Apple TV vs. Roku 3: A new trend has fallen in American households. Around 25 percent of homes in the country will have a set-top box within two years, according to research firm Park Associates.

If you’re in the market looking for the right streaming media player that will fit your home, it is most likely that you’ve encountered the two current top competitors: Roku and Apple. Although Apple rules over smartphones and laptops, this isn’t the case when it comes to set-top boxes. In fact, Parks Associates’ survey reported that Roku beat Apple devices after dominating the streaming media player sales last year with 46 percent. Apple only ranked second with 26 percent of the total sales.

Roku’s sales percentage jumped from 37 percent in 2013 to a whopping 44 percent in 2014. Meanwhile, Apple keeps steady numbers, from 24 to 26 percent this year. This shows that the distance between the two main set-box companies seems to be getting bigger.

Park Associates Research Director Barbara Kraus reasoned that many factors led to Roku’s dominance over Apple in the U.S. market. "Roku has always had a close association with Netflix, the largest source of video downloads, and currently offers more than 1,700 channel apps as well as a choice of models with different features and price points, all of which appeal to consumers' purchasing instincts. With Amazon entering this CE category, there will be renewed pressure on all players to develop the best combination of 'can't miss' content with a simple and intuitive interface."

However, when it comes to worldwide sales, Apple still has the upper hand. With around 20 million sales in TV’s since 2007, Apple outmatches Roku’s total sales of around 8 million from 2008 to the end of 2013. Apple’s worldwide lead is bound to increase if it releases an updated Apple TV this year and if it doubles its efforts in promoting its devices doubles, suggested Kraus.