Sonos was gearing up to take on Apple TV 4K, Roku, and Google Chromecast with its own streaming box. The device, known internally as Pinewood, was expected to be a premium set-top box that would integrate seamlessly with Sonos’ ecosystem. But now, it looks like that plan is off the table—at least for the foreseeable future.

According to the Verge, Sonos executives broke the news to employees during an internal all-hands meeting, saying that the streaming box is no longer part of the company’s roadmap. Given Sonos’ rough year, which included a controversial app overhaul and leadership shake-ups, this decision isn’t entirely surprising.

So, what exactly was Pinewood supposed to be? And why did Sonos decide to pull the plug? Let’s take a closer look.

Sonos’ first-ever video streaming device wasn’t just going to be another Apple TV or Roku clone. The company had some big ideas for how Pinewood would stand out.

• Universal search & content aggregation: It was supposed to pull content from different streaming services into a single interface, making it easier to find what you want to watch.
• HDMI passthrough: Unlike most streaming boxes, Pinewood would have included multiple HDMI ports, letting you connect devices like gaming consoles and Blu-ray players.
• Lag-free wireless audio: With Wi-Fi 7 and Gigabit Ethernet, the device was designed to send low-latency audio to Sonos soundbars and speakers, eliminating sync issues.
• Dual control system: Sonos was working on both a physical remote and voice control integration, giving users multiple ways to interact with the device.

At $200 to $400, Pinewood would have been a premium streaming device, sitting well above the $136 Apple TV 4K and far beyond budget-friendly options like the Amazon Fire Stick or Roku Express 4K Plus.

So, why did Sonos cancel it? Sonos has had a tough time lately. After a disastrous app redesign upset customers and led to CEO Patrick Spence stepping down, the company has been trying to win back trust and stabilize its software experience.

With that in mind, interim CEO Tom Conrad seems to be steering the company back to its core focus—audio—instead of taking on an entirely new market. According to the Verge, Pinewood had been in development for months and had even gone through beta testing, but leadership decided that now isn’t the right time to launch a brand-new product category.

Another major factor? Price. With a rumored cost of up to $400, Sonos’ streaming box would have needed to offer something truly special to convince people to pick it over Apple TV 4K, Google Chromecast, or Amazon Fire TV. There was concern—both inside and outside the company—that it might have been a hard sell.

Is Sonos completely giving up on video? Not necessarily. While Pinewood is now on ice, that doesn’t mean Sonos has given up on the idea of a streaming device entirely.

It is suggested that Sonos is still working with its software partner, The Trade Desk, which was involved in designing the device’s advertising and content integration system. This hints that Sonos might revisit its streaming ambitions down the line.

For now, though, the focus is shifting back to fixing its software and possibly expanding its audio lineup. Rumors are already swirling about a Sonos Beam Gen 3 soundbar, though nothing has been confirmed yet.

With no big hardware launches expected in 2025, Sonos seems to be in rebuilding mode. The company’s most recent products, including the Sonos Sub Gen 4 and Arc Ultra, launched in late 2024, but there hasn’t been much else on the horizon.

While Pinewood could have been an exciting step into video, it’s clear that Sonos doesn’t want to rush things—especially after the missteps of the past year. Whether we’ll ever see a Sonos streaming box remains to be seen, but for now, it looks like the company is sticking to what it knows best: audio.

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