The global base of streaming media players have reached 50 million units by the end of the year, with the US accounting for almost half of those users. The forthcoming Android TV could very well change that.
According to research conducted by tech research firm IHS Technology, the availability of Android TV could prove to be a strong competitor to digital media giant, Roku, in particular. Roku at present practically has the emerging streaming media player business in the palm of its hand.
IHS estimates that both companies hold 94% of the streaming media player base and that Android TV could easily snatch up a good percentage of the market.
“Although standalone media player products utilizing Android TV do not have the brand recognition, established brand equity, or level of retail distribution that products from companies like Apple, Amazon, and Roku possess, over time these standalone players are expected to create competitive pricing and positioning concerns by delivering previously absent levels of polish, capability, ecosystem integration, and content access to consumers at lower price points,” said senior analyst for the connected home at IHS, Paul Erickson.
According to IHS, Android TV’s strengths include access to content from Google Play and third-party apps, Google-delivered content search and discovery with voice recognition, integration with other Android devices and built-in Chromecast support enabling media ‘casting’ and mirroring of multiple devices. You read more about IHS’s entire report over by heading over to here.
