Hold up. Wait a minute. The term “4K” is a siren song that’ll lure you into buying the best 4K TV you can afford (or maybe one you can’t). It’ll tempt you into paying loopy prices for the premium tiers of streaming services that’ll let you stream in 4K.
But if you’re not using the right streaming device, you may as well save your money. Not all of ’em are equal, but you’re here, your interest piqued by three of the most drool worthy words in tech: Apple, TV, and 4K.
And you can breathe a sigh of relief that if you want the fastest video streaming and the fastest screen navigation, you’re looking at the fastest streaming box on the market. It’ll just empty your wallet faster than all the rest, too, so before you take a bite of this Apple, ask yourself if its trade-offs are worth it.
a fast but cold-feeling ui
It’s hardly news more than a year later, but Apple TV rightfully caught a lot of flak over the years for a user interface so stripped-down, so obsessed with minimalism, that it was frustratingly cumbersome to navigate.
It’s been out since December 2023, but the Apple TV’s redesigned home screen is far better than the old one. It’s not far behind the Roku’s user interface, although I still prefer the latter’s design by a small margin.

The Roku’s backgrounds and screensavers are more playful, with scrolling cityscapes packed with Easter eggs and in-jokes from the history of film and television. I wish Apple wouldn’t put the channels in the sidebar, though.
The Roku’s tiled design for channels keeps them separated in the way that speeds up navigating the sidebar for when I just want to access settings or the channel library without having to scroll past a bunch of channels in the list.

Where I prefer the Apple TV 4K is in its speed. Navigating the screens is so quick, it feels like I’m using my mind to control it psychically. The Roku Ultra 4K is no slouch, and it’s perfectly quick. Maybe the novelty of just how quick the Apple device’s UI is, though, hasn’t worn off yet, but it really is impressive.
streaming speed
Streaming movies and TV shows at 4K resolution was a cakewalk. Played through a TCL QM7, a 55-inch 4K TV with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, every 4K film I threw at it played beautifully. I don’t know what more I could want. It was electrifyingly competent at handling processor-thirsty ultra-high definition video.
I tested the Apple TV 4K box with 128GB of built-in storage ($189). It’s a lot of room for apps and data, and I wouldn’t come close to storing 128GB on a streaming box. Its real attraction is that it comes with an Ethernet port for those who favor a wired internet connection instead of Wi-Fi.
Over my home’s Verizon Fios fiber optic home internet, the Apple TV 4K’s Wi-Fi was fast enough without any stuttering or lagging, or having to step down to 1080p.
The 64GB version ($159) of the Apple TV 4K is enough for most people, but it doesn’t come with an Ethernet port, which is a bummer. That sticks at the heart of the Apple TV 4K’s biggest downside: its price.

The Roku Ultra 4K is its primary competition, and it costs only $79. There’s one version, and it comes with an Ethernet port. You don’t have to use it, but Roku doesn’t charge you extra for it, like Apple does.
You’ll notice how dusty the Apple TV 4K box is in the picture above. I actually dusted it twice, but the box’s gloss black will show every speck of dust, a problem the matte black Roku Ultra 4K doesn’t have.
roku and apple remotes, head to head
The Roku Ultra 4K’s remote is more feature rich than the Apple’s, with hands-free voice control, a customizable Quick Launch shortcut button, and four non-programmable shortcut buttons. Both recharge an internal battery via a USB-C cable.
It’s also more comfortable to hold for long periods of time spent scrolling at the nightmarish, paralyzing wealth of choice on streaming platforms these days. And the Roku remote uses Wi-Fi by default to connect to the box, although it can also use Bluetooth.

The Apple remote only uses Bluetooth, but I’ve never been far enough away from a TV that the Bluetooth becomes spotty and still trying to use it. Apple says the Apple TV 4K has hands-free voice control, but you have to hold down the Siri button on the remote, so it’s not exactly hands free.
Siri is a decent-enough voice assistant, though, and because it ties in with many more devices and Apple gadgets than the Roku’s voice assistant, it integrates better, button be damned. So how could you justify the Apple TV 4K’s higher price?
The Roku Ultra 4K isn’t as fast, but it’s still fast, so it can’t be just that. It’s the Apple design and build materials, particularly in the remote. It’s a hefty chunk of matte aluminum. When my hands meet the edges of slightly cold metal, I get a sensation more akin to handling a premium smartphone than any other remote I’ve ever held.
The button presses are shallow, crisp, and very satisfying to click. More so than the nice but mushier buttons on the Roku. For function, the Roku remote beats it out. But for a premium feel at the expense of some functionality and a higher price, the Apple 4K TV wears the crown.
alternatives
- Roku Ultra 4K for $79: I don’t call it the “best streaming box for watching TV in 4K resolution” for nothing. The Apple TV 4K is a bit faster, with a clean, although less playful and intuitive, user interface. But it comes at a significantly higher price, so except for diehard Apple fans, the Roku Ultra 4K beats it out at about half the price.
- Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $39: Although it’s capable of streaming 4K (including Dolby Vision), too, the Streaming Stick 4K’s processor isn’t as fast as the Apple TV 4K, and it doesn’t support Dolby Atmos audio. The benefit, though, is that it plugs directly into your TV, so you don’t need to hide an ugly HDMI cable and power cord tangling from underneath your TV.
- Roku Express 4K+ for $24: There isn’t much reason to recommend the Express 4K+ over the Streaming Stick 4K. They both lack Dolby Atmos support, but the Express 4K+ also lacks Dolby Vision compatibility, too. Even though the Express 4K+ comes with an adhesive strip so you can stick it on the back of your TV, thus hiding the HDMI cable, you’re still left with a power cord dangling on its way to the wall’s power outlet. It’s only $15 less than the Streaming Stick 4K. Eat peanut butter for lunch one day to save up the difference, if you must.
More
From VICE
-
(Photo by Tom O'Connor/NBAE via Getty Images) -
Amr Bo Shanab/Getty Images -
Screenshot: NetEase Games -
Screenshot: Activision