TV Streaming Devices Square Off

Do you want to stream TV via the Internet? There are a number of devices that you can procure for this purpose. Many of them are multitasking devices such as video game consoles. Google and Apple, however, have both created dedicated devices. Let’s take a look at the Chromecast from Google and see how it compares to Apple TV.

The first thing you are going to notice is a difference in price. Chromecast is a steal at . Of course, that makes some buyers wary, so let’s look at the features. You might decide to shell out a hundred dollars on Apple TV instead.

Going by size, Chromecast has the clear advantage over the hockey puck sized Apple TV. Chromecast resembles a flash drive. Location is important too. You’ll need a place to set down your Apple TV device. The Chromecast just plugs in the HDMI port. It also only weighs about an eighth of what the Apple TV device does, but since you only have to carry it to the register (or from the mailbox) then you probably don’t care a whole lot about weight.

Did we mention that the Chromecast plugs directly into your HDMI port? If you pick up an Apple TV device, don’t forget to purchase an HDMI cable to go with it since there isn’t one included.

Both devices are full HD. Both also give you access to your own content. Apple TV uses your mobile devices, while Google’s device relies on capturing what you have in the cloud. Both have single core processors and half a GB of RAM.

This is where the balance starts to shift. Apple TV has four times the storage of the Chromecast with eight GBs total. Since the Chromecast just launched, Apple sports way more channels, but it’s only a matter of time until Google catches up. Also, only Apple lets you mirror your mobile devices.

Right now, Apple is clinging tenaciously to the advantage in channels, so unless you are primarily wanting a device for Netflix, YouTube and Google Play, you may need to consider spending the extra money on Apple TV.