In video industry FPGA based devices are used relatively wide. Multiplexers, encoders, satellite and cable devices etc. And they don't do "everything", usually there is a regular purpose cpu - power, x86, arm etc. as a controller, which also hosts OS and all software and lots of specialized FPGAs. In one device there can be one low power dual core cpu (celeron, old ppc) and tens of top level monster FPGAs like Stratix V.
Reconfiguration is also very much needed - customers often experience network and different specific problems that are only fixable in hardware. So we need configurable packet processors (basically top level router in a chip), configurable processing fpga, lots of small fpga etc.
And bug fix for one customer is then gradually distributed to everyone. And devices lifespan is long - many customers use 5 or even 10 year old hardware. Performance is enough for them and new functionality is provided for them, partially in way of new fpga firmware.
PS: some devices, especially cable or satellite, are sold in thousands by several companies, so its not like unique hand-made hardware.
PPS: of course any costs to buy toolchain or windows pc in such companies doesn't matter really. Finding talented fpga designers is way harder as far as I understand.
Reconfiguration is also very much needed - customers often experience network and different specific problems that are only fixable in hardware. So we need configurable packet processors (basically top level router in a chip), configurable processing fpga, lots of small fpga etc. And bug fix for one customer is then gradually distributed to everyone. And devices lifespan is long - many customers use 5 or even 10 year old hardware. Performance is enough for them and new functionality is provided for them, partially in way of new fpga firmware.
PS: some devices, especially cable or satellite, are sold in thousands by several companies, so its not like unique hand-made hardware.
PPS: of course any costs to buy toolchain or windows pc in such companies doesn't matter really. Finding talented fpga designers is way harder as far as I understand.