Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Roku 4: Which Should You Buy This Holiday Season?

"Roku continues to lead streaming media device sales in the U.S. with 34% of units sold in 2014. Google is second with 23%, and new entrant Amazon overtook Apple for third place," said Parks Associates Research Director Barbara Kraus. "The market consolidation around these four brands forces new entrants to develop more creative features and functionality to tap into the strong consumer demand for streaming content."

Three of the four companies, Amazon, Apple, and Roku have new top-tier devices for the holiday season. Google, too, has a new version of its Chromecast stick, but the $35 device can't be compared to the higher-end streaming boxes.

With these devices likely to be a popular holiday gift, here's a look at the three major players offering top-of-the-line, full-functioned boxes.

From the article "Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Roku 4: Which Should You Buy This Holiday Season?" by Daniel B. Kline.

Previously In The News

Google Chromecast’s surprising origins—and uncertain future

New research out this week from Parks Associates found that Chromecast makes up just 11% of all streaming players installed in the United States, down from 21% three years ago. Meanwhile, Roku’s U.S....

Too Much TV? Enter HBO Max, the Latest Streaming Wannabe

“People are going to look at the price point first,” said Steve Nason, research director at Parks Associates. HBO Max costs $15, same as the HBO Now streaming service it's supposed to replace, with di...

Eero’s New Wi-Fi Routers Are Step One In Its Plan To Become A Smart-Home Giant

The early support for Thread may even hint at where Eero is going next. Tom Kerber, an analyst for Parks Associates, notes that one of the main features of Thread is that it’s decentralized. Instead o...

Apple TV will die so TV+ can live

Apple TV is another example of the company’s hardware strategy falling flat. According to Parks Associates figures from the first quarter of 2018, Amazon and Roku combined control more than 50% of the...