One result of the Apple launch event was the revelation of the long anticipated Apple TV remake — or, as Apple calls it, the “future of television.” I’ve never paid much attention to Apple TV before, but I got into a discussion recently and learned a lot more about the device as well as a competing device, Roku3.

I decided not to wait for the Apple launch and purchased a Roku3. To me, the Roku3, if it’s meant to help you “cut the cord,” it results in you having to jump through a lot of hoops. And it appears you still have to have a cable or satellite subscription to be able to add many of the valuable channels, so I’m not sure where the benefit is in “cutting the cord.” Perhaps you can purchase the channels you want independently? Or do Netflix and Hulu subscriptions suffice for most people?

Whatever, I lead you into this post talking about Apple TV, then I switched to something else. Let’s get back on track. The new Apple TV is all about Apps. It has it’s own App Store as well as it’s own OS. Apple didn’t announce some of the things rumored to be included in Apple TV, but it looks like the architecture is in place for those tidbits to be added in later iterations. The remote has it’s own version of Siri, so it can be voice-controlled (the Roku3 can be voice-controlled as well, and has a handy headphone jack).

I confess, even after seeing the keynote and having my own Roku3, I don’t quite “get” what the excitement about streaming video is all about. I suppose I should caveat this with the only thing I watch willingly on TV is San Antonio Spurs broadcasts. Everything else is grudgingly watched or ignored because my husband is watching it, and I’m in the room. Maybe I’m just not the target audience? Anyway, if you love streaming video, give the new Apple TV a look. Compare to Roku3, then buy whatever makes sense to you.