Amazon.com will release a set-top TV box later this year that will
stream video over the internet, challenging Apple Inc's Apple TV device
and a similar gadget sold by start-up Roku, Bloomberg Businessweek
reported.
The box will plug into TVs and give
viewers access to Amazon's digital video content, which the company has
been expanding, BloombergBusinessweek said, citing three unidentified
people familiar with the project.
An Amazon spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Amazon's
video content is already available on other set-top devices, including
Roku. Building its own gadget will help Amazon put the content more
directly in front of consumers and give developers another reason to
create apps for Amazon's digital platform, Bloomberg Businessweek said.
The
set-top box is being developed by Amazon's Lab126 division, based in
Cupertino, California, near Apple's headquarters. It's being run by
Malachy Moynihan, a former vice president of emerging video products at
Cisco Systems, Bloomberg Businessweek added.
