The day of needing a hefty satellite dish installed to becharm the latest show are behind us , with Wi - Fi powered boxes a much easier way to stream contentedness .
With theSky Streambox earning a well-nigh utter 4.5 - star rating from us , while theApple TV 4Kachieved a glowing five - star rating , which one should you go for ?
say on to find out who comes out on top in Sky Stream vs Apple TV . We ’ve also put together guides onSky Stream vs Sky GlassandGoogle TV Streamer vs Apple TVtoo , to help you adjudicate which will fit your home well .
Pricing and availability
Offers for Sky Stream tend to switch throughout the year , with options for desexualise or monthly rolling contracts . you may also tot on line packages , from Sky Sports to Cinema , for extra monthly price too .
At the meter of writing , cost start from£15 for a 24 - calendar month contract which includes the Sky Essential TV parcel .
Apple TV 4 thousand is less complicated . It ’s useable in either a 64 GB model without Ethernet or a 128 GB good example with an Ethernet port , with an RRP of £ 149/$129 and £ 169/$149 respectively .
Design
Both the Sky Stream and Apple TV 4 K have a discreet and space saving design so they wo n’t detract focus from the TV . Neither need line - of - sight too , so both can be control even if the boxwood is tucked behind the TV set .
The Sky Stream is equipped with aHDMI2.1 stimulation and a cable , anEthernetport and an airy Henry Hubert Turner , although there is n’t any ability to hook the box directly to a healthy system of rules or secure headphone in . There ’s alsoHDMI CECsupport which allows you to moderate the television receiver or a link soundbar ’s volume via the included Sky Stream remote .
Speaking of remote control , while Apple goggle box does follow with a Siri remote control which is idealistic for cosmopolitan use , we would have liked to see it sport blacklighting like the Sky Stream ’s control . It can also control the book and power of certain compatible TVs .
Otherwise , we come up the remote ’s Siri compatibility to be useful , and arguably one of the easy ways to look for for content as it ’s quick and accurate . Sky Stream also has articulation documentation that ’s available for general hunt and supports YouTube and Netflix too .
There are in reality two versions of the Apple TV box , with the main dispute being with the port . While the basic translation has HDMI and business leader ports , for an extra £ 20/$20 the higher - end boxful throws in an Ethernet port too . We ’d recommend opting for the high end model as it also come with 128 GB warehousing and support forThreadtoo .
Winner : Sky Stream
Interface and apps
We ’ll begin by posit that both Sky Stream and Apple video tender an easy to use interface with square sailing . Sky Stream ’s port sum Sky ’s content alongside those from other platforms such as BBC iPlayer , NetflixandDisney Plus .
There is n’t an option to create item-by-item profiles for Sky Stream and , or else , users can build up to five playlist which behave as profiles for different family member . We also found that although the independent platforms are account for , Sky Stream is lack certain apps such as dedicated sports channel such as WWE or Eurosport , and there ’s no Tidal , Deezer or Apple Music support either .
The Playlist feature of speech also pretend in place of a more traditional transcription tool , as it let users to save shows or flick from their TV Guide . From here , Playlist will then show you the best ways to check your saved depicted object , whether that ’s through on - demand , a streaming platform or swarm recording .
On the other hand , we hailed the Apple TV as being “ right up there with the best streamers on the market ” with all the bighearted services answer for for , plus music apps and games via Apple Arcade . you’re able to even plug in one of ourbest game controllersto make gaming that bit easier .
course as an Apple product , there are many features that benefit those within the Apple ecosystem . There ’s AirPlay which lets you send content from an iPhone or iPad , while if connectedAirPodsare in range then you may easy swap into private listening .
Winner : Apple TV
Performance
It ’s worth observe that to see the best potential picture and sound quality , you ’ll likely require to have a decent TV and soundbar frame-up , regardless of whether you opt for the Sky Stream or Apple boob tube . Regardless , both boxes support HDR10 , HLG and Dolby Vision , however Apple TV also benefits from HDR10 + which we found did make a difference when twin with compatible TVs .
We tested the Apple TV box across three different idiot box , from a budget - well-disposed and basic model to more premium sets . Across all three , we found the Apple TV still farm a stunning image regardless and even add some extra colour to the cheaper Hisense set too , thanks to its colour calibration instrument .
We also found the Sky Stream offer high levels of particular and sharpness with fill clarity and inviolable colour too .
As the Apple TV is powered by Apple’sA15 Bionicchip , which is found in theiPhone 14 , the box is impressively speedy when dash between apps and freight content . Although the Sky Stream is also fairly quick , with minimum buffering found and a lack of motionless images either , we did note in our reassessment that theSky Glassis more or less quicker .
Remember , much like how you ideally need a solid television setup to really benefit from the clean picture quality , you need to ensure you have a solid Wi - Fi connection of at least 10MB / s but ideally 25MB / s for 4 K content .
Verdict
Overall , both the Sky Stream and Apple TV bid an splendid TV consider experience . Not only do the two variation an easy to use port , but with the majority of cyclosis platforms account for and top picture and well-grounded quality all housed in a neat square corner , you ’d be severely bid to find huge faults in either .
However , the Sky Stream may terminate up being a more expensive option compared to Apple TV , as it postulate a monthly fee and you need to factor in additional monetary value for desired subscriptions .
Plus , if you ’re firmly cemented in Apple ’s ecosystem , then you ’ll apprise Apple TV ’s additional features of AirPlay and the ability to connect your AirPods for individual hearing .
