We’re big fans of Apple products for a variety of reasons, but mainly due to their integration with each other: iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs all ‘talk’ with each other with ease and convenience. But when it comes to TV sets, we were woefully disappointed by the experience that we get from our AppleTV. The remote itself is reason to throw it out a window, with it’s odd trackpad and far-too-small profile that makes holding it while using it uncomfortable – and predictably impossible to find when it inevitably winds up in-between the couch cushions. Then there’s the price, well into the $100’s of dollars depending on which version you decide to get.
But perhaps the most discouraging feature from AppleTV versus other options is the lack of any genuine, usable benefit over other, far less expensive solutions. In fact, I’d say the experience is actually a detriment due to the completely inconvenient remote control, which you use to navigate nearly everywhere and do nearly everything. In comparison, devices like Amazon’s FireTV Stick or a Roku device are a fraction of the cost and offer access to the same library of content with an incredibly similar – if not improved – user experience.
In our household, we’ve tried all three devices out, and even have a few SmartTVs (from Samsung and LG). Out of all of these options, we unanimously use Amazon’s FireTV Stick for all of our TV sets, even if they include a Smart OS of some sort. None of those other devices or software programs come close to the convenience, responsiveness, speed, and quality that we get with our Amazon FireTV. If there’s a compromise that is being made between getting a FireTV Stick for $50 (or less, since they’re often on some sort of sale) and spending over $100 for an AppleTV or some SmartTV program, I can’t find it. Every experience that we have had on our FireTV Stick is either as-good-if-not-better than the ones being offered on any other Smart portal or device.
BUT! Not every FireTV Stick is created equal.
We’ve learned the hard way that there is a decided improvement in performance from different FireTV models. In particular, we’ve found that this Amazon FireTV 4K Stick is the one that gets the job done easily and with a snappy responsiveness that other models can be lacking. You can spring for some of the more expensive units as well, we’ve found that all of the 4K versions work equally well, but you get a great experience even with the FireTV 4K Stick.