Tech Shout!

Screenshots of what could be an Amazon.com video store surfaced Friday on the Web. Alan Taylor, who claims to have worked for the online retailer more than two years ago, said he discovered the screenshots while poking around an area of Amazon.com used by developers.

The pictures show a service called Unbox Video that offers first time users a free TV show or $1.99 off the first movie they download. Instructions are given for downloading the player and buying movies and video that can be played on a PC, TV or portable media player.

Amazon.com declined comment. “We don’t comment on future plans we may or may not have,” spokesman Sean Sundwall said.

One of the screenshots showed a list of available movies, including “The Road Warrior,” “X-Men,” and “The Matrix.” Taylor also posted what could be the screenshot of the Amazon.com player, which appears to include features for organizing videos.

According to Taylor, the screenshots indicate the would-be service would at least support the Creative Zen Vision portable player. The Amazon player, however, appeared to only be available for Windows XP and NT.

Taylor’s discovery started when he saw on the blog HackingNetflix.com a posting on finding interesting pages by doing a Google search for “Amazon and digital video.” In doing that, he found a blank Amazon.com Web page that had its own separate tab, as if it was part of a store on the site.

Taylor then searched on Google for Amazon and the ID number on the page, and found a link to a search tool used by developers to find product data. In using the search tool, Taylor found the screenshots, which he said were a surprise.

“I didn’t really expect to find anything,” Taylor said. The Boston Web developer said he knew nothing about an Amazon.com video store, and couldn’t say for sure whether the screenshots indicate something actually under development.
“It could be an experiment,” he said. “They may never decide to launch this.”

Amazon made its first move into online video in June, launching its first entertainment show. “Amazon Fishbowl” is a 30-minute program hosted by comedian Bill Maher, who interviews authors, directors and actors. The show also features live performances from musicians, and is sponsored by United Parcel Service and Cingular Wireless.