t really care for movie extras but for some movies those Extras might include any Directors/Extended cuts. Avatar Special Edition for example has 3 versions of the film available, Superman The Movie has the 3hr TV as an Extra.
Other than that the only other difference is the bit rates are slightly lower on the ATV app compared to an actual ATV.
Last edited:
In addition to what is noted above, the Apple TV has integration with iCloud to make your iTunes collection available for streaming. There are ways around this however. You can install Plex Media Server on your Mac or PC, then connect via Plex on the Xbox. This makes your entire downloaded / ripped / purchased music collection accessible. Movies and TV shows that are downloaded through iTunes on the Mac (or PC) can also be streamed through Plex.
How about the ATV doesn’t consume 300 watts of power when it’s used, is silent, doesn’t need a 2GB update daily to function, and takes up virtually no space?
Things that I missed in my post regarding ATV benefits that posters Almostinsane, Verticalsmile, Axiomaticrubric aptly pointed out:
1. Home hub
2. Significantly less power consumption, significantly smaller footprint
3. Seemless iCloud->music benefit (this one I use frequently).