Everyone seems to be fighting for the a place on your television with streaming solutions, and Amazon may just go the extra mile. Businessweek reports that the online retailer is mulling the possibility of releasing a set-top box later this year. According to the publication’s sources, Amazon will build the box to let customers watch content straight from its Instant Video and Video on Demand store, free services available to customers who opt for the Amazon Prime shipping subscription.
Naturally, Amazon is hoping to take on the likes of Roku, Apple, and Western Digital by offering a set-top box directly instead of simply providing streaming services through similar hardware. Those devices may provide good access to Amazon’s content already, but a self-branded box would give the retailer much more control over which shows and movies it can showcase.
The company has certainly reigned in some noticeable talent to work on the box too. Businessweek says that former employees at Cisco, TiVo, and Vudu are all participating in the project, each bringing their hardware and networking know-how.
And Amazon will certainly have some fresh content to promote if the box is indeed released later this year. The company has been producing its own original TV shows, recently releasing pilot episodes for 14 new shows to Amazon Prime customers. The retailer is taking a scattershot approach to see what works and what doesn’t, unlike Netflix and Hulu, but it really only needs one or two shows to successfully grab people’s attention.
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