PC TV sticks rising alternative to streaming dongles

With TVs getting more capable, the so-called smart TVs have become quite normal thanks to the rise of online video from the likes of Netflix, Amazon and YouTube. Others have opted for streaming boxes such as Apple TV to increase the capability of their units. Now, dongles are helping people seamlessly integrate additional technology with their TVs. Streaming sticks are already starting to replace media streamer boxes, but now the market is seeing the rise of PC dongles.

The PC dongle submarket was given a boost with the release of the Intel Compute Stick that sells for about $150. The latest entry to the market is an Ubuntu Linux PC dongle from Shenzhen Mele Star Technology that goes for about $70. Like many other similar products, the stick runs on an Intel Atom Z3735 processor and has 2GB of RAM. It also allows 32GB of storage, and supports a port each for Ethernet and USB 2.0.

Paying under $100 for this kind of product is impressive, and it was no doubt helped by using a free, open-source OS. However, past reviews of these PC sticks have noted their severe processing limitations. Running full Windows or Linux could be a drag on a low-end Atom processor with limited resources. This is why dedicated streaming dongles from the likes of Roku and Amazon have remained successful. These sticks are improving, however, and Intel's mobile chips are getting better. It is worthy to note that Intel scrapped recently most of its Atom line, but the fanless Core M selection is still alive.

Since awareness of the technology is relatively new, PC dongles have nowhere to go but up. In January, ABI estimated that sales will reach 5 million by 2021. ABI research director Jeff Orr told PC World that a large part of the appeal will come from declining rates of PC dongles and rising prices of desktops and laptops.

With Windows and Linux going after the mobile market and Chrome OS and Android continuing to be versatile, lightweight OS, there are plenty of options now for PC dongle suppliers. In fact, it seemsthere is no OS China maker who does not want to put on a mini PC and sell. If Intel's Core M chip becomes the norm, prices might rise briefly for PC dongles (the Intel Compute Stick with a Core M processor running Windows starts at about $400). In the long run, prices will come down and dongles will seem to be an attractive option for turning any TV into full PCs.

See a comparison table of selected mini PC suppliers on GlobalSources.com