Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), Streaming Video and the Future

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Apple could be formidable in streaming if they truly committed to it. The firm has the technology to bring a lot of content to the world in a hurry and already has the content ready to go with the iTunes store. The firm is already committing to streaming music in 2013 and movies can’t be too far away.

The firm’s stock has famously tanked over the last little while and I see the reason for it. Toss in pressures from large investors and something’s going to happen. If you believe in Apple and the concept of streaming movies and television shows then Apple might still be a good pickup. Heck, might be anyway.

Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)

Again, Google’s another firm well-placed to move into streaming hugely. The firm has its Google TV out there already and just needs to make sure that the content providers keep on providing to make them truly a leader in the industry.

Honestly, I don’t see why Google hasn’t done this already. The firm isn’t known for waiting around and has been in an acquisitional mood. Still, maybe the execs over there have been busy. Still, the stock continues to go up and so do the expectations that Google can do anything. That’s not true, obviously, but a reasonable P/E of 24.10 and a year-long growth in share value, from $612.20 to $782.86 shows me that it’s not overpriced like some of the others. It should just split a few times and mature into its role.

There’s a lot that can happen in streaming, and several of the players are either private, like Blockbuster or Hulu, or content providers trying to figure out how to get into the action. That last is what will put streamers like Netflix and Amazon on hold. Either could still do well, but I’d bet on some sort of long-term partnership that locks others out of content. Similar to what Amazon is trying to do with the “Under the Dome” thing, but wider. But there’s no guarantee that Amazon is going to be the one who pulls it off first, or even best. Invest your dollars appropriately.

Good luck!

Follow Nate on Twitter: @natewooley

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The article Amazon, Streaming Video and the Future originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Nate Wooley.

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