Amazon taking the next step and making their own Set-top Box?? [Rumor]

Reports from Bloomberg, and an anonymous source, are now pointing towards Amazon with information that they have plans to release a television set-top box later this year. Looking to capitalize on their own branding and offering the Amazon Prime Video on Demand service to customers TV’s.

This particular information isn’t all that surprising really. Amazon has yet to give Android users the ability to stream videos via any sort of Android App. With the exception of the  Amazon Instant Video app for Google TV‘s sporting Android 3.2 and up. Even that isn’t getting great reviews and seems to plagued with issues. Amazon has a plethora of digital offerings with a variety of apps on a variety of devices and OS’s out there. The moved into the mobile space with their Kindle Fire line and have since seen an increase in monetary gain from the way they heavily link in their content. There is still talk of an Amazon phone, so why would the notion of an Amazon set-top box be far-fetched? It wouldn’t be.

Amazon is seeing the benefit that connected devices have on consumers and attempting to capitalize on it. It is highly likely that the set-top box will be Android based so they can take advantage of the large amount of developers and applications that are readily available. We assume that they will bury it deep inside and create a custom user interface, much like the Kindle Fire, putting amazon services front and center as much as possible. While we are certain they will get Netflix, Hulu and YouTube involved so that it becomes the all in one device that many people want.

It could be a rather interesting device. The information raises more questions than it does answers. What sort of hardware will they use? What sort of controls will they create? Will it have the additional focus on gaming like the current Google TV boxes offers?  What sort of oddball name will they give it, and how low will they go in price to snag customer attention? You can get some great Google TV boxes for $100+. With Amazons ability to undercut the current market, will they look to the $80 or less range?

It is all quite interesting to think about. Nothing is concrete as of yet though. So until we start hearing things from Amazon directly, we will keep this in the rumor bin. What are your thoughts? What would Amazon need to do to make a set-top box a hit?

Source: Bloomberg