With Amazon once again pushing into the hardware sector with its launch of Amazon Fire TV, in direct competition with Apple TV, Roku and Google Chromecast, comparisons are already flooding news media, blogs and social media networks, with users looking at which product is best.
Despite Amazon's massive appeal, industry experts believe the new Amazon product will likely not entrench itself as a leader, at least not in the near future.
"I think we will be fine at the current moment," said a Roku spokesperson when questioned by Tech Times as to their fears of a new Amazon product on the market. "We are stronger than ever, cheaper than other options and we deliver where consumers want so while we will watch Amazon's TV closely, Roku is not terribly worried that we will be hurt."
Roku currently has around 6.1 percent of American TV homes, while Apple leads with 13 percent of U.S. homes, according to technology tracking firm IHS.
However, IHS senior analyst Paul Erickson believes that Amazon has a product that can enter the market and do so strongly.
It is a "competent, competitive product at the sub-$100 price point, backed by a strong brand and ecosystem," he said. "Amazon has firmly planted itself into what was formerly a two-person race."
With Amazon already boosting its market share in online streaming through its Prime product, the Fire TV could be another boost for the company as users will be able to access in real time the programs and shows they want to watch, all with the same account, similar to Apple and Apple TV's model.
Erickson argued that Amazon's introduction of such a TV will likely force away from the market other potential competitors, including Google.
"The respective strengths of the offerings from Apple, Roku and Amazon combined are expected to squeeze most of the remaining oxygen out of the market for many smaller players," he added.
But for Amazon, it is a matter of time before it really impacts the sector, analysts believe. Amazon, however, believes that its affordability and prime functionality that users want will help it achieve a quicker impression in the sector than experts are predicting.
Only 4.5 x 4.5 inches and weighing less than 10 ounces, the model is sleek and accessible for many, but still slightly larger than its competitors. It supports up to 60 frames per second (FPS), and has allowed users to maintain their Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, Hulu, ESPN, Vevo, Bloomberg, Showtime and other accounts. Absent, however, from the lineup is HBO Go, which could be a major downside for those who want to catch their favorite premium programming.
In many ways, experts have already pointed out, the Fire TV is not discernibly better or worse than the Apple TV, but Amazon argues that it will deliver to users more available content at cheaper prices than Apple, which will help it push into the market as quickly as possible.
One aspect that Amazon hopes to deliver is a better video gaming console and that could beat out its competition for those who play video games on a regular basis.
