Compare Chromecast Ultra, Apple TV 4K, Roku Ultra and Amazon Fire 4K

The market for online streaming equipment is more competitive than ever. Today, for a specific price, there are many devices to choose from.

However, if you want the best product, you should invest in devices that support 4K video. Many of the most popular streaming services are also targeting this format.

In fact, you have 4 main 4K devices to choose from: Chromecast Ultra, Apple TV 4K, Roku Ultra and Amazon Fire TV 4K.

What are each special options? Which option has the best specs? Which has the widest content selection? And what is the best option? Let's take a closer look through the following article. The 4K HD TVs are also reviewed by Best Pick TV.

Compare Chromecast Ultra, Apple TV 4K, Roku Ultra and Amazon Fire 4K

1. Chromecast Ultra
   1. Technical specifications
   2. content
2. Apple TV 4K
   1. Technical specifications
   2. content
3. Roku Ultra
   1. Technical specifications
   2. content
4. Amazon Fire TV 4K
   1. Technical specifications
   2. content
5. Which device should you buy?

Chromecast Ultra

Compare Chromecast Ultra, Apple TV 4K, Roku Ultra and Amazon Fire 4K Picture 1

The Chromecast Ultra is twice as expensive as a regular Chromecast, but for those who want a device that is compatible with 4K format, this product is 'worth the money'.

Technical specifications

Chromecast Ultra is Google's product in the field of 2160p video.

The application can play 4K content from any device connected to the wireless network and is also compatible with HDR content (High Dynamic Range). For those who don't know HDR yet, it allows videos to have more vivid contrast, wider color palettes and higher brightness levels.

There is another significant difference between Chromecast Ultra and regular Chromecast. That is the presence of an Ethernet port. It means that you can plug it into a wired network and (theoretically) enjoy a faster and more stable connection.

Inside the product, you will find Marvell Armada 1500 Mini Plus 88DE3009 chip, 256MB RAM, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n / ac support and both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. Chromecast Ultra weighs 1.66 ounces (about 47g).

In technical terms, the two most prominent disadvantages of Chromecast Ultra are the lack of remote control and the lack of user interface.

content

Chromecast acts as a bridge between a mobile phone or a laptop and a TV. As such, most mainstream applications on both Android and iOS are compatible with Chromecast. Many less popular streaming applications have included this functionality.

CBS, Google Play, WatchESPN, YouTube, iHeartRadio, Google Play Music, HBO NOW, Hulu, MLB.tv, Netflix, Pandora, Showtime Anytime and Spotify all support this technology.

It's easy to see the name Amazon Video is not in this list. Amazon and Google have not found a common voice in the past, however, the lack of Amazon Video support is something that Google needs to overcome in the near future.

Apple TV 4K

Compare Chromecast Ultra, Apple TV 4K, Roku Ultra and Amazon Fire 4K Picture 2

Apple TV 4K is the fifth generation of Apple TV products. Apple unveiled the device in September 2017, and the product first came to customers a few months later.

Technical specifications

With the 6-core Apple A10X Fusion processor, Apple TV 4K offers the most powerful processor in the product line to date.

Users can also expect 7.1 surround sound, support Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac networks and Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI 2.0 and infrared receivers. You can choose between 32GB and 64GB models.

Apple TV 4K form is also very beautiful. Like every other Apple product, this device looks very premium. Meanwhile, Roku and Amazon Fire devices have a somewhat cheap look.

Perhaps most disappointing is that Apple TV 4K only provides 3GB of DRAM memory. Significantly less than other devices on this list. With the 'premium' price offered by this device, users will definitely expect more.

content

By the end of 2017, Apple TV had the same problem as Chromecast: Lack of support for Amazon Video.

However, this app has appeared in more than 100 countries, meaning Apple TV now offers apps from all the leading online streaming services.

On the other hand, the App Store rigidity means that the availability of 'distinct' online streaming applications is reduced. You can't even download and sideload installation files (install apps from other sources) as easily as you can on Android devices.

Notably, the integration of Siri is not really popular among third-party applications, and makes it a very unrealistic way to find content.

Roku Ultra

Compare Chromecast Ultra, Apple TV 4K, Roku Ultra and Amazon Fire 4K Picture 3

In mid-2017, Roku simplified its product line into 5 independent devices. Roku Ultra is the top premium model. Among Roku's products, only the Roku Ultra and Roku Streaming Stick + provide 4K resolution.

Technical specifications

Like Chromecast Ultra, the Roku Ultra offers both wired and wireless connectivity. Wireless connection in the form of MIMO dual band 802.11ac.

On the back of the device, you will also find the micro SD card slot so you can expand Ultra's memory and USB port for local playback.

Other notable features include support for HDR, 'night listening' mode, remote finder when lost, screen projection via Miracast and voice search via the included remote control.

content

Roku is a set-top box (device that decodes TV signals and then transfers image and audio data to the TV screen) streaming the best content on the market. But unlike the three biggest competitors - Apple, Google and Amazon - Roku does not offer its own video or music streaming service.

Roku relies on ensuring that as many applications as possible are available on this platform. Roku has never been involved in a 'retaliatory' fight with other manufacturers.

Interestingly, Roku recently launched his own ad-supported movie channel. It's a great way to catch up with Hollywood releases if you hate Netflix and other great streaming services.

Roku also allows you to install separate channels. The company offers a variety of live television and video on demand programs.

Amazon Fire TV 4K

Compare Chromecast Ultra, Apple TV 4K, Roku Ultra and Amazon Fire 4K Picture 4

Amazon has released a completely new Amazon Fire TV 4K by the end of 2017, providing for the first time 4K video support for the product.

Technical specifications

Amazon Fire can play videos at 2160p (4K), 1080p and 720p resolutions. It is equipped with 4-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU and Mali-450 GPU. The previous Modele Fire had a Mediatek 8127D CPU, so the new release marked a significant improvement.

It supports both wired and wireless connections (802.11 a / b / g / n / ac; 2 × 2 MIMO). Like the Chromecast Ultra, Amazon Fire works with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wireless bands.

It also has 8GB of internal memory and 2GB of RAM, works with Bluetooth 4.2 and LE, can read H.265 (HEVC), H.264 and VP9 video codecs.

content

Amazon Fire runs on a heavily modified version of the Android TV operating system. Since it has been modified, it does not support Google Play Services. Therefore, you cannot run any Google suite of applications such as Gmail, Keep or Calendar.

However, the Amazon Appstore offers all major applications, including Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video and Google Play Movies. You can also play some free games on Fire TV.

Because Amazon Fire is an Amazon product, it is also compatible with Alexa. Thus, you can use the device to control your entire smart home.

Which device should you buy?

It is not easy to identify a clear winner.

In terms of content, it's hard to ignore Roku Ultra, especially when you can be confident that the company will not suddenly block access to the application if a dispute occurs.

Meanwhile, the Chromecast Ultra won, in terms of flexibility, despite the fact that it acts as a bridge between mobile phones and TVs can be both advantages and disadvantages.

There's no denying Apple TV 4K is the best looking option among the options on this list, and Amazon Fire TV 4K is the 'most balanced' product between usability and cost.

All of these 4K streaming devices are reliable options. Choosing which products depends on what you value most and are willing to accept.

Wish you find a good product!

See more:

1. How to use 4K TV as a computer screen
2. What's special about 8K TV? The hottest 8K TV series today
3. The difference between Smart TV and Internet TV
4. What is 4K projector?

Jessica Tanner

Update 26 March 2019