The fact that Amazon is developing its own set-top streaming device shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. Not only does Amazon have its own content library to promote (Amazon Instant Video), but the company’s also been stepping its toes into the original content production game through Amazon Studios. Plus, much of Amazon’s competition already has such a device on the market.
Amazon’s set-top box has been rumored since last Spring, and today we’re getting another report that the company is readying the device for a big holiday sales push.
The Wall Street Journal cites sources familiar with the matter who say that Amazon’s set-top content delivery device will be here soon, and it’ll look something like a Roku.
The sources also indicate that the device will stream content from a variety of providers, not just its own video offerings – which means we’ll be getting things like a Netflix app. No word yet on pricing.
Oh, and it’s apparently codenamed “Cinnamon.”
Speaking of names for said device, 9to5Google unearthed a new Canadian trademark filing that shows Amazon registering the name “Firetube,” an obvious portmanteau of the Kindle Fire and “tube,” as in the boob tube, as in TV. The generic description refers to a device that is capable of…
…transmitting, accessing, receiving, uploading, downloading, encoding, decoding, streaming, broadcasting, sharing, displaying, formatting, manipulating, organizing, book marking, tagging, storing, caching, and transferring electronic works…
So yeah, not much to go on there. Could the new set-top box be called the Firetube? Hang tight, folks. We’ll know pretty soon.