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"Roku continues to lead streaming media device sales in the U.S. with 34% of units sold in 2014. Google is second with 23%, and new entrant Amazon overtook Apple for third place," said Parks Associates Research Director Barbara Kraus. "The market consolidation around these four brands forces new entrants to develop more creative features and functionality to tap into the strong consumer demand for streaming content."

Three of the four companies, Amazon, Apple, and Roku have ...read more

Parks Associates found that 20% of streaming video users ages 18 to 24, and 10% of those ages 25 to 34, used video credentials paid for by someone outside the home.
There are other reports that put the number even higher, but however you look at it, it's very clear that people are sharing accounts in ways that don't meet the intentions of the providers for multi-screen accounts.

From the article "Do Netflix, Inc. and Time Warner's HBO Care If You Share Passwords?" by Danie ...read more

It's not an unprecedented move, but it's a rare one for Amazon, which is staying in business with its two rivals for other products -- even tablets where iPad and Nexus devices compete with its Kindles. Even though Amazon is firing this shot, one could argue that the war was started by Apple and Google, since neither Chromecast nor Apple TV offers Amazon's Prime Video app.

That's a telling thing, because Amazon.com will still be selling Roku's streaming players, which contro ...read more

Sony's PlayStation 4 is first and foremost a device for playing video games, yet it offers many multimedia features. Its disc drive can work as a Blu-Ray player. It supports most of the popular Internet streaming services as well. As a smart TV solution, the PlayStation 4 is overkill, but with the new remote, it's perfectly capable of offering a cohesive living room experience.

Sony's video game consoles played a key role in establishing the market for streaming video, and r ...read more

Devices from Apple, Amazon, Google, and Roku accounted for 86% of the U.S. streaming market last year, according to research firm Parks Associates. Roku was the market leader with 34% of the market, followed by Chromecast, Fire TV, and Apple TV, in that order. In terms of overall usage, Roku claimed 37% of the market, followed by 19% for Chromecast, 17% for Apple TV, and 14% for Fire TV.

From the article "Can Google Inc's New Chromecasts Tackle Apple TV and Amazon Inc's Fire ...read more

It's been more than two years since Google unveiled its low-cost streaming dongle, the Chromecast, in 2013. The device, which retails for just $35, has proven to be quite popular. Last year, according to Parks Associates, it helped the search giant sell the second-most dedicated streaming devices in the U.S., with 23% market share (behind only Roku).

The Chromecast is relatively simple. It allows users to beam content from apps to their Chromecast-connected monitors and tele ...read more

Nearly 20% of U.S. broadband households owned at least one streaming media player last year, according to research firm Parks Associates. Roku was the market leader, accounting for over a third of new device sales, followed by the Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV -- in that order.

Amazon launched the Fire TV last April, but Apple didn't update the Apple TV last year -- which possibly explains why the latter slipped to fourth place. Since both companies launche ...read more

The new Apple TV comes at a time when Apple's position in the streaming media device has been deteriorating. As mentioned, the Apple TV hardware was stagnating while rivals were assaulting the market with low-cost devices. Market researcher Parks Associates estimated that Apple fell to the No. 4 spot in 2013, as Amazon.com's (NASDAQ:AMZN) $39 Fire Stick took off.

From the article "It's Official: Apple TV Is No Longer a Hobby" by Evan Niu.