Popular streaming devices from Roku, Amazon, and Apple could face tough new competition from an unlikely place. Audio brand Sonos is widely tipped to be building its own TV streaming set-top box to pair with its popular soundbars and speaker systems.
The all-new box will be priced between $150 to $200 (£118 to £158 converted), sources have told Bloomberg. If accurate, that price would put the Sonos streamer at the top end of the category – essentially price-matching the latest generation of Apple TV 4K.
For comparison, that’s more expensive than a Roku Streambar, an all-in-one soundbar with everything you need to binge-watch your favourite series. You could buy four models of the Fire TV Stick 4K for that same $200 price tag.
Sonos will rely on Android to power its set-top box, codenamed Pinewood, sources say. That’s the same software found on the Nvidia Shield and Google Chromecast. Amazon uses a highly customised version of Android across its suite of Fire TV gadgets (for now, at least).
Sonos sells a number of popular soundbars — the entry-level Sonos Ray, Dolby Atmos-certified Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the flagship Sonos Arc — that could pair perfectly with its forthcoming streamer
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Discussions are taking place behind-the-scenes between Sonos and several high-profile streaming services and broadcasters, Bloomberg claims.
Streaming boxes are only as good as the services available to watch, so it makes sense that the Californian company is working hard to ensure the biggest hitters are available on its new platform at launch. Sonos might take things one step further and kickstart its own streaming service to compete directly with the likes of Apple TV+, Prime Video, Netflix and others.
Aside from a new streaming service, the biggest reason to buy the Sonos streaming box over its closest competition will be its role as a central hub for multiple other Sonos devices in your home.
Sonos’ box will connect to existing wireless speakers to create a surround sound experience when watching your favourite shows and films on the big screen. Dolby Atmos will be supported, which isn’t surprising as this audio standard is already available in the Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and Sonos Arc.
Based on the latest whispers, we expect Sonos' new streamer to compete head-to-head with the likes of the Apple TV 4K
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Unlike rival streaming boxes, Sonos could be looking to makes its entire set-up free of wires.
In a conversation with Digital Trendsearlier this year, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence said that he didn't want "a wire to the soundbar at all” and had been "pushing the team for a long time" to achieve that goal.
Newer technologies like DTS Play-Fi and Dolby Atmos' FlexConnect can unlock the high-quality audio needed to enjoy the best experience at home without cables trailing across your furniture. However, Sonos is at the mercy of other manufacturers and their decisions on which technology to adopt.
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Either Sonos persuades Roku and Apple to adopt the core technologies it needs to get the best performance from its speakers ...or it builds the set-top box itself. With the latest report from Bloomberg, it appears as if the US audio brand has decided to pursue the latter.
As always, it's worth taking this report with a healthy pinch of salt. Vast multinational companies, like Sonos, will regularly experiment with new products and services, however, not all of these make it to store shelves.
