Amazon is reportedly working on its own TV settop box for streaming videos under its Instant Video -branded service. Citing three unnamed sources, Bloomberg said the product is being built in Amazon's Lab126 division in Cupertino, CA, under the direction of several settop and video engineering veterans.
The settop box would allow users to access Prime Intant Video streaming content on their TVs. Prime Instant Video is part of Amazon Prime, and it effectively competes with Netflix, and to a lesser extent, Hulu. The device would also stream videos from Amazon's Video on Demand, an à la carte service.
The device is being planned for a fall release, and it would put Amazon in further direct competition with Apple—in this case the Apple TV. It would also compete with Roku, the Boxee Cloud DVR, and even Google TV's (largely failed) software.
Amazon recently announced that it had funded 14 TV show pilots and was in the process of deciding which ones get developed into a series. Netflix has seen wild success with its House of Cards original show, and Amazon would feature those shows through its device, as well.
Amazon is also likely to allow Netflix and Hulu on the device, though this could be through third party apps that would be available through Amazon's Appstore.
The name of the device hasn't been announced or leaked, but Bloomberg's guess was "Kindle TV," a name that is in keeping with Amazon's hardware strategy for the last five years.