Aggressive marketing by the likes of Apple and Google will drive the worldwide market for digital media adaptors to grow strongly and approach 60 million shipments in 2019, says a report by Futuresource Consulting.
The report suggests that the market for these devices, which include media streamers and over-the-top (OTT) boxes, will be dominated by Chinese brands with the exception of Apple, Amazon and Google. Futuresource noted that in 2015 Google’s Chromecast accounted for almost 30% share of the market by volume, with Amazon’s Fire TV making what it called noticeable gains.
Futuresource believes that OTT content streaming devices will provide consumers with a viable, and low-cost alternative to native smart TV functionality along with an often much simpler user interface. The analyst suggested that with products available for below $50, consumers have a readymade option to replace their native smart TV experience or extend the life of a set after in-built smart functionality has come to an end.
“Media streamers are not the flash in the pan they were originally thought to be,” commented report author David Tett, market analyst at Futuresource Consulting. “With many low-cost options, consumers are turning to DMAs to extend the life of their TV, and are also more willing to replace these devices regularly.”