Santa’s sleigh might just be filled with connected TV devices this holiday season. Over the course of the past week, three different people approached me with the same question: “I’m looking to buy either an Apple TV or Roku 2 for a gift, which should I get?”
In each case, my answer was a bit different based on the kind of content and existing technologies the gift recipient currently wants/has.
Apple TV vs. Roku 2
Apple TV’s AirPlay feature is perfect for those who are heavy iPhone/iPad/iTunes users. I personally love the ability to seamlessly finish listening to a song or watching a movie from my mobile device on to my home theater when I get home. I demoed this functionality a year ago. It’s also great for sharing photos or user generated videos from your device onto the TV screen instead of huddle around a small device – I recently did this when my family was over during Labor Day – the modern day “carousel” slide show.
The Roku Player streams 1080p video and has a lot more content channels. Both Apple TV and Roku support Netflix and Hulu Plus but Roku also has an HBO Gochannel. This past July their latest product line (Roku 2) launched with a slick new design and motion sensor remote control supporting a series of casual games including the ever popular Angry Birds. Check out my Social TV (book) interview with Roku’s head of Marketing from July.