Consumers with a demand for streaming video and VOD services will have a new batch of over-the-top devices available to them this holiday season. Those choices will run the gamut with respect to pricing and capabilities, starting on the low end with the new (but more-capable) Google Chromecast adapter; to new players from Roku, Amazon and Apple; to higher-end products from TiVo and Nvidia.
While the price of the new Apple TV puts it into a premium-level category, Kraus said, the new product could make some noise this holiday season. “I think Apple TV will do well simply because it’s been three or four years since the last version came out,” she said. “People who have one and like it will be willing to upgrade.”
The competition will have a tough time unseating Roku, though, she said. In addition to topping sales last year, Roku remains the most-used platform in U.S. broadband homes. According to Parks Associates Q3 data, Roku led usage at 35%, followed by the Chromecast (20%), Apple TV (16%), and Amazon Fire TV (13.5%).
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