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Message: [QUOTE="techmichelle, post: 210300, member: 13258"]The Roku 3 and the 3rd generation Apple TV both have their fair share  of fans. But in a world of buffets, openness and  simplicity, the Roku 3 I would guess, has many more.[ATTACH]2347[/ATTACH]Both the  Apple TV and Roku 3 have a small footprint (scratch that, a tiny  footprint), although the Apple set-top-box has a slightly larger one.  Whether that matters to you is a personal choice. However, when looking  at the content selection, and not just the amount but the type, the Roku  sets itself apart from the Apple TV by far as many I'm sure would have  to agree.<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BGGDVOO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BGGDVOO&linkCode=as2&tag=dtvusaforum3-20">Roku 3 at Amazon for $99</a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=Apple%20TV&linkCode=ur2&tag=dtvusaforum3-20&url=search-alias%3Daps">Apple TV at Amazon for $96</a>If an inidivudal is already married to iOS devices, Mac  products, AirPlay, and iTunes and is OK with the proprietary world that  they belong to, many of the limitations of the Apple box are  non-existant. And "jail breaking" can certaonly open things up even  more.To explain further let's talk about the content sources for each box.Apple TV keeps you in the Mac world while the Roku 3 lets you roam free[ATTACH]2348[/ATTACH]As  far as the ports go on each box the Roku offers more ways to connect to  more devices. Local content is a thumb drive or external hard drive  away, a feature largely lacking on the Apple box. The Apple box has USB  connectivity but it is meant for maintenance tasks and not content  storage.Have content on the local network? No problem with the  Roku, but with the Apple TV, as long as you're rolling with AirPlay and  the content is on a connected system part of the iTunes library, then,  and only then (jailbreaking aside), you are in business.In addition, the Roku boasts a micro SD slot for even more options to display local media including photos, music, etc.[ATTACH]2349[/ATTACH]While  both boxes have top channels including Netflix, YouTube (although not  natively for the Roku), Hulu and some sports channels, the Roku 3 has a  wide range of channels not found on Apple TV's set-top. Why is that? It  mostly has to do with the openness of the platform to 3rd party  developers, something that Apple may work towards in the future but so  far it is a largely closed system.The Roku has a giant selection  of both free and paid content. It even has local TV options, and options  for watching episodes of TV shows the day after they air. It's a cable  cutter's dream.While both interface's are attractive, the Roku  has better advanced customization and less work needs to be done to  reach the desired content. Most areas of the Roku's UI have improved  since the previous version, but some of the deeper layers are still  using the older, less intuitive style.The "must have" Amazon  Instant Video, and HBO Go are key channels that are present on the Roku  but not it's Apple competitor. It has plenty of kid's content with the  Disney channel, Spotify and Pandora for music discovery, as well as  social apps for connectivity to Facebook and Flickr accounts.In  terms of remotely controlling the viewing experience from a smartphone,  both devices have decent apps that do the job, and as many agree, there  is no clear winner there.Play games on the Roku 3 but not the Apple TV[ATTACH]2350[/ATTACH]Games  like Angry Birds and many others are available on the Roku box. So it's  not just TV shows and movie content, you are given options for other  types of apps as well.In fact, even the remote control for the  Roku doubles as a gamepad, similar to what is used on the Nintendo Wii.  Many people like the light weight and simplicity of the Apple TV remote,  while others like the fact that their Roku can easily expand to a  gaming platform.On the downside for the Roku though, many have  reported the Roku as "a gaming device for non-gamers," indicating that  it's just for someone that's not too into it. This has a lot to do with  issues with remote-to-TV responsiveness that some people are  experiencing. Perhaps the Ouya or GamePop would be more appropriate for  those interested in mobile gaming.Now, continuing on the topic of  the remote control that comes with the Roku, one key feature that  stands out is the headphone jack that instantly mutes the TV when in  use. To understand what that means, consider the experience on an  airplane where many people can watch different shows even though they  are seated right near eachother. And some don't need to watch TV at all  and no one is disturbed by the other's TV watching.In essence, private TV watching is an option for Roku users, which is a stand-out feature and one many consider the best.Search anything and everything on the RokuThe  search feature on the Roku is like no other. You aren't searching  individual channels, you are searching everything. You run a query and  the results page will very quickly spit out all of the sources of the  content that matches the query.You can learn what the cost is, if  any, to consume that content. And if the content belongs to a paid  subscription service such as Netflix that you have an account with, that  content will be highlighted. Why display the pay option on Amazon, when  you already subscribe to Netflix?This basic, yet powerful search  functionality is not part of most set-top-boxes, it's not just the  Apple TV device that lacks it.Both streaming boxes cost the same, but Roku 3 wins with more overall value and content Both  the Apple TV and the Roku 3 can be purchased for less than $100 before  taxes. The Roku is about $0.99 more if we're getting technical.Apple  lovers and those that have mass video content collections tied to  iTunes might see the Apple TV box as having more value, but the clear  winner, especially when starting from scratch, I feel is the Roku 3.  Many reviews found online tend to agree with that.[/QUOTE]

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