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The study found that Roku TV is the most popular video streaming device in the US and there will be double the sales of media streaming devices in 2017. This looks like a great future for Roku and for new players in the market, like the Chromecast.
We are also likely to see a rise in cheap media devices, like Roku and the Chromecast, instead of expensive devices that offer multiple experiences. Gaming consoles and smart TVs will drop in sales, as people look for cheap alternatives that fit around their lifestyle.
This study does not take in the fact of how many people bought an Apple TV or Roku TV, it actually looks at usage, the same way Apple looks at web usage when comparing iOS to Android. It seems on this figure, Roku wins hands down.
The Roku TV is sold at a cheaper price than the Apple TV, but Apple recently said they had sold about 14 million devices, a number unmatched in the industry. It seems however Apple is taking a hit in usage, while Roku users love to stream directly from the device.
Roku TV does have a wide selection of streaming channels available, including Amazon Prime, one channel only available on the Roku box. We may see Roku add Chromecast-like functionality, allowing users to essentially mirror the projection on the laptop to the TV.
This move by Google with the Chromecast is interesting, it comes at a cheaper price and removes the need for the UI to be on the TV. Instead it can be on a portable device that also acts as the remote. This means media streaming developers do not need to create a custom app for the users on that particular platform, although they do need to plug in the Chromecast SDK.
