Amazon.com has reportedly been working on a set-top box to compete against Roku and Apple TV for several months now. But the device, which would allow customers to stream Internet programs onto a TV, is now coming close to reality.
Re/code reports that Amazon is looking to release the Android-based system next month, creating a new method for people to watch Internet programs on their TVs. Amazon is expanding rapidly into video, launching original programs as it competes with Netflix through its Amazon Instant Video Service.
The company had targeted a launch of the set-top box around the holiday season, but those plans were delayed.
Last April, Bloomberg BusinessWeek first reported on the box, being developed at Amazon’s secretive, Cupertino-based Lab126 hardware development division.
Another report this week by Re/code suggested that Amazon.com may be looking to expand its gaming console efforts, following its acquisition of Double Helix Games. Picking up on a job listing for an industry veteran with “Android and iOS game development experience” — the position has led some to speculate that Amazon might be working on its own gaming console.
It is unclear whether the set-top box plans are connected to the gaming efforts. But there have been recent rumblings about Amazon launching its own Android-based gaming console for under $300.
Taking the two stories together, one could speculate that Amazon.com certainly has its eyes on the living room, just as Sony, Apple and Microsoft do.
