Technology Tell

Is the availability of such previously cable-exclusive content bad news for cable providers? Maybe. A study released this week by research firm Parks Associates found that 17 percent of U.S. broadband households say they would subscribe to the new HBO offering- and most of them would cancel cable after doing so:

New Parks Associates video research finds 17% of U.S. broadband households are likely to subscribe to an over-the-top (OTT) video service from HBO. Among these likel ...read more

Around one out of ten U.S. broadband households owns a streaming media device- and while Roku remains the most popular manufacturer in the space, its lead has narrowed- and it’s also got a new number two.

That’s according to data released Tuesday by research firm Parks Associates.

Parks also found that the Google Chromecast- thanks, in part, to its lower price point- has overtaken Apple TV to make Google the new #2 streaming device brand, behind Roku. A year ago Roku’s m ...read more

Namely, customers are excited about the idea of a cloud DVR, according to a Parks Associates survey. In fact, 45 percent of respondents considered the idea of the cloud DVR “very appealing.”

Consumers said they were interested in such features as unlimited DVR storage space and “two-week catch-up TV” and, to a lesser degree, multi-screen access to DVR records and live bookmarking.

From the article "Parks study: Consumers want Cloud DVR" by Stephen Silver.

Among households with at least one streaming media player,Rokuis the top choice of 44 percent, compared to 26 percent for Apple’s Apple TV, according to Parks Associates data released Wednesday and cited by CNET.

How is Roku winning?

Parks’ director of research, Barbara Kraus, said that multiple factors have allowed Roku to outpace Apple in US sales and usage, including Roku’s close association with Netflix, the most popular streaming-video service; an unmatched roster o ...read more

MoCA (Multimedia over Coax Alliance) is an emerging technology that allows the coax cable that may already be connecting your TV with your cable box to also act as your network cable. According to Parks Associates, 80 percent of homes already have coax in multiple rooms.

From the article, "Home networking: Why wired (not wireless) networks ensure the best possible at-home experience" by Joe Paone.