Two big pieces of news for those in the streaming video niche: Intel is launching a subscription TV service. And Intel is launching a set-top box to stream Internet TV.

While that may seem like the same thing, Intel’s recent announcement can affect subscription sites in two ways. One, Intel’s new subscription video service means more competition for Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming video sites.

Two, the creation of a new set-top box for Internet-viewing means that video content creators will have to make sure their content is formatted and available on yet another platform.

No word yet on what the service would cost. But Intel CEO Eric Huggers said that the video service would also be available on non-TV devices such as the iPad.

Intel has tried before to merge Internet and TV, most notoriously with its failed Viiv home entertainment PC. But the market place seems more amenable to Internet-enabled TV than it did before, and Intel is concentrating on offering a more user-friendly interface. By doing so, Intel is looking to go direct-to-consumer. This has not been the company’s strong suit in the past, but Intel may be looking to copy Apple’s dominance of the consumer experience, from hardware to software to service. Not to mention collecting credit card information, which is a surefire competitive advantage (and why Apple and Amazon have thrived while Facebook and Google look for more and more ways to monetize their consumer base).

Image courtesy huangjiahui via flickr.