appletv.jpgStreaming media device use has doubled since 2011, with 14% of U.S. broadband households using products like the Apple TV or the Roku in 2013, reports Parks Associates (via CNET).

While the Apple TV has increased in popularity over the last several years, it falls short of competing product Roku. A survey of 10,000 U.S. broadband households revealed that 37% used a Roku device while 24% used an Apple TV, making Roku the most used streaming set-top box in the U.S.

Parks Associates predicts that worldwide connected TV device sales will double to reach 330 million annually by 2017, with annual sales revenue increasing almost 100%.

"Innovations such as next-gen game consoles and 4K or ultra-HD TVs will boost unit sales for these devices, but overall, consumers are reluctant to replace these big-ticket items solely for smart upgrades," said Barbara Kraus, director, research, Parks Associates. "As a result, streaming video media devices will have a thriving market because they can offer innovations such as streaming video at low prices. Devices such as Roku’s streaming players and Google's Chromecast will benefit from these market conditions."

Despite the fact that Apple has long referred to the Apple TV as a "hobby project," the company has been working on beefing up its content offerings in recent months, most recently debuting new channels for HBO GO, WatchESPN, and more. Apple is also said to have upcoming deals in the works with Time Warner Cable and music video company VEVO.

Top Rated Comments

Vanilla35 Avatar
153 months ago
as long as the new apps keep being cable subs apps then demand won't increase.

Anyways, only a 10K sample size, lmao what a joke of a survey and article. What's worse is that MR put it up as front page sidebar news.

----------



It's a stupid site, 10K sample size and they are telling you there are 330million connected TV worldwide by their own prediction, sometimes people listen and pay for stupid 'research'

You're kidding me right? Does anyone even know anything about statistics? A 10k sample is more than enough to represent something like this in statistical value. You get a smaller sample for more precise things like politics, and they even consider that to be a good size. 10k doesn't need to be 330 million if it accurately represents the demographic. That's the whole point of statistics.

Stop trying to bad mouth the results, because if you and other people haven't realized, Roku is actually a better product. Many people want to like the ATV more, but they don't. I'm sure in a few years apple will actually take the time to develop the product. But until then it is going to have to settle for second place. And we'll see where Google's Chromecast comes into play in a few months
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GSPice Avatar
153 months ago
I could see Roku being more popular simply because it doesn't "seem" to be dependent upon other hardware/software products, i.e. iTunes, Apple media libraries, etc.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
noisycats Avatar
153 months ago
Owning both, I can tell you AppleTV's lack of Amazon Video is what causes mine to collect dust.

I have one of each.

I prefer the aTV the most ... I use the Roku the most.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rmwebs Avatar
153 months ago
I could see Roku being more popular simply because it doesn't "seem" to be dependent upon other hardware/software products, i.e. iTunes, Apple media libraries, etc.
and the fact that outside the US, the Apple TV is essentially just an Airplay server and iTunes download device unless you root it.

The built in functionality we get out of it in the UK is crap. A £30 RaspberryPi with XBMC has better functionality - that shouldn't be the case.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
maxosx Avatar
153 months ago
Statistically speaking, that is a fairly significant sample.

While you're correct, it's important to remember that Apple followers are unwilling to accept anything other than iTruths approved by Apple. :D
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JamesInLA Avatar
153 months ago
That is embarrassing. That low a number is likely totally unsound

You're kidding, right? A national random sample of 10,000 gives you a margin of error of about +/- 1%, at the 95% confidence level (as is typically reported for national election polls, for example).

A sample one-fourth that size would give you a margin of error of about 2%.

It's plenty big enough.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
maxresdefault

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Sunday April 13, 2025 7:52 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Triad

Apple's 20th Anniversary iPhone May Finally Go All Screen

Tuesday April 15, 2025 6:31 am PDT by
Apple is preparing a "bold" new iPhone Pro model for the iPhone's 20th anniversary in 2027, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. As part of what's being described as a "major shake-up," Apple is said to be developing a design that makes more extensive use of glass – and this could point directly to the display itself. Here's the case for Apple releasing a truly all-screen iPhone with no...
CarPlay Hero

Apple Releases Wireless CarPlay Fix

Wednesday April 16, 2025 11:28 am PDT by
If you have been experiencing issues with wireless CarPlay in your vehicle lately, it was likely due to a software bug that has now been fixed. Apple released iOS 18.4.1 today, and the update's release notes say it "addresses a rare issue that prevents wireless CarPlay connection in certain vehicles." If wireless CarPlay was acting up for you, updating your iPhone to iOS 18.4.1 should...