If you, as an Apple user, want to make optimal use of a smart TV, you can opt for a built-in AirPlay 2 or an Apple TV. A much cheaper alternative is the ROKU Express 4K, a new TV streaming box that allows you to make everything you see on your iPhone, iPad or Mac visible on the big TV screen.
Smart TVs become less and less smart after a few years. Apps then no longer receive updates and often become unusable. The television itself can still be used for years. Rather than buying a new smart TV with built-in AirPlay 2 or an Apple TV, it’s much cheaper for Apple users to pick up a ROKU Express 4K for a few bucks. As with the much more expensive Apple TV, they can then make everything they see on their iPhone, iPad or Mac visible on the big TV screen. This latest TV streaming box from ROKU has recently been launched in Germany and can therefore now also be ordered in the Netherlands via amazon.de. In the run-up to Black Friday, the ROKU Express 4K is still on sale for just € 24.99 on Amazon for a few more days. You can even buy the HD version for € 14.99. This makes these the cheapest alternatives to the Apple TV that you can buy at the moment. For less than the price of an HDMI adapter, you can now buy a ROKU streamer from Amazon with many more options.
For a few bucks you can show everything from your iPhone, iPad or Mac on your 4K TV
Cheapest Apple TV Alternative
There are many such streaming TV cabinets and sticks. The big difference is that only ROKU on their products also supports AirPlay 2. Compared to the Apple TV, this ROKU streamer lacks support for Apple Music and the Arcade game service, but you can play everything wirelessly on your TV in 4K HDR quality via ROKU. Furthermore, this ROKU does not support Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and you cannot give commands with your voice with these cheap versions. ROKU does sell this new fast 4K streamer (containing the same processor as in the most expensive Ultra version) in a slightly more expensive 4k+ version with a slightly more luxurious remote control, volume control via your TV, voice support that was unfortunately not yet for sale at the German Amazon. . The remote control has 4 handy speed dial buttons for Netflix, Apple TV, Spotify and Rakuten. These are fixed buttons that you cannot link to another service. ROKU also sells a ROKU Voice Remote Pro for about 3 bucks with a rechargeable battery, voice control and two buttons that you can connect to a service yourself.
The ROKU Express 4K is the cheapest Apple TV alternative
Lots of extra options
The ROKU Express 4K comes complete with HDMI cable, a mini USB cable and charger. If your TV has a USB output, you often don’t need that charger. Everything is smoothly displayed on the screen via the 802.11AC Dual band WiFi. It is also nice that you can connect an Ethernet adapter to the mini USB port to use a wired network. If that Ethernet adapter also has a USB connection, you can also show content from a USB stick. ROKU also supplies a sticker with which you can stick the cabinet under your TV. There are also slightly more expensive models in stick form that you can put invisibly in the back of your TV. Advantages of these latest ROKU models are the fast operation, low prices and the simple interface. Youtube videos can be played in 4K quality at 60 frames per second. Apple TV, Spotify and Netflix also work great. You can place the apps in any order you want. It is a pity that due to geo-blocking in the Netherlands, a number of channels such as the free own ROKU channel are not yet available.
All ROKU products support Airplay 2 and Apple HomeKit
Remote on your iPhone and Apple Watch
There are tons of remote control apps for ROKU streamers. Since the official ROKU app with voice support is not present in the Dutch AppStore, I chose the Rokie app after some comparison. With that app you can control everything even more easily via your iPhone or Apple Watch for € 2.99. Typing is much easier in such an app than choosing letter for letter via the remote control. The interactive touch surface of the Rokie app works very well on the iPhone, but on the Apple Watch you can also easily control everything from your wrist in 3 different screens.
Also with your Apple Watch you can control everything on your ROKU with the Rokie app
Bert van Dijk
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