Apple TV: Is it worth it Or Chromecast?

Rent the latest blockbusters from iTunes, stream music to your TV from your apple device, get apps like Netflix and Sky Sports, have a slideshow of pictures. The box is small and the remote is slick. It’s something that will look good under the TV and the remote is just trendy.
It can also act as a browser for internet on your TV. The selection of apps on the Apple TV, practically means that the Apple TV turns your TV from a standard one to a Smart TV (unless you already had a Smart TV in the first place).
Streaming content from your iPhone or Mac is kind of cool, too. The Apple TV now streams 1080P video (formerly being able to stream only 720P).
Get it all for £79 here (Roughly $100).
Design

Photo credit: cnet.com

This is where the Apple TV excels. It’s a little box that’s extremely simple to set up -’Plug N Play’.
There is built-in WiFi into the device, but nonetheless you get an ethernet port on the back, if you prefer to connect to the internet via a wired connection for faster data speeds.
It’s a simple design and the remote highlights the minimalism. No extra buttons that you’ll never need. With the Apple TV, what you see is what you get.
You get a nice glossy finish around the sides of the box and there is a rubber finish at the bottom of the box, so that it does not fall off a surface.

Interface

Photo credit: cnet.com

You get a Netflix-like grid layout as an interface to browse through films. Personally, I quite like the menu layout. It’s simple to use and effective. Like Netflix, it’s organised into categories. This makes it easy to find popular films at the touch of a button.
You get a nice tilted effect on the slideshows of the films at the top. This gives it a 3D impression and without it, the flat would look sort of dull.Talking of dull, there are menus without that featured part, and so it does bore me. Have a look below.

Photo credit: someinterestingfacts.net

 It looks very much like iOS 5/6. I don’t like that look having had iPhones in the past and getting sick of looking at a similar style for so long. Even if Apple, were to change the black background to the iOS 7 theme, it would look more appealing. With an Apple TV, you might think it’s all about content. But we know how much Apple care about design (just look at the box itself, or look at the designs of Apple stores).
With plenty of movies to watch, you aren’t short of wondering the opportunity cost of the £80 ($100) you spent. Or are you>

Alternatives
For a movie selection, you might be better off getting Netflix/Amazon Prime Instant. Netflix costs £5.99/$7.99 a month. Without that you get a collection of films and TV shows via the cloud. We prefer the Cloud, so it’s one up to the alternatives.
With Apple TV, you are paying for each individual film you buy, whereas with a streaming service like Netflix you pay monthly. There is also a Netflix app on the Apple TV – but we find that it is a bit pointless. Why pay for both?  The Apple TV is not cheap. For films, you’re better off with Netflix. If you like to own movies, rather than just stream them, then the Apple TV might be for you.
Chromecast. We absolutely adore it. You can stream stuff from your laptop, phones (including iPhones, Windows Phones and of course, Android Phones) and tablet. With the Apple TV, Apple locks it down for only Apple devices. Chromecast is the friendly father to all.  It’s dead simple to set up and the best bit about is the price. It can be yours for $35/£30. Wait…a month? A year? Nope! One-off payment. That means that the Apple TV is twice the price of an Apple TV. Chromecast is more device friendly, makes your TV a Smart TV and it’s the size of a small USB memory stick. Google makes it, so you can be sure of good quality.

Photo credit: informitv.com

Don’t worry about losing your remote down the side of the sofa. Why? Because there isn’t one. Your remote is your smartphone, tablet or laptop. If you’re using your smartphone, just imagine – if you lose it, you can just call it!
So we recommend against buying an Apple TV and going for a Chromecast!
Apple TV – Is it worth it? No.
You can purchase it here (UK) or here for US.