Facebook Inc. is said to be working on a media streaming device that will offer access to various entertainment services and feature a camera for video calling.

Online news network Cheddar detailed the project in a report published today, a week after the social network entered the smart home market with the introduction of the Portal (pictured). The product is a kind of stationary tablet that sports a wide-lens camera built with video calls in mind.

In contrast with Portal, Facebook’s streaming device is reportedly designed to be used with standalone TVs. The sources cited by Cheddar specified that it will sit atop users’ displays, which suggests the product could resemble set-top boxes such as Amazon Inc.’s Fire TV and Roku.

The tipsters didn’t share any other details about how the device will work. However, they said it will use the same “core technology” as Portal, which likely means that Facebook plans to carry over some features.

Portal’s media streaming capabilities could be a particularly good fit: The product offers access to the Facebook Watch video platform, Food Network, Newsy, Pandora and several entertainment services, with more to come in the future.

The social network might even go as far as integrating the two devices. Jane Manchun Wong, an engineer who had previously uncovered several prerelease features in the source code of Facebook products, found a reference to “Ripley” when analyzing the Portal. That’s the internal code name the company is said to be using for the streaming device.

One of the tipsters said Facebook plans to announce the system next spring. Rafa Camargo, the Facebook vice president in charge of its Portal group, confirmed the possibility of a 2019 smart home product launch to TechCrunch, saying that “we’re already investing in expanding the product line with more products we want to launch next year.”

The fact that Camargo spoke in plural terms may indicate Facebook has more than one device in the works. The social network could bring the streaming unit to market in multiple models, as it has done with the Portal, or potentially even introduce additional products that are still under wraps.

Facebook’s long-term hardware ambitions are not confined to the smart home. The company is also working to bring virtual reality to the masses with its Oculus headsets and is pursuing some projects that are even more ambitious. Last year, for instance, Facebook revealed that a few dozen of its engineers are working on a brain-computer interface intended to let users type without lifting a finger.

Photo: Facebook