Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

The Motley Fool

This Little $35 Device Could Change the Smart TV Market

According to a survey from Parks Associates, 37% of homes with streaming media devices in the U.S. currently use Roku, compared to 24% using Apple TV. Since 2011, the number of households using an Internet streaming device rose 14%, with much of that growth attributed to video streaming sites like YouTube and Netflix.

For Apple, Apple TV has never been a meaningful source of revenue. However, a persistent rumor suggests that Apple will release a full-featured "smart television" on par with current products from Sony and Samsung to erect a third pillar of growth. More far-fetched rumors claim that the Apple TV will not only be a full-featured smart television, but will come with second-screen tablets and a ring-shaped remote control.

With the arrival of Chromecast, a full-featured Apple smart television seems unlikely, since it will be a substantially lower-margin business than its current set-top box. Sony and its Japanese industry peers have spent years dragged down by the ailing television business, which doesn't make it a lucrative market to dive headfirst into.

From the article, "This Little $35 Device Could Change the Smart TV Market" by Leo Sun.

Previously In The News

Ford’s Next Big Thing Isn’t a Car

In this video from the 2014 International CES in Las Vegas I chat with Tom Kerber about Ford, ADT, and the connected home. As the director of research in the areas of home controls, energy manageme...

Can Facebook Take Over Your TV?

Facebook is the dominant social media platform on phones, tablets, and computers, but is it part of your TV experience now, too? Yes, according to international market research and consulting firm...

Welcome to the New Silicon Valley

I was in my second day at last month's conference called Connections put on by Parks Associates. It's billed as "The Premier Connected Home Conference" and was held in San Francisco. It was far...

3 Ways Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft Could Make Future Consoles Cheaper

There are already plenty of products -- including Google's Chromecast, Roku, and Apple TV -- that allow consumers to stream media from a home network or the Internet. These devices generally cost b...