Providing market intelligence for more than 35 years

In The News

Chromecast at year 1: Why it's more than just an impulse buy (Q&A)

The Chromecast wasn't the first wireless streaming-media dongle to come along -- Roku had one long before -- but the $35 price and the initial offer of three months of free Netflix sparked a flurry of interest. The Netflix promotion sold out in four hours on Amazon and 24 hours on Google Play, and the Chromecast itself was out of stock online within two days. Even now, the Chromecast remains on top of Amazon's electronics best-seller list.

While Chromecast's runaway sales leave no doubt about its popularity in stores, some suggest that it may not translate to popularity in the living room. A study by market researcher Parks Associates last month found Chromecast usage appeared to be slipping.

From the article "Chromecast at year 1: Why it's more than just an impulse buy (Q&A)" by Joan E. Solsman.

Previously In The News

Now with Streaming Stick, Roku isn't sweating the blitz

Though Roku doesn't release sales figures, some outside data back up the notion of Roku's marketplace traction. A study from NPD found that Roku owners stream more than owners of other devices, and...

CEO: Roku's future is TV's future (Q&A)

As Netflix and YouTube put video streaming into day-to-day lives, competition among streaming-media boxes has grown from the two-horse race -- Apple TV versus Roku -- to include Google's Chromecast...

Don't assume Apple will own the smart home -- here's why

Consider usage, though, and the underdog's prospects start looking up. From a Parks Associates study, while Apple has sold more units globally, about 37 percent of US households with a streaming me...

Google's Chromecast: Holding market share, losing viewers

Good news, bad news for Google: Chromecast is holding onto its slice of the streaming-video device market even as new rivals like Amazon's Kindle Fire TV emerge, but Chromecast is being used less a...