Amazon has plans to enter the TV market in a major way, according to Wall Street Journal. They plan to release a TV streaming box before Christmas, and they could be working on a Chromecast-like alternative. It is believed to be called the Firetube.

Amazon hopes to enter the TV market
This is certainly not the first time we have heard about Amazon’s TV plans (1, 2). According to WSJ, Amazon plans to launch a TV streaming box before Christmas.


Amazon wants to release a TV box before Christmas, sources say

The TV box will compete with devices such as the Apple TV and will offer access to Amazon’s own Amazon Instant service. Just like Netflix, Amazon also recently started to produce original TV series for its streaming service.

Amazon has trademarked the name “Firetube” in USA and Canada, and is also believed to work on a wireless alternative to Chromecast or Airplay for use in the box/device. However, this is only speculation for now.

Amazon seems determined to enter the TV arena, which should be interesting. Could the future of TV platforms belong to companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft and maybe Amazon? It is certainly not unthinkable, but Amazon will need to find a way to scale their business to the international scene.

- Source: WSJ & 9to5Google