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Amazon is developing a set-top box to compete with the Apple TV and Roku boxes, reports The Wall Street Journal. The box would be aimed primarily at users of its Amazon Prime Video streaming video service and could launch in time for the holiday season.
It was reported back in April that Amazon was developing a set-top box to stream video via its Amazon Prime and Instant Video services.
Plans for a device that would stream video were reported in April by The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets. Such a set-top box would broaden Amazon's reach into the living room, where today it is dependent on other hardware makers to reach consumers watching video on TV sets. Providing a device of its own is a potentially crucial component to Amazon's ambition of expanding beyond its core online marketplace business.
Amazon has stepped up its streaming content offerings recently, producing 14 original television pilots and using customer feedback to decide which get made into full shows, as well as spending significant amounts of money to secure exclusive rights to shows like Downton Abbey and The West Wing. The tactic takes on both Netflix's subscription streaming service and Apple's iTunes content store.
Currently Amazon's Instant Video service is available on iPads and iPhones, the Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, the Sony Playstation 3, smart televisions from LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio, TiVo, the Roku box, as well as a number of Blu-ray players.
Top Rated Comments
Not making something that only so many people will buy.
You forget that Wall Street doesn't give a toss if Amazon makes money or not. As long as Amazon's top line keeps going up and up and up the market doesn't seem to care what happens to the bottom line.
I swear you have that same comment just ready to go whenever there is an amazon post. You literally say the same thing over and over about amazon.
http://theweek.com/article/index/235488/how-long-can-amazon-go-without-making-money
It's good to see you here Anthony - I feel like I haven't come across your name in a long time.
This will be an interesting product. How many other services will Amazon link up to stream. Will it be bundled with 3/6/12 months of free Prime as a selling point?
Roku has a pretty mature "channel" selection. And there's no doubt that AppleTV despite having it's limitations is favored by many simple for airplay.
And then there's Google Chromecast which is doing pretty well and has a scary price point.
So again - it will be interesting to see how they differentiate theirs...
Amazon needs to up their content but they've got a good start/foundation.
When did Apple offer free movies or a subscription for $79 or less a year to view a catalog of content?
http://www.amazon.com/Instant-Video/b/ref=topnav_storetab_mov_aiv?ie=UTF8&node=2858778011