Main new details about Sonos‘ much-rumored set-top streaming field has leaked by way of The Verge, and as a long-time Sonos person, I used to be borderline salivating on the promised options right here – it sounds just like the gadget I would be dreaming of when pondering what I would need a Sonos streaming field to be. In actual fact, it began sounding too good to be true, and then you definitely get to the pricing and a reminder concerning the software program behind it, and it begins falling aside.
Let’s begin with the nice stuff. The field is alleged to be a small black sq. when seen from above, barely thicker than a deck of playing cards – so fairly much like the Apple TV 4K. It can apparently connect with your TV, and can act as a wi-fi streaming hub for the greatest Sonos audio system, which means that your pretty Sonos Arc Extremely soundbar would not must be related to your TV by way of a cable.
We’re transferring in the direction of the period of wi-fi soundbars, and I’ve stated earlier than that if Sonos cannot discover a strategy to make its soundbars go wi-fi with big-brand TVs, it is doomed. However, wi-fi soundbar connectivity is the least attention-grabbing a part of it.
Apparently, Sonos will allow customers to do what they’ve dreamed of for ages and have a number of wi-fi Sonos audio system in a separate encompass configuration, with no soundbar required. The report says that Sonos is finalizing which audio system will likely be appropriate, however mainly the thought is that you might have a Sonos Period 300 to the left and proper of your TV offering left and proper channels in addition to Dolby Atmos upfiring channels and you might have the identical behind you for a 4.0.4 configuration, for example.
Add a Sonos Sub, and you have meaty bass; hopefully, you might add one thing like a Sonos Ray as a middle channel, too, as a result of I am not particularly into these ‘digital’ middle configurations, such because the Sony Bravia House Theater Quad provides when used with a non-Sony TV.
The flexibility to make use of Sonos audio system as left and proper channels is one thing that the hardcore customers on the r/sonos subreddit ask for mainly day by day and Sonos has at all times gently resisted in response. However it seems like we’re transferring in that route, and I might love for this to be as versatile as doable.
The streaming field, apparently codenamed Pinewood, can also be stated to supply a number of HDMI ports, which is able to go video by means of to the TV so it acts as an HDMI swap. I love this concept as somebody whose TV has solely two HDMI 2.1 ports, and one among them is the HDMI eARC port, which means {that a} soundbar is consuming up my treasured 4K 120Hz area.
It is such a intelligent means for this to face out over the Apple TV 4K (2022) or Google TV Streamer and it’s a genuinely helpful and distinctive characteristic. You will get extra HDMI ports through the use of this product, not dropping one; it is an important worth proposition and solves actual issues.
The ultimate dream providing is one which I am much more skeptical about as a declare. Supposedly, the streaming interface will provide a really unified search, suggestions, and management interface drawn from all of the greatest streaming providers, together with Netflix.
Netflix is an actual prickly buyer to work with on this regard. It would not permit one thing like Apple’s TV app to drag in exhibits you’ve got been watching and allow you to choose them again up as a result of it would not need you to make use of one other app as your ‘house base.’ It would not like its exhibits to look in common search instruments. What it needs is so that you can go to Netflix for all the things, the place it will possibly advocate 100% Netflix exhibits and flicks.
May Sonos be the corporate that lastly persuades Netflix to play good and never be the only real middle of your streaming universe? It would not really feel probably, but it surely’s doable… for causes that carry us to the primary of the large flaws of this complete affair.
Premium with Adverts
In accordance with The Verge’s article, the streaming field has a “lovely” interface design, however the entire thing has been developed with an ad-tech agency. So possibly Sonos has gotten Netflix on board for its fancy interface as a result of it is ready to provide the streamer higher information about your habits, and Netflix will compromise in alternate for making more cash by exhibiting individuals higher adverts.
That is simply hypothesis on my half, however one thing must change issues for Netflix, and the entire advert factor actually weighs closely over the entire challenge.
If the Sonos interface is filled with adverts, or individuals really feel prefer it’s hoovering up all their information, we have stated earlier than that the complete streaming field endeavor feels doomed – and whereas that was earlier than we knew concerning the promised genuine wi-fi encompass sound and the HDMI switching, it was additionally after we thought the worth could be $150-$200.
Now, let’s get to the actual drawback: the rumored value of $200-$400. This can be a class the place Apple – Apple! – retains its providing below $150. And if the software program is certainly designed round adverts, a super-premium value simply is not going to be accepted.
The likes of Google TV and Amazon Fireplace TV are additionally designed round adverts. Nonetheless, the units they’re on are usually very cheap, so that you really really feel just like the adverts are subsidizing you getting one thing for an important worth.
If the Sonos streaming field comes wherever close to the $400 mark, it will likely be for a distinct segment viewers solely when it could possibly be one thing much more common.
To be truthful, including a load of HDMI ports clearly provides expense and complexity, and apparently, Sonos will embrace cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 for the perfect efficiency.
And I even have to notice that the worth of 4 $449 Sonos Period 300 audio system with a $400 streaming field could be $2,200, which is the very same value because the Sony Bravia Theater Quad, which might be a direct equal. So it isn’t out of line in comparison with a like-for-like product in any respect.
However it signifies that solely the wealthier hardcore are going to have an interest when in any other case, this could possibly be so good for thus many individuals.
This is hoping that Sonos will carry the dream aspect of issues that I would like and can discover a strategy to hold the worth real looking – as a result of if it will possibly make issues work, the greatest soundbars is perhaps on discover from a Sonos streamer and encompass combo.