Sonos has confirmed it quietly cancelled a streaming box that would have taken on devices like the Apple TV 4K. The reason is fairly simple: the company didn’t have the software resources to do it properly.
Speaking in an interview with Bloomberg’s Chris Welch, Sonos CEO Tom Conrad revealed that the company had been developing a video streaming device internally under the codename Pinewood.
The set-top box was intended to mark Sonos’ first move into the TV streaming space. It was supposed to compete directly with established platforms from Apple and others.
But despite having a potential launch timeline in place, the project ultimately stalled before it could reach the market.
According to Conrad, the bigger problem wasn’t the hardware — it was the software. Sonos simply didn’t have enough engineers to build and maintain a full video platform while also improving its existing ecosystem.
“We just didn’t have enough software resources to execute it well,” Conrad said during the interview.
That decision appears tied to the company’s broader focus on stabilising its software platform. Sonos has faced criticism over its apps and services in recent years. In addition, Conrad suggested prioritising those areas made more sense than launching an entirely new category.
Reports previously suggested the Pinewood box could have landed somewhere between $200 and $400. This would have positioned it as a premium streaming device above many rivals. It would have been potentially even pricier than the current Apple TV 4K, which starts at $129.
Even if Sonos had continued development, Conrad indicated the product likely still wouldn’t be ready today. That makes cancelling the project early a practical decision rather than a last-minute retreat.
For now, Sonos appears content to focus on what it already does best: speakers, audio systems and its multi-room platform. Moving into streaming video might still happen one day. However, if it does, it sounds like Sonos wants the software side to be far more solid first.
Opinion
The Pinewood streaming box being curtailed early on is probably a bullet dodged based on what new CEO Tom Conrad had to say about it.
Given the lack of resources and rumoured high price the box would have launched, plus the development time needed, a streaming box didn’t feel like a product Sonos needed now, even though it made sense from a practical point of view, routing Sonos’ many speakers through a streaming hub.
With the launch of the Era 100 SL an Play speaker, Sonos seems to be focusing on what it’s done well previously. Though we’re still waiting for that product that will grab our attention and set pulses racing.
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