iptv news_news 29/08/2014 16:53 Page 5
Android TV to shake up
Roku and Apple TV
he arrival of Google’s
connected home at IHS. “Today
Android TV platform
Roku and Apple TV continue to
could well disrupt the
dominate the U.S. installed base
landscape for streaming
for streaming media players,
media players now
with a combined 94 percent
dominated by Roku and
share in 2013, and Amazon’s Fire
Apple TV, potentially roiling
TV is a significant recent entrant.
a rapidly expanding market
However, the arrival of Android
that sells tens of millions of
units every year, according
to new research from IHS
Technology.
The worldwide installed base
for streaming media players is
forecast to reach 50m units by
the end of this year. For the
United States, the most
significant single market globally
for the product category, the
installed base will amount to
24m units this year, up from
16m last year and 10m in 2012.
By 2017, the number of
installed streaming media
players in the U.S. is anticipated
TV is expected to significantly
to reach 44m units. And when
affect the competitive dynamics
combined with an aggregate of
of this market over the long run.”
169m Blu-ray Disc players, game
Similar to what market
consoles and Smart TVs, the
leaders Roku and Apple TV
total US
currently offer,
installed base Android TV could be
the Android TV
of connected
platform seeks to
more problematic,
TV devices in however, for Roku
provide users with
2017 will
access to media
amount to some 213m units.
streaming services and apps. In
“Given the ongoing shift
the past, the typically Androidamong consumers toward
based offerings from low-priced
streaming media consumption,
competitors have lacked the
the market for standalone
refinement, functionality,
streaming media players is
ecosystem, and user experience
continuing to heat up,” said Paul
to compete head to head with
Erickson, senior analyst for the
products from Roku or Apple.
T
Nine acquires HBO’s
Quickflix stake
Australian online
entertainment service
Quickflix has confirmed
that Australian media
group Nine Entertainment
has taken a minority stake
in the company through a
deal with US television
giant Home Box Office.
10 IP television
Quickflix said Nine had
reached an agreement to
acquire all of HBO’s
redeemable
convertible
preference
shares. The
shares can be
converted into an 8% stake
in Quickflix. HBO spent
A$10 million on its
investment in Quickflix in
These benefits include a new
user experience purposely
designed for TV, content access
from Google Play as well as
third-party apps, Googlepowered content search and
discovery with voice recognition,
integration with the Android
mobile device ecosystem, and
built-in Chromecast functionality
that enables media casting and
screen mirroring from multiple
device platforms.
IHS Technology notes that
Apple remains the most solidly
situated in the streaming player
market, backed by a strong
content ecosystem and a near-
captive iOS customer base that
grows with each record-breaking
iPhone release,and suggests that
although its related products are
expected to be disruptive of the
status quo, Android TV is not
likely to cause a toppling of
Apple’s competitive position.
Android TV could be more
problematic, however, for Roku,
which lacks similar direct
integration with an ecosystem;
and for Amazon’s Fire TV, which
limits content search-anddiscovery results to Amazonsourced content alone while also
narrowing content
mirroring/casting functionality
to its own-branded tablets.
Certainly, Android TV
remains a streaming player
platform to watch for the near
future—not just because it is
Google’s best effort yet to break
into the living room, but also
because of its potential to create
problems for today’s market
leaders.
Standalone media players
that choose to utilise Android TV
may also benefit in the long run,
suggested Erickson. “Although
standalone media player
products utilising 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.”
February 2012, soon after
signing a licensing
agreement with the
operator. The
Australian
Financial
Review
reported that
Nine paid just A$1 million
for the shares.
News of the investment
comes as reports strengthen
that Netflix is to expand its
online entertainment service
to Australia. Despite the
service not being available
in the territory, recent
research suggests that
Netflix is already the second
most popular subscription
media platform in the
country, despite actively
geo-blocking Australians
from its online service.
But the appearance on the scene
of Android TV will potentially
equip these lesser players and
vendors with access to a
complete, ready-made platform
for streaming-media-player use
that delivers a suite of benefits,
noted Erickson.