Chip maker Intel Corp is still contemplating an entry into the television arena, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The paper even calls the company “the new cable guy”, by developing an internet-based television service that it hopes to sell to US consumers.
It has already developed a user interface for users to browse programmes and is pitching media operators it seeks to gain a platform to launch its TV service.
Intel is currently making its own set-top box and envisions itself as a “virtual cable operator” providing IPTV in a bundle similar to cable TV.
The move would mark a strategic shift by the chipmaker as it sets its sights on the crowded pay-TV business. Just recently, Intel said it decided to abandon the smart TV market, while continuing to support set-top boxes.
The chipmaker is entering a crowded space and joins the ranks of other hopeful entrants including Google and Apple.
In January 2011, the company hired former BBC executive Erik Huggers to lead its attempts to break into the home-entertainment field. The company’s interest in television is part of a strategy to expand beyond the PC market.
