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Amazon’s Three New Devices Cleared the FCC

Amazon amazon-tv-pilots[1]is widely expected to launch a media streaming device next Wednesday, and if the FCC filings are what I think it is then it’s not going to be a dongle.

A trio of FCC filings showed up earlier this month from the usual anonymous LLCs, and all the signs point to Amazon’s media device being a box of some kind and not the dongle that TechCrunch claimed. Amazon has taken the usual steps of hiding virtually everything, but what little they did not hide speaks volumes.

For example, two of the FCC filings come from a company called Ailen LLC. Assuming that isn’t a typo, then the name Ailen could be a reference to a word in a language native to Chile. It means Little Coal, and it could be an indication that someone at Amazon has a sense of humor.

cl1130 ailen amazon set top boxAilen LLC has 2 FCC filings to their credit, one of which is described as a remote control while the other looks to be the media streaming device. Based on the FCC label, the streamer is going to be a small box with a 4″ by 4″ footprint (I measured based on the pixels). It has a model number of CL1130, and it was tested for Wifi and Bluetooth.

Assuming I have the dimensions correct, we’re looking at a device that will be more than just a media streamer. It might have card slots or additional ports (USB, network, sound, etc). At the very least I expect this to be a much more interesting device than the dongle I had been expecting.

And as for the other filing, I don’t know what to expect. It’s described as a remote control, and it was tested for Bluetooth. We know that the label is going to go in the battery compartment, so I am guessing that the remote control really will be a remote control – unless it is actually a gaming controller along the lines of the Wiimote, which is not out of the question.

amazon controller 1One thing I can say for sure is that it’s not going to be the going to be the gaming controller we saw a couple weeks back, because that went through the FCC on its own.

I don’t think anyone, not even my source for the other 2 filings, has noticed that the wireless gaming controller which showed up in Brazil has also shown up on the FCC website (or at least the 5 digit model numbers matched, which is so improbable as to not be a coincidence). According to the FCC filing, this device was tested for Bluetooth and has a battery compartment.

In short, folks, we’re looking at Amazon launching as many as 3 devices next Wednesday, One could be a set top box slash gaming console, while the other two could be gaming controllers.

FCC (S59-1214)

FCC (S59-4891)

FCC (2AAIG-0725)

ZatzNotFunny

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Comments


DaveZ March 29, 2014 um 6:35 am

I’ve had little to no contact since the launch of the original Kindle – they and their PR firm clearly don’t value the long tail. Guess they don’t have to, since we blog them anyway. Not to mention, as a matter of both principle and efficiency, I’ve actually cut off most companies. Always pros and cons…

Speaking of USB, in one of the test reports they connected a mouse in that manner – Janko of GigaOm picked that up (as we’ve been noodling over these filings together for a few weeks).

Nate Hoffelder March 29, 2014 um 8:27 am

I didn’t catch the detail about a mouse, but it would suggest I was right about expecting more in the way of abilities.

Dave Z March 29, 2014 um 8:49 am

Well, I doubt us customers would use a mouse but the point is there may very well be an available USB port (versus a header on the board used solely for testing/maintenance). Also, I imagine this product line could evolve into a multipurpose device – what it/they does at launch may not be what it’s capable of in 9 or 18 months down the road.


fjtorres March 29, 2014 um 6:45 am

The dongle may be a late addition and come later. So they might announce it now and ship it in the summer.
Unless the boxy streamer is unusually cheap, they’ll need a low-end entry in the sub-$50 range to build critical mass.

CJJ March 29, 2014 um 10:43 am

^this. Most TV’s and Blu-ray players with similar capabilities are already in peoples homes. Not to mention a plethora of boxes and dongles. They seem pretty late to the party.

Nate Hoffelder March 31, 2014 um 3:52 pm

Actually, at this point I don’t believe there will be a dongle. That’s a TechCrunch rumor, and they don’t have a good record for getting this type of leak right.


Alexander Inglis March 29, 2014 um 1:35 pm

The TV STB sounds a lot like the existing Roku 3 — a 4×4″ box that connects to the TV and a small hand held remote. Bluetooth enables some remote functions.

Nate Hoffelder March 29, 2014 um 1:47 pm

Yep. I wonder if Roku sent the remote through the FCC separately?

DaveZ March 29, 2014 um 2:05 pm

Yes, they did. Although I think they’re going with WiFi Direct on their higher end units. Also, I’ve seen random Roku wireless chips pass thru – guessing those may be in relation to partner Roku TVs.


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