People looking to purchase a Roku also shouldn't mind spending more than the Chromecast to get all of these features, and don't need the benefits of AirPlay.We’ve spent years testing (and living with) all the streaming devices, dongles, boxes, and sticks from Amazon, Roku, Google, Apple, and Nvidia, and we're certain that the best streaming device for most people is ( still) the Roku Ultra (2022) Plus, not only is it great at online streaming, but it's also effective when it comes to local streaming. The Roku is for people who want the most out of their media streaming device, simply because it offers so many channels. It also has an Ethernet port in addition to Wi-Fi, and it also boasts a microSD slot to expand its storage capacity. If you need support for older TVs, you may need to look at the Roku 1 or 2 which offer older connection ports. Audio also goes over HDMI, and there's no alternate connection available. Supported formats include MP4 (H.264), MKV (H.264), AAC, MP3, JPG, and PNG. The Roku 3 can support 1080p and 720p resolutions over its HDMI port. The Roku 3 also had exceptional performance for its small size. Since the Roku 2, there's a handy feature that lets you listen to the audio via a headphone jack located in the remote. For all other formats, you should be able to play it on the Apple TV so long as you're able to play it in iTunes on a computer. The Apple TV supports up to 1080p resolution when playing H.264-encoded videos MPEG-4 videos in 480p resolution, and M-JPEG videos in 720p resolution. That's not a problem if you already use that software, but not everyone does. The downside is having to use iTunes, whether it be syncing or remote access. ![]() You can sync the Apple TV with another computer that runs iTunes, or access an iTunes library via Wi-Fi while that computer is turned on. The only requirement is that you need an Apple ID to use it, but the Roku also requires you to register for an account.Īside from streaming media from online sources, it can also play locally-stored, iTunes-compatible content. You won't even need to use a computer and a web browser like you do with the Chromecast. Setting up the Apple TV is very simple - just follow the on-screen instructions. You can buy an Apple TV from Amazon or Apple, which isn't too bad, but it ties with the Roku 3 as the most expensive option. Otherwise, you must own an Internet-connected supported device to use the Chromecast. The only "local" playback is playing music strong your smartphone through Play Music. If you have any local media that you'd like to play, you're out of luck. In case you haven't noticed, the Chromecast is highly oriented towards online content. You won't have to worry about formats, because as long as you're able to play it in the supported apps (and thereby be able to stream it), then you're good to go. ![]() It only supports the HDMI output as there are literally no other connections - no, you can't use the micro-USB port as an output. Of course, the Chromecast supports up to 1080p resolution. There's also an extension for Chrome on your computer where you can mirror any Chrome tab to the Chromecast, but my own testing has found that this drastically slows down your computer's performance, and the video output on your TV screen isn't exactly buttery smooth either. Any Google media app such as Google Play Music, YouTube, etc., and a few other third-party apps such as Hulu, HBO Go, Red Bull TV, Pandora, VEVO, and Songza can stream content to the Chromecast. The number of apps and services that can take advantage of the Chromecast is growing, but is still relatively low.
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