Google is getting into the home entertainment business, developing a device that streams music wirelessly throughout the home, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.
Google’s new entrant into the home entertainment sphere is confirmed in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission, in which it asks for permission to develop “an entertainment device that requires testing outside the laboratory environment.”
That alone is big news, since it would mark Google’s biggest step into developing and marketing its own consumer electronics device. Google reportedly just got approval from the Department of Justice to continue with its acquisition of Motorola Mobility, another major venture into hardware.
The device will stream music throughout the home, the Wall Street Journal has reported, and the FCC filing says users would connect the device to home WiFi networks and use Bluetooth to sync with other home electronics devices.
Also Read: Google Unveils New Music Service, Courts Indie Artists
A Google representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Google already made a push into music in November by starting Google Music, a new service that has an iTunes-like store, cloud music storage and an “Artist Hub” for up and coming artists.
The new device, while initially focused on music, could eventually be used for far more diverse purposes. Google's Android market also offers video rentals, so some video offering could be a natural extension.
From Microsoft with its Xbox 360 and Xbox Live to Apple and its rumored Apple TV, several other companies are pursuing the perfect device — or mixture of hardware and software — to dominate the home entertainment arena.
Whatever Google is cooking up, it is still in the “prototyping phase,” according to its filing.