According to the Wall Street Journal, Intel is developing and internet-based TV service for the US market.

The chipmaker has reportedly been pitching the idea to media companies and the concept might signify a major shift in Intel’s strategy. Intel is clearly more than capable of putting together a service from a technical standpoint, so it all depends on coming up with a viable business model and getting major content providers on board.

Apple is said to be developing a virtual cable service along similar lines and then there is Google TV to contend with. However, unlike Apple and Google, Intel plans to offer its service via set-top boxes rather than smart TVs.

The move could pit Intel head to head with Apple and Google in the content market. However, Intel currently does not have any content service of its own, while Google and Apple in particular already have this aspect of the business covered.

It still remains to be seen what if anything Intel will come up with in the end. It could stick to set-top boxes, or it could offer a reference smart TV platform like Google. But once again, the service itself will be the deciding factor, not hardware.

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