Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

In A Connected World, Why Aren't Smart TVs Very Clever?

Turns out that smart TVs can be, well, pretty dumb. Even moderately priced sets can now connect to the Internet and run Netflix and other apps -- that's the "smart" part. Yet many people are ignoring the built-in features and turning to Apple TV, Roku and other stand-alone streaming devices that often do a better job.

In an August report, the NPD Group estimates that roughly a third of smart TVs in the U.S. weren't actually connected to the Internet. That's down from about half two years earlier, but still not good. Researchers at Parks Associates found that even as more Americans are using smart TV functions, streaming device usage has grown even faster.

"If you're a streaming media box (maker), you've got much more ability to push new features out into the market at an affordable price," says Barbara Kraus, Parks Associates' director of research. "They're very stiff competition for smart TVs."

From the article "In A Connected World, Why Aren't Smart TVs Very Clever?" by Anick Jesdanun and Ryan Nakashima.

Previously In The News

Comcast, Walmart in talks to develop and distribute smart TVs

Comcast is fairly late to the game in distribution of streaming apps. Roku and Amazon together have a roughly 70% share of the U.S. market for streaming-media devices, with Apple in third place, accor...

Netflix, Inc. (NFLX): William Blair's Bull Case Points To $185 Price Target

William Blair upgraded Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) to Outperform in August 2016 and believes there continues to be upside potential for the streaming video leader. Through William Blair's research, it...

Roku's early success magnifies Blue Apron, Snap failures

Investors are still apparently eager for more as the company continues to pivot toward a services-based model from its current focus making boxes for streaming television—a focus that, so far, has bee...

Will One Bot Rule Them All?

In order for a virtual helpmate to run your life, it needs to engage with the providers of all the services you rely on, from your calendar app to your Uber ride. Those providers must either partner w...