The Roku 4 media streaming device is expected to debut before the end of this year and if the company based in Saratoga, California is entertaining notions of keeping its advantage over its competition in an already crowded market, it really needs to thread the needle in terms of pricing.
Despite being the pioneer and the pacesetter in the market, the competition is quite tough for the Roku 4 and the Roku streaming devices in general because Google, Apple, and Amazon are joining the fray.
Although they are the recognized giants in the global tech industry, they still have to prove that their products can hold their own against Roku and the other existing streaming devices in the market today, notes the Gazette Review.
However, reports are rife indicating that when the media streaming devices of the giants come out in the market, they will come out with very affordable prices, which would make the Roku 4 seems like a high-end and expensive option.
With that premise, the Roku 4 certainly faces stiffer competition than any of the company’s previous streaming devices, notes wTVPC.
Crowded marketplace
Ever since the release of the Roku 3 in 2013, the streaming device marketplace has gotten a lot more crowded and competitive.
As the law of supply and demand dictates, when supply outweighs the demand, prices of products tend to go down. That has been the gist of the competition in the streaming device marketplace with every competitor battling it out in terms of price affordability, with capabilities coming in next, after all most of their features and capabilities merely approximate each other.
With more models on the market, prices of streaming devices have considerably gone down. Apple TV, for instance, used to be priced at $99 but the American tech giant cut the cost by $20 because that is the only way it can compete and take a bite out of the market share of Roku.
The Roku 3 is currently one the most expensive streaming devices in the market at the moment with its price of $99. It shares the same price range with the Amazon Fire TV. However, as of late, the Amazon’s media streaming device has been dominating sales over the Roku 3, which indicate that consumers are now realizing more value in the Fire TV at practically the same price.
While Roku used to dominate the market in terms of available channels, its competitors have been closing in too. If the company wants to keep competition at bay and ensure that it recovers lost ground from the onslaught of the Amazon streaming device, it needs to make its pricing viable and palatable to consumers.
Pricier but better
Roku 4 is expected to come out of the market with a price tag of $100 or maybe more, and as such it will be the most expensive streaming device in the market by the end of the year.
Although the company has been keeping things under wraps regarding the features of the Roku 4, rumors and speculations have already been swirling from as early as late last year about it.
Roku 4 will reportedly come out with 4K support, faster processing speeds, and more memory at a minimum, which makes its retail price really worth it.
The company may have difficulty working on the price for Roku 4, but other companies in the market are also experiencing the same. The media streaming war has certainly taken on a new level which means good things for the consumers.
As more consumers are cutting the cable cord, alternative TV options are increasing and improving, which will only get stronger over the next couple of years.