Apple TV

Apple TV’s streaming service is a new feature for the device, but, streaming TV devices such as Roku XR and  Pop Box have been around for some time now.  Anything ‘Apple’ does generate tremendous amount of interest, awe and curiosity.

Let’s compare and see If it does justice to the hype.

Device:	AppleTV	Roku XR	Pop Box	LG BD550
Price:	$99	$99	$129	$130 – $150
Form Factor/Size:	3.9 x 0.9 x 3.9	5 x 5 x 1.75	8 x 1.4 x 6 inches	16.9 x 1.8 x 7.9
Available Content:	HD TV shows from ABC & Fox ($0.99), HD Movie rentals ($4.99/$3.99), Netflix, iTunes, YouTube	Netflix, Amazon VOD (now with $0.99 HD TV show purchases from Fox & ABC), MLB.tv, UFC, NBA GameTime, YouTube, Pandora	YouTube, Revision3, Blip.tv, h.264 / XviD / MPEG-4, MKV / AVI / WMV	Blu-ray discs, VUDU, Netflix, CinemaNow, YouTube, Pandora, Napster
Apps / SDK:	N/A	Roku Channel / SDK available	Popapps Store / SDK available	NetCast widgets
Connectivity:	WiFi N, Ethernet	WiFi N, Ethernet	Ethernet, optional WiFi adapter	Ethernet, Disc
Video Quality:	720p, 5.1 audio	720p (1080p upgrade coming soon), 5.1 audio	1080p, 5.1 audio	1080p, 7.1 audio, DTS-HD MA / Dolby TrueHD audio

Device:	AppleTV	Sony PS3 Slim 250GB	Xbox 360 S 250GB	WDTV Live Plus
Price:	$99	$349	$299	$149
Form Factor/Size:	3.9 x 0.9 x 3.9	11.42 x 2.56 x 11.4	12 x 3 x 10	4.9 x 1.5 x 3.9
Available Content:	HD TV shows from ABC & Fox ($0.99), HD Movie rentals ($4.99/$3.99), Netflix, iTunes, YouTube	Blu-ray, PlayStation Network, Netflix, Qriocity, DLNA, DivX Certified	HD DVD (lolz), Zune Marketplace, DLNA/PC streaming, XviD/DivX, Netflix, ESPN3 coming soon	Netflix, DLNA streaming, AVI / MPG / MKV, YouTube, Pandora
Apps / SDK:		PlayStation Network	Xbox Live, Community Games	N/A
Connectivity:	WiFi N, Ethernet	WiFi b/g, Ethernet	WiFi N (no 5 Ghz), Ethernet	Ethernet, USB, optional WiFi or Powerline networking
Video Quality:	720p, 5.1 audio	1080p, 7.1 audio, DTS-HD MA / Dolby TrueHD	1080p, 5.1 audio	1080p, 5.1 audio

(Data Source :  Engadget)