Amazon’s long-rumored streaming box is expected any day now. But here’s something new: it won’t just arrive with support for the company’s own streaming service. Instead, the box will come prepackaged with Netflix and Hulu Plus apps according to multiple sources as reported by Gigaom.
The box was scheduled to ship in time for last year’s holiday buying season but Amazon was unable to get their ducks in a row for whatever reason.
The publication tells us that the set-top box will ship with a standard remote control. Considering the fact that Amazon recently registered to use the DIAL multi-screen protocol, it’s likely that users will also be able to launch apps directly from their smartphone or tablet as seems to be the norm these days. After all, who wants to add yet another remote control to their already cluttered coffee table?
The streaming box is said to be years in the making and is primarily the work of Amazon’s lab126 R&D arm. It was reported back in late 2012 that Amazon had been quietly hiring a number of developers that previously worked on Logitech’s failed Google TV box.
Amazon’s streamer will be powered by Android – no surprise there. Much like the Kindle Fire tablet, however, the box will run a modified version of Google’s mobile operating system with a custom overlay. Because of this, it is unlikely that the device will feature a YouTube app.
No word on a solid launch date nor do we know how much Amazon plans to sell the box for.
