If the Sonos TV streaming report is correct, it’s doomed before launch

Sonos has reportedly opted for ad-targeted software for its streaming system.
The price is rumored to be between $150 and $200.
I have a bad feeling about this

Sometimes it’s hard not to respond to the news with an exasperated sigh: “Oh, for God’s sake, what NOW?” And it definitely felt like Sonos this year after a year full of application problems – problems that damage the brand that they launched the release of Sonos Ace headphones. And now it looks like more bad news may be on the horizon.

According to EdgeSonos found operating system for its future video streamer – a product developed like Apple TV 4K, Roku Ultra or Fire TV Stick 4Kto deliver best streaming services. And this OS is developed by an advertising company.

Given Sonos’ positioning as a premium brand, this suggests we’re looking at the worst of both worlds: a relatively high price Apple TV 4Kand Fire TV advertising and audience tracking.

What happened to Sonos streaming OS?

Considering that all of Sonos’ woes in 2024 are related to its software, this decision seems strange. Bringing in reliable external technology instead of developing it in-house makes some sense given the furore surrounding Sonos’ app update this year. But using an untested OS from a hype company doesn’t seem like the safest way to convince customers that lessons have been learned – do we think people will really trust Sonos’ new software platform when they hated the launch of the last software platform? there’s so much from Sonos.

The advertising company will be The Trade Desk, as previously predicted a rumor we reported on back in Septemberwhose OS is based on the open source version of Android. The Trade Desk’s reason for being involved here appears to be due to its established relationships with major streaming companies: a streaming device without key streaming services is a streaming device that won’t sell.

With our optimism, this deal could mean exciting new things for your Sonos system, with new wireless streaming capabilities from your TV to your Sonos Arc Ultra and much more best Sonos speakers. You will probably also be able to play audio from your TV on Sonos Ace headphones. in Dolby Atmos without having to use a soundbar like you do now. Sonos has filed several patents that offer just that: control of the TV OS on both the phone and TV screen, content recommendations from friends, and Apple SharePlay-style co-watching.

Let’s hope this is true and that the worst-case scenario of annoying ads and privacy issues doesn’t happen instead, but you still end up paying more for the device. But as The Verge reports, The Trade Desk’s sales pitch for its Ventura TV OS is heavily ad-heavy and says little about how it benefits users. You can watch The Trade Desk’s presentation in the embedded video above.