In my opinion, the Roku 3 is the best Apple TV competitor, but does that make it better? Recently, I picked up a Roku 3 to do some testing and comparisons between the two set-top boxes and was surprised at Roku’s wide variety of content. Check out my unboxing/comparison video above, then watch the setup and overview video.
I think it’s time for Apple to step it up in the Apple TV department. Overall, Apple TV has a much better build quality than the Roku 3, but does that really matter when it’s sitting behind your TV or on a shelf? The Roku interface is quite impressive as well.
The Roku’s interface recently received a nice overhaul and it’s definitely paying off. I found the user interface to be simplistic, while offering tons of free and paid content. If you’re looking for a good set-top streaming box, Roku may be the way to go.
The only two things you miss out on with a Roku 3 are AirPlay and native iTunes support. Of course, the iTunes problem can easily be solved by installing the Plex app on your Roku box and the companion app on your computer. This will allow you to stream media from your computer to the Roku straight from your file directories.
Check out the videos and let me know what you think.
