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Amazon video-on-demand is actually a great service, technically speaking, and they already have a streaming library at least as large as Netflix. I am actually

by lukev 16y ago

Amazon video-on-demand is actually a great service, technically speaking, and they already have a streaming library at least as large as Netflix. I am actually very surprised that Amazon has it so tucked away in their site and don't promote it much. While it currently isn't economically viable for heavy consumers using it as a substitute for TV, as Netflix is, they definitely already have the technology in place. All they need to do is get the pricing/subscription model right.

askedrelic 16y ago
Their built-in support on my Panasonic Viera TV has been quite good: simple to setup, no fuss to buy, and HD looks good enough for me. Amazon has given me a few $5 video credits and enticed me to watch/buy a few more movies and tv shows through. I would definitely be interested in this.
bpyne 16y ago
We bought Roku a few months ago. I find we use Netflix and Amazon in a complimentary fashion. However, we lean towards Netflix because of the pricing model - a flat monthly rate - rather than Amazon's brick-and-mortar video store model. Also, Amazon's library is mostly, from admittedly my own small sampling, purchase only. Even though the purchase price is often not very much, I still don't want to own videos. Basically, I'd love to see Amazon's library grafted onto Netflix's pricing model.
sfphotoarts 16y ago
completely agree, the service is fabulous, great technology and they have a huge inventory, even on-going shows. I don't have TV but have been able to watch Gossip Girl without having to wait for the DVDs of Season 4.
AlexC04 16y ago
I would almost be ready to hazard a guess that it's exactly as big as Netflix' library. Many recent articles from Netflix has talked about how they have dealt with moving everything to AWS. Wouldn't it make sense if some company like Amazon decided to set up a "white label" streaming service? Netflix carries all the expertise, negotiates all contracts with providers, aquires rights to the show, etc... Amazon carries marketing muscle and an installed user base of people who've stored their one-click credit card number in the system. Netflix pays a commission on every streaming product sold and does all the rest of the work. It's drop-shipping a la Walmart-store-brand-version-potato-chips. It has the added benefit of looking like competition (like Best Buy vs. Future Shop in Canada, both owned by the same company ... or Cadillac vs. Chevrolet). Makes sense to me.

by lukev 16y ago

askedrelic 16y ago

Their built-in support on my Panasonic Viera TV has been quite good: simple to setup, no fuss to buy, and HD looks good enough for me. Amazon has given me a few $5 video credits and enticed me to watch/buy a few more movies and tv shows through. I would definitely be interested in this.

bpyne 16y ago

We bought Roku a few months ago. I find we use Netflix and Amazon in a complimentary fashion. However, we lean towards Netflix because of the pricing model - a flat monthly rate - rather than Amazon's brick-and-mortar video store model. Also, Amazon's library is mostly, from admittedly my own small sampling, purchase only. Even though the purchase price is often not very much, I still don't want to own videos. Basically, I'd love to see Amazon's library grafted onto Netflix's pricing model.

sfphotoarts 16y ago

completely agree, the service is fabulous, great technology and they have a huge inventory, even on-going shows. I don't have TV but have been able to watch Gossip Girl without having to wait for the DVDs of Season 4.

AlexC04 16y ago

I would almost be ready to hazard a guess that it's exactly as big as Netflix' library. Many recent articles from Netflix has talked about how they have dealt with moving everything to AWS. Wouldn't it make sense if some company like Amazon decided to set up a "white label" streaming service? Netflix carries all the expertise, negotiates all contracts with providers, aquires rights to the show, etc... Amazon carries marketing muscle and an installed user base of people who've stored their one-click credit card number in the system. Netflix pays a commission on every streaming product sold and does all the rest of the work. It's drop-shipping a la Walmart-store-brand-version-potato-chips. It has the added benefit of looking like competition (like Best Buy vs. Future Shop in Canada, both owned by the same company ... or Cadillac vs. Chevrolet). Makes sense to me.