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Tag: Amazon Prime

  • Amazon’s Music Streaming Service Could Hit Prime This Week

    Amazon’s Music Streaming Service Could Hit Prime This Week

    After many, many months of speculation, Amazon is gearing up to launch its new music streaming service for Prime customers.

    According to a report in The New York Times, the launch could come as early as this week.

    Though the rumors of an Amazon music service go back almost to the beginning of this year, late last month we saw reports that the company had already inked out agreements with some major record labels and a few independents. Apparently, Sony and Warner are on board, but Amazon’s service will most likely launch without any music from Universal – the largest label in the world.

    From the look of things, this is not going to be a Spotify killer or anything. The streaming catalog will not include any new releases – basically anything newer than six months old. It appears that Amazon isn’t going for an all-encompassing range of tracks, just a good selection to tack on to Prime’s perks.

    But that’s very important, nonetheless. Amazon recently jacked up the price on a Prime membership – from $79 a year to $99. In order to entice people to pay that increased amount, Amazon needs to bolster Prime’s offering. Free music sounds like a pretty good idea, especially when paired with Amazon Prime Instant Video – which is definitely getting better as of late.

  • Half Of US Streaming Netflix, Other Services On TVs

    Half Of US Streaming Netflix, Other Services On TVs

    According to a new report from Leichtman Research Group, 49% of all households in the U.S. have at least one TV connected to the Internet via a video game system, Blu-ray player, smart TV set, and/or stand-alone device like Roku, Apple TV, or Chromecast). That’s up from 28% in 2012 and 24% in 2010.

    24% of adults, according to a survey from the firm, watch video on the Internet via a connected TV at least weekly. That’s up from 13% two years ago and 5% four years ago.

    It comes as no surprise that this is largely driven by Netflix.

    “Connected television use is heavily skewed towards Netflix subscribers, with 49% of Netflix subscribers watching video from the Internet via a connected device weekly, compared to 8% weekly use among all non-Netflix subscribers,” the firm says. “Among Netflix streaming video users, 78% say that they watch Netflix on a TV set — a similar level to the previous three years.”

    Liechtman surveyed 1,211 households to reach its conclusions.

    “While this study is LRG’s eighth annual report on this topic, Emerging Video Services have truly emerged over the past two to three years,” said Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group. “This recent growth was spurred by Netflix’s decision in the third quarter of 2011 to focus on streaming video, coupled with the proliferation of connected TV devices, smartphones, and iPads and tablets.”

    The survey found that 80% of Netflix subscribers also subscribe to a pay-TV service. That’s down from 85% in 2012, but not a huge decline suggesting a massive move away from cable. 48% of non-subscribers to a pay-TV service get Netflix. That compares to 29% in 2012. 15% of Netflix subscribers say their subscription is shared with others outside of their homes.

    47% of homes, according to the survey, get Netflix, Amazon Prime, and/or Hulu Plus.

    Via GigaOm

    Image via Netflix

  • Amazon Prime May Soon Add (Slightly Old) Streaming Music to Its Offerings

    Amazon Prime May Soon Add (Slightly Old) Streaming Music to Its Offerings

    Free two-day shipping, on-demand movies and TV shows, and now streaming music? According to a new report, Amazon is gearing up to offer older and relatively new tracks for free to its Prime members.

    Buzzfeed reports that multiple sources have confirmed that Amazon will add a Prime music service, one which will launch in the next couple of months. Apparently, this won’t be a Spotify killer or anything, as the sources indicate that the catalog of music streaming options will not include any new releases–anything newer than six months old. It sounds a lot like Amazon Prime Instant Video, in that Amazon isn’t going for the full range of content–just enough to offer a solid selection.

    From BuzzFeed:

    Compared with Spotify, Rdio, and Beats, Amazon has been granted limited access to the labels’ archives, with one source saying that the company will pick and choose what albums to stream based on data from Amazon’s existing music and retail operations

    Which labels? Reportedly Sony, Warner, and a few independents.

    The rumors of an Amazon streaming music service began back in February, when reports emerged that said Amazon was in “serious talks” with big music labels. A WSJ report in March said that Amazon was planning on launching a free (ad-supported) streaming music and music video service that would allow non-Prime members to get in on the fun.

    Amazon quickly squashed that, saying that they had “no plans to offer a free streaming-media service.” They didn’t, however, rule out a music streaming package for Amazon Prime customers.

    Adding even a modest music library to Amazon Prime could greatly enhance the allure, especially when you consider the fact that Amazon Prime is now $99 a year instead of $79 following March’s big price hike.

    And though Amazon eats some of the cost for licensing any content they offer Prime member (it’s worth it, when you think about how much more a Prime subscriber is likely to buy from Amazon as opposed to a non-Prime shopper), there’s always the possibility that Amazon would pass on some of the cost of a streaming music service to the people.

    But I doubt they’d do that now, after already hiking up the price once this year.

  • The Sopranos, The Wire, and More HBO Hits Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Instant Video

    The Sopranos, The Wire, and More HBO Hits Now Streaming on Amazon Prime Instant Video

    Today’s the day, people. If you’re an Amazon Prime Subscriber, you can now stream a handful of some of HBO’s best shows of the past (and a few from the present) on Amazon Prime Instant Video.

    Nearly a month ago, Amazon made a pretty big announcement–a deal with HBO to bring a bunch of classic content to their streaming library. It marked Amazon’s first true competitive advantage over rivals Netflix and Hulu, as snagging HBO content is a pretty big deal. Other than HBO GO, Amazon Prime Instant Video is now the only other place that you can (legally) stream HBO shows online.

    Amazon Prime now has every single episode of The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Rome, Six Feet Under, Eastbound & Down, Enlightened, and Flight of the Conchords. It has some seasons of True Blood, Boardwalk Empire, and Treme. HBO will give up more recent seasons of those shows in the coming years.

    Classic miniseries like Band of Brothers, The Pacific, John Adams, and Angels in America are also now available in their entirety. Plus, some HBO original films and comedy specials from the likes of Louis CK and Bill Maher.

    “We’re thrilled to deliver this collection of groundbreaking, beloved content from HBO to Amazon Prime members for unlimited streaming at no additional cost,” said Brad Beale, Director of Digital Video Content Acquisition for Amazon. “Given the number of customers who purchase these titles from Amazon, we know how much customers love these shows. We are excited to bring them to Prime members—we think they are going to love them, whether they are experiencing them for the first time or re-discovering them from the beginning.”

    You can also expect to see Girls, The Newsroom, and Veep pop up on Amazon Prime at some point. Amazon won’t get any more specific than “the coming years.”

    Painfully absent from the deal is HBO’s megahit Game of Thrones–I guess HBO has to hold something back for the HBO GO subscribers.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Amazon Working on Its Own Delivery Service for That ‘Last Mile’

    Amazon Working on Its Own Delivery Service for That ‘Last Mile’

    It appears that Amazon is sick and tired of relying on UPS and FedEx to get packages to customers, and they are looking to take control of the situation–or at least do a little bit of the work themselves.

    The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon is currently working on its own delivery network, one that has been internally referred to as the “Last Mile.” That’s because the delivery network wouldn’t be a full, nationwide chain of trucks taking packages from the very beginning to their destinations. Instead, Amazon wants to focus its energy on the last leg of a package’s journey. Apparently, Amazon’s test involves a fleet of Amazon trucks, driven by contractors.

    Of course, eventually, this could be seen as a direct competitor to UPS and FedEx. Right now, UPS and FedEx are nearly fully responsible for delivering Amazon packages.

    The WSJ cites a job posting on the Amazon website, which mentions intentions for a “last mile” service.

    “Amazon is growing at a faster speed than UPS and FedEx, who are responsible for shipping the majority of our packages. At this rate Amazon cannot continue to rely solely on the solutions provided through traditional logistics providers. To do so will limit our growth, increase costs and impede innovation in delivery capabilities Last Mile is the solution to this. It is a program which is going to revolutionize how shipments are delivered to millions of customers,” said the posting.

    Although Amazon has been mulling this over for a while, the impetus to really get going reportedly surfaced last holiday season, when UPS and FedEx delays resulted in a lot of pissed off, package-less customers.

    As of right now, this is only being tested in a couple of big distribution areas and is a long way from being fully realized. But it’s interesting that Amazon feels that it can’t survive in the current model, especially when Amazon keeps adding to the list of products they’re shipping. Amazon released their earnings on Thursday, and although sales were up, profits didn’t jump proportionally.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • HBO Strikes Deal With Amazon Prime

    HBO Strikes Deal With Amazon Prime

    With Netflix leading the online streaming video pack with original programming like the wildly successful House of Cards, not to mention their expansive catalog of movies and television shows, one would not be blamed for wondering if Amazon Prime Instant Video would ever be able to hold its own.

    Now Amazon Prime has stepped into the ring like nothing heretofore. They announced that they have inked a deal with HBO to carry that giant’s programming.

    Amazon.com, Inc. announced a content licensing agreement with HBO, making Prime Instant Video the exclusive online-only subscription home for select HBO programming.

    The service kicks in on May 21 of this year. Feel free to get excited, but wait til you hear the addendum, exclusions, and specifications before you schedule a Game of Thrones binge.

    Some shows included in the deal:

    The Sopranos
    Six Feet Under
    The Wire
    Big Love
    Deadwood
    Eastbound & Down
    Family Tree
    Enlightened
    Treme
    Boardwalk Empire
    True Blood
    Band of Brothers
    John Adams

    Previous seasons of other HBO shows, such as Girls, The Newsroom and Veep will become available over the course of the multi-year agreement, three years after airing on HBO.

    The HBO deal is a real feather in the cap for Amazon, announcing that it is here to play ball.

    “Amazon has built a wonderful service—we are excited to have our programming made available to their vast customer base and believe the exposure will create new HBO subscribers,” said Charles Schreger, President of Programming Sales for HBO.

    Prime Instant Video already has the exclusive rights for PBS series Downton Abbey and Mr. Selfridge, as well as Under the Dome, Extant, 24, Veronica Mars, Orphan Black, The Americans, Justified, Falling Skies, Grimm, Workaholics, Suits and Covert Affairs.

    Image via YouTube

  • Amazon Unveils ‘Prime Pantry,’ A New Grocery Service For Prime Members

    Amazon Unveils ‘Prime Pantry,’ A New Grocery Service For Prime Members

    In December, we heard that Amazon was working on a new offering called “Pantry,” which would offer Amazon Prime members about 2,000 grocery products (at first).

    Now, the company has revealed the offering under the specific brand name “Amazon Prime Pantry,” and it is indeed a new way to order groceries from the online retail giant.

    Here’s Amazon’s official description:

    Prime Pantry is a new shopping experience on Amazon.com. Prime members can shop popular household essentials and have them conveniently delivered.

    Adding your first Prime Pantry item to Cart starts a Prime Pantry box. As you shop, you see that each Pantry item tells you what percentage of a Pantry box it fills based on its size and weight. Pantry boxes are large and can hold up to 45 pounds or four cubic feet of household products. As you check items off your list, we continuously track and show you how full your box is.

    You can buy as much or as little as you want for a flat $5.99 delivery fee per Prime Pantry box. Save gas, save money, save time.

    You can buy food, packaged foods, cookie supplies, beverages, personal care products (like bath/beauty), household supplies (like cleaning products and paper products), and pet supplies. You know, groceries.

    This is not to be confused with Amazon’s same-day grocery delivery service Amazon Fresh, though as that expands, a merger between the two offerings doesn’t seem out of the question.

    You can browse the Prime Pantry store here.

    Maybe one day you can have a drone bring you a roll of toilet paper when you realize that you’re out. The company is already working on its 7th and 8th-generation Prime Air models.

    Image via Amazon

  • HBO Shows Coming to Amazon Prime Instant Video

    HBO Shows Coming to Amazon Prime Instant Video

    In a move that has given Amazon Prime Instant Video its first true competitive advantage over Netflix, Amazon has just announced that a bunch of HBO content is coming to their streaming video service.

    Starting on May 21st, Amazon Prime Instant Video customers (anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription) will have access to every season of many classic HBO shows, as well as original miniseries, comedy specials, and documentaries.

    New and currently airing HBO shows on the other hand, well, they’re a different story. Some (like Game of Thrones) aren’t mentioned in the deal, while seasons of others (like Girls, True Blood, and The Newsroom) will hit Amazon Prime three years after their original airing on HBO.

    There is some great stuff on the way, however, including The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Rome and Six Feet Under, and of recent favorites such as Eastbound & Down, Enlightened and Flight of the Conchords. Also, Band of Brothers, John Adams, and The Pacific

    “HBO has produced some of the most groundbreaking, beloved and award-winning shows in television history, with more than 115 Emmys amongst the assortment of shows coming to Prime members next month,” said Brad Beale, Director of Content Acquisition for Amazon. “HBO original content is some of the most-popular across Amazon Instant Video—our customers love watching these shows. Now Prime members can enjoy a collection of great HBO shows on an unlimited basis, at no additional cost to their Prime membership.”

    For a while now, Netflix has had most of the competitive advantages over Amazon Prime Instant Video. Sure, the latter sports some movies and classic TV series that the former lacks (Hannibal, Orphan Black, The Shield, for instance), but Netflix is killing it with the original content game. Amazon Studios is making a push, but nothing they’ve produced has had the instant success of shows like Netflix’s House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. Plus, Amazon Prime Instant Video has always felt like an auxiliary sort of service–one that you get because you already have Amazon Prime (for the free two-day shipping, presumably). Netflix is just Netflix, if that makes any sense.

    In my mind, inking a deal with HBO is huge for Amazon.

    Speaking of Netflix, if you ask CEO Reed Hastings, Amazon Prime Instant Video isn’t so much a competitor as it is a compliment to Netflix. Hell, he’s even a subscriber.

    “Prime’s a great service,” said Hastings at Netflix’s recent earnings call. “I’m a prime member, and most Netflix employees are Prime members, and it’s coming across to most people in our society as very complimentary to Netflix. People look at them as multiple channels. You saw that Amazon included us on the Fire TV, and of course we’ve been before on the Kindle Fires, and it’s a great relationship all around where we’ve got unique content. They’ve also got some unique content. They’re also doing originals, and there’s multiple networks out there. It’s very much not a zero sum game, and we’re building this ecosystem together that’s about Internet video, and the more players there are in Internet video, the bigger that ecosystem gets, and the big theme is Internet video is taking share away from linear video, and so we’re all participating in that transformation.”

    Then again, now Amazon Prime Instant Video has a bunch of HBO stuff and Netflix doesn’t. If you’re an HBO lover who’s a cordcutter and not really into torrents, Amazon Prime Instant Video is now the place to get the content you want. Of course, until HBO caves and releases a standalone HBO GO service, free of the chains of cable TV. But don’t hold your breath.

    More from this announcement: the two parties are remedying a recent issue. HBO GO will become available on Amazon’s new Fire TV by year’s end. Year’s end, you ask? Yes. HBO GO is notoriously slow to hit new streaming devices.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Netflix Will Soon Be Raising Prices

    Netflix Will Soon Be Raising Prices

    Netflix is gearing up to make a move that may not sit well with its subscribers.

    On Monday, the Internet video service announced that the cost of monthly subscriptions would be going up within the next few months. They are estimating that the cost for new subscribers will increase by one to two dollars.

    The nearly 36 million current subscribers need not worry … yet. The company has explained that the current cusomters will continue to pay the $8.00 monthly subscription cost, that has been implemented since 2010, at least for the next year.

    The rising costs come as a measure for staying up-to-par with the competition. While Netflix currently has millions of subscribers, they are facing increased competition from cable networks such as HBO and Showtime, as well as other Internet video providers like Hulu.com and Amazon.com.

    Netflix also needs the added income to help pay for the rising costs of licensing the many videos and series they provide, such as their original series House of Cards and Orange is the New Black.

    “When we look at the shows and movies that we will be able to get if we have a bigger budget, it’s exciting,” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings told The Associated Press. “We want to make the service better and better so more people will join.”

    Hastings’ welcomes the competition and admitted that he is a subscriber to Amazon Prime. He described their services as “complementary to Netflix.” “We’re building this ecosystem together that’s about Internet video,” Hastings explained. “The more players there are in Internet video, the bigger that ecosystem gets…. and we’re all participating in that transformation.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Netflix CEO Reed Hastings: Amazon Prime’s A Great Service. I’m A Member.

    Netflix CEO Reed Hastings: Amazon Prime’s A Great Service. I’m A Member.

    Netflix held its quarterly earnings call last evening. Here’s a look at the financials.

    Many things were discussed on the call, including competition and the general relationship Netflix has with Amazon.

    “Prime’s a great service,” said Netflix CEO Reed Hastings. “I’m a prime member, and most Netflix employees are Prime members, and it’s coming across to most people in our society as very complimentary to Netflix. People look at them as multiple channels. You saw that Amazon included us on the Fire TV, and of course we’ve been before on the Kindle Fires, and it’s a great relationship all around where we’ve got unique content. They’ve also got some unique content. They’re also doing originals, and there’s multiple networks out there. It’s very much not a zero sum game, and we’re building this ecosystem together that’s about Internet video, and the more players there are in Internet video, the bigger that ecosystem gets, and the big theme is Internet video is taking share away from linear video, and so we’re all participating in that transformation.”

    Last week, Amazon announced some new partners for the voice search feature on its Amazon Fire TV platform. Netflix was noticeably absent from the list.

    Asked about this, Hastings responded, “Amazon’s been pretty straight forward about treating that platform as an open platform, and we definitely want to be in voice search, and we will be in voice search. We’re just still working on the mechanics of it, so there’s no fundamental issue. It’s just some timing and scheduling things that came together. I wish we could’ve made the initial launch date, but it’s definitely something that will come out this year.”

    Amazon also came up in a letter from Hastings and Netflix CFO David Wells to shareholders released on Monday. In that, the two said:

    In Q1, Amazon changed strategies in the UK and Germany, closing LoveFilm as a streaming brand to compete with Netflix. They have repurposed their content deals to serve Amazon Prime Instant Video in the UK and Germany, and are investing in creating awareness of this new model. Amazon is not currently offering subscription video within Prime in Canada, France, Italy, Spain or Japan. They may choose to expand Prime Instant Video or to focus on tuning their three existing Prime Instant Video markets: U.S., UK and Germany. Since much of the content on Netflix and Amazon Prime (as well as Hulu in the U.S.) is mutually exclusive, many consumers see value in subscribing to all three networks.

    In general, we continue to believe that our biggest long-term competitor for entertainment time remains the MVPDs improving through TV Everywhere, as they are doing with HBO Go.

    Netflix recently poked fun at Amazon’s Prime Air service (the drones) with this video:

    Image via YouTube

  • Amazon: We’re Not Planning a Free Streaming Service

    Amazon: We’re Not Planning a Free Streaming Service

    Amazon has quashed reports that they are actively considering a free, ad-supported streaming media service that would allow people to watch video and music video content without an Amazon Prime subscription.

    On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal cited people close with the company who said that Amazon was considering an ad-supported streaming video and music video service–one that would be free of subscription costs to customers. Of course, this is a vastly different approach than how Amazon currently distributes streaming video, which is part of their Amazon Prime membership service. The WSJ report also suggested that the new ad-supported free service could launch in the next few months and would feature both original Amazon Studios content and third-party content.

    Now, Amazon is flatly denying the whole thing.

    “We’re often experimenting with new things, but we have no plans to offer a free streaming-media service,” an Amazon spokesperson told Variety.

    If Amazon were to go that route, it would definitely influence people’s opinions on the value of buying Amazon Prime, which was just given a significant price hike. Amazon Prime Instant Video is one of the three major draws of Amazon Prime (alongside free two-day shipping and the Kindle lending library), so being able to streaming Amazon videos for free (with ads, of course) would change the game.

    But according to Amazon, it’s not happening.

    Amazon is expected, however, to launch a new streaming device next week. The company just sent out press invites to a launch event, which they describe as an “update on our video business.” It’s widely suspected that Amazon will unveil their long-awaited video streaming device on April 2nd, which will come in the form of a dongle (like Google’s Chromecast).

    Who knows–Amazon could have a surprise or two up their sleeve come next week.

    Image via Amazon

  • Amazon Prime Price Increases $20, Now $99 Per Year

    Amazon Prime Price Increases $20, Now $99 Per Year

    Well, you can’t say they didn’t warn you.

    Amazon has officially announced that the price of an Amazon Prime membership is going up. It’s a $20 increase, meaning that an annual subscription to the service that offers free two-day shipping, streaming video via Prime Instant Video, and access to the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library will now cost $99.

    The increase will happen on your renewal date.

    Amazon is also raising the price of Amazon Prime for students–from $39 to $49. Prime Fresh memberships will remain $299.

    Like I said before, this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. During Amazon’s last earnings call, the company said that they were considering the price hike for Prime. At the time, they hinted that the price could rise anywhere from $20 to $40 a year–so at least we got the increase at the low end of the spectrum.

    In January, Amazon cited rising costs for fuel and transportation, as well as increased usage among Prime members as the reason for a possible price change. Last year, Amazon upped the free shipping threshold for non-Prime members to orders of $35 or more–up from the $25 the company touted for years.

    Folks in the U.S. aren’t the only ones that are having to deal with a more expensive Prime service. Last month, Amazon raised the price of Prime £30 in the U.K. The only difference there is that Prime members got an extra perk for their troubles–free streaming video as Amazon repurposed LOVEFiLM UK into “Amazon Prime Instant Video” in the region.

    There’s no similar bonus attached to the price hike in the U.S. That could change, however, as reports indicate that Amazon is in talks with music labels to add a streaming music product to the list of Prime perks.

    Still, many Amazon Prime users couldn’t care less about Prime Instant Video (although it is getting original content now), or the Kindle Lenders’ Library, or a possible music streaming service. For many users who simply use Amazon Prime as a free shipping ticket, the $20 price increase will have to be justified. Do I really buy enough from Amazon to warrant a Prime subscription? Do I save more that $100 a year on shipping costs by being a member?

    This is the first time that Amazon has changed the cost of Prime in nine years.

    Image via Stephen Woods, Flickr Creative Commons

  • Amazon Wants to Add Streaming Music to Your Prime Perks

    Amazon Wants to Add Streaming Music to Your Prime Perks

    Could future Amazon Prime subscriptions come with a Spotify-style streaming music service? It’s definitely a possiblity, and something that Amazon is already considering. In fact, according to Re/code’s Peter Kafka, Amazon is “engaged in serious talks with big music labels” – and have been for at least a few months.

    But these are just talks, and they’re in their infancy. Amazon and the labels still have quite a bit of negotiating left to do, as Amazon will surely want to lock in a sweet deal to stream the labels’ content.

    Of course, the theory behind adding perks to Amazon Prime subscriptions is that it becomes a juicier option for those who may have been just considering it. If you’re on the fence about paying $79 a year for two-day shipping–here, how does a Netflix-style video streaming service sound? How does free access to the Kindle lending library sound? Wait–how about a Spotify-style music streaming service?

    Although Amazon definitely eats some of the cost for licensing any content they offer Prime subscribers (it’s worth it, when you think about how much more a Prime subscriber is likely to buy from Amazon as opposed to a non-Prime shopper), there’s definitely no guarantee that the company wouldn’t pass on some of the cost of a streaming music service to the people.

    In fact, the company has already stated that they may raise the price of a Prime subscription.

    “Even as fuel and transportation costs have increased, the $79 price has remained the same. We know the customers love Prime as the usage of the shipping benefit has increased dramatically since launch. On a per customer basis, Prime members are ordering more items across more categories with free two-day shipping than ever before. With the increased cost of fuel, transportation, as well as the increased usage among Prime members, we’re considering increasing the price of Prime between $20 to $40 in the U.S.,” said Amazon during their most recent earnings call.

    Once again–this is in its nascent stage. But hey–if Amazon is going to raise the price of Prime anyway, it would definitely be nice to get something in return. A streaming music service would work, I guess. You may recall that Amazon just recently upped the price of a Prime subscription £30 in the UK, but they did throw subscribers a bone–streaming video.

    Image via Thinkstock

  • That Amazon Set Top Box May Be Coming In March [Rumor]

    That Amazon Set Top Box May Be Coming In March [Rumor]

    Amazon has long had its sights set on the living room if rumors are to be believed. The company is already reportedly working on a game console. Before it gets to that, however, it may be working on something a little simpler.

    Re/code reports Amazon is readying a set top box that would rival the likes of Roku and Apple TV. It would obviously serve as a delivery device for Amazon Prime Instant Video, but it would also serve as a streaming device for competitors like Netflix and other streaming apps that support Android.

    Speaking of which, Amazon is reportedly forking Android again for its set top box’ operating system. It will probably be very similar to the Fire OS that’s seen in its Kindle Fire devices, but with some UI tweaks for easier remote navigation.

    Interestingly enough, Amazon was reportedly originally planning to launch its new set top box around the holidays last year. Those plans were put on hold though, and now Amazon plans to launch its new set top box as soon as March.

    A set top box is an interesting, if not expected, move for Amazon as it enters into the world of original programming. Its shows were initially available via the Web or through one of its many Amazon Instant Video apps on game consoles and video devices. By moving to its own hardware, Amazon can finally control the content and delivery method.

    While I alluded at the start that the set top box and Amazon’s planned game console are two different pieces of hardware, that may well not be the case. The company could very well intend for its set top box to also play games. The only thing preventing that is cost as Amazon is said to be positioning its game console as a competitor to the PS4 and Xbox One. A powerful Android games console would have to cost $250 at minimum and consumers used to seeing set top boxes go for $100 or $150 aren’t going to pay for an Amazon set top box if all their interested in is streaming video. That logic drives my prediction that Amazon will introduce separate hardware dedicated to playing games later this year, or they could just buy Xbox.

    Image via imgur

  • Amazon Prime UK Gets a £30 Price Hike, Streaming Video

    Amazon Prime UK Gets a £30 Price Hike, Streaming Video

    Amazon is shaking up the way they package Amazon Prime and LOVEFiLM streaming video in UK, and it’s likely going to anger some longtime Amazon Prime users.

    Starting on February 26th, Amazon Prime will cost UK residents £79 a year–up from the £49 price tag users currently enjoy. That’s a huge price increase.

    Or, if you take Amazon’s spin on it, it’s a 35% saving for customers who use both Amazon Prime and LOVEFiLM streaming services in the UK. Yep, UK Prime customers are getting a huge price hike, but they’re also getting LOVEFiLM streaming capabilities in the process.

    Amazon is rebranding LOVEFiLM UK as Amazon Prime Instant Video–just like it’s known in the US. In five days, an Amazon Prime membership in the UK will include free one-day delivery, access to the Kindle Lending Library, and Prime Instant Video.

    But what if you’re an Amazon Prime customer who enjoys free shipping but has no interest in streaming video? Well, tough luck. This is a consolidation and rebranding effort, and you don’t have a choice. Whether you want streaming content or not, your Amazon Prime membership is going to run you £79 a year.

    “Millions of customers in the US have streaming video included as part of their Prime membership and they tell us they love the combination of unlimited delivery, the ability to borrow Kindle books, and convenient access to thousands of the most popular movies, TV shows and exclusive videos,” said Greg Greeley, Vice President of Amazon Prime. “We are delighted to be bringing that same combination of services to the UK, providing members truly unique benefits they can enjoy every day of the year.”

    Now, if you do subscribe to both Amazon Prime and LOVEFiLM in the UK, Amazon isn’t lying–this is a huge price decrease. Consider Amazon Prime currently costs £49 a year, and LOVEFiLM streaming goes for £5.99 a month–dual subscribers are now spending a hell of a lot more than £79 to snag both services. For these people, this really is a great deal.

    But for the Amazon Prime customers who love their shipping privileges but couldn’t care less about streaming video, well, they’ll most likely be a bit perturbed. This is quite a large price hike.

    If you fall into this category of users–you need to act fast. You can lock in the £49 price for the next year if you sign up during the “countdown period.” Once again, you have until February 26th to act.

    Speaking of price hikes, we might be getting one across the pond as well. Last month, during their earnings call, Amazon said that they were at least considering a $20-40 price increase for a yearly subscription to Amazon Prime. The company cited higher fuel and transportation costs, as well as increased usage.

    But unlike Amazon Prime UK’s price hike, that one wouldn’t likely come with any additional benefits–we already have streaming video built-in to our package.

    Image via Amazon UK

  • The Americans Now Streaming (Exclusively) on Amazon Prime

    The Americans Now Streaming (Exclusively) on Amazon Prime

    Through a deal with Twentieth Century Fox Television, Amazon Prime Instant Video is now the exclusive streaming home of the hit FX drama The Americans.

    If you’re unfamiliar with FX’s drama, it stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys as married KGB spies posing as Americans. It’s set in the early 80s.

    “The Americans is simply an exceptional television drama that delivers riveting storylines and outstanding performances,” said Brad Beale, Director of Digital Video Content Acquisition for Amazon. “We are excited to bring this great series to Prime Instant Video. The Americans is a welcome addition to our growing lineup of exclusive content and we know that Prime members will love catching up on season one in advance of the new season.”

    Although The Americans is definitely the headline here, the new deal has also landed Amazon Prime Instant Video a few other high-profile shows – How I Met Your Mother, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The League, Louie and Archer.

    Amazon recently added season 1 of the hit NBC show Hannibal to their catalog.

    In other Amazon Prime news – it may get a bit more expensive to stream shows like The Americans on the service. Amazon has stated that they are at least pondering a price hike – maybe as much as $40 a year.

    You now have nearly three weeks to catch up on The Americans before the new season premieres on February 26th.. Go forth and binge.

    Image via FX The Americans, YouTube

  • Newegg Debuts Amazon Prime-Style ‘Premier’ Club

    Online retailer Newegg has just announced a new subscription service that offers expedited shipping, exclusive deals, and more. They’re calling it Newegg Premier and it’ll run you $49.99 a year.

    You can sign up for Newegg Premier beta today, and you’ll get a 30-day trial.

    With Newegg Premier, you’ll get “early bird notifications” on upcoming sales, exclusive deals, free returns, and waived restocking fees.

    And of course, the big benefit is the free expedited shipping. Newegg guarantees that items will arrive in 3 days or fewer – and if you want to make sure it comes in less time than that, they offer subscribers discounts on 1 and 2-day shipping.

    Newegg may not have the sheer volume of products of let’s say, an Amazon, but they offer a large variety of goods that range from electronics and computer hardware to health & beauty and sporting goods. Speaking of Amazon, this launch comes on the heels of the news that Amazon is considering raising the price on a year’s subscription to Amazon Prime – possibly by as much as $40.

    Newegg was founded back in 2001 by Fred Chang. In the time since, the company has grown to be one of the largest electronics-focused online retailers around. They currently boast 18 million users and over $2.5 billion in annual sales. If you want to sign up for the new Premier service, make sure you have a credit card. Judging by their social media pages, it seems there are plenty of people that are trying to sign up with a debit card to no avail.

    Image via Newegg, Facebook

  • Amazon Prime May Get More Expensive – $100+ Possible

    Would you be willing to pay more than $100 for an Amazon Prime membership?

    You may have to ask yourself that question pretty soon, as the online retail giant has just hinted that they are at least considering raising the price of the popular service. Citing a rise in transportation costs and increased usage, Amazon said that they might raise the price 20 to 40 dollars for a year’s subscription.

    From Amazon’s earnings call:

    We launched Prime in the U.S. nine years ago with free, unlimited two-day shipping on one main items in an annual membership priced at $79. Today, Prime Selection is growing to over 90 million items.

    Even as fuel and transportation costs have increased, the $79 price has remained the same. We know the customers love Prime as the usage of the shipping benefit has increased dramatically since launch. On a per customer basis, Prime members are ordering more items across more categories with free two-day shipping than ever before.

    With the increased cost of fuel, transportation, as well as the increased usage among Prime members, we’re considering increasing the price of Prime between $20 to $40 in the U.S.

    Since a current Amazon Prime membership sits at $79, this means that we’re talking about a possible range of $99 to $119 per year if Amazon decides to go that route.

    This announcement comes 3 months after Amazon upped the free shipping threshold (for non-Prime members) to $35. Free shipping used to kick in at a $25 order.

    I don’t know, guys – what do you think? For people that constantly make use of the fast shipping (multiple items ordered per month), the price hike will probably be justifiable. For the casual Amazon Prime subscriber? The decision to stay on or hop off the boat will be a bit trickier.

    Image via Stephen Woods, Flickr Creative Commons

  • Amazon Adds More CBS/Showtime Shows with Expanded Licensing Agreement

    Amazon Adds More CBS/Showtime Shows with Expanded Licensing Agreement

    Amazon and CBS have just renewed and expanded upon an existing content licensing deal that will see Amazon Prime Instant Video keep much of their current CBS/Showtime content and also add a few new titles.

    New titles now hitting Amazon Prime Instant Video include Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior, Penn & Teller, and Vegas.

    “We are very pleased to continue expanding our partnership with Amazon,” said Scott Koondel, Chief Corporate Licensing Offer for CBS Corporation. “CBS content is clearly a great match with Prime Instant Video’s growing user base, including The Good Wife being the service’s #1 show this past fourth quarter, as well as strong viewership of Under The Dome over the summer. We look forward to Under The Dome Season 2 this summer, along with Extant, and all that we will continue to do to provide great programming to our mutual customers.”

    Earlier this month, Amazon announced that their Prime Instant Video service would be the exclusive streaming home for the upcoming CBS series, Extant, starring Hale Berry.

    The show, a “mystery thriller about a female astronaut trying to reconnect with her family when she returns after a year in outer space,” will hit Amazon Prime just 4 days after it airs on CBS. This is the same deal that Amazon has with another CBS summer hit, Under The Dome.

    Amazon is not only adding more outside content to their streaming platform, but they are pushing more original pilots as well. This includes a new series called Hand of God, starring Ron Perlman, a seres based on sci-fi heroine Barbarella, and a dramatic series from The X-Files‘ Chris Carter.

    Image via Penn & Teller: Bullshit, Facebook

  • Hannibal Season 1 Now Streaming on Amazon Prime

    Hannibal Season 1 Now Streaming on Amazon Prime

    Just in time for fans to play catch up before the big season 2 premiere, NBC’s hit show Hannibal has just landed on Amazon Prime Instant Video and it free to stream for subscribers.

    All 13 episodes of season 1 are now available, and will run non-Prime members $2.99 a piece.

    “Today, Amazon.com added the hit NBC series Hannibal to its Prime Instant Video content library giving users a chance to catch up on season 1 of the drama before the premiere of season 2 on January 28th. Hannibal is based on characters from the book “Red Dragon” and follows the story of the young Hannibal Lecter, a psychiatrist and criminal profiler. The series comes from the mind of Bryan Fuller, who’s behind such imaginative series as Pushing Daisies and Dead Like Me,” says Amazon.

    The highly-stylized drama has received mostly favorable reviews and has been a success for NBC. The show stars Hugh Dancy, Caroline Dhavernas, Laurence Fishburne, and Mades Mikkelsen in the title role.

    Post by Hannibal.

    Season 2 premieres on Friday, February 28th at 10pm EST. That gives you an entire month to catch up on season 1 – so get to it.

    Image via Hannibal, NBC – Facebook

  • Veronica Mars Now Streaming on Amazon Prime

    Veronica Mars Now Streaming on Amazon Prime

    If you were planning a return to Neptune before the premiere of the new Veronica Mars movie, Amazon has just made your search a lot easier.

    Amazon has just announced that Amazon Prime Instant Video is now the exclusive streaming home of the entire Veronica Mars series (64 episodes). The show, which starred Kristen Bell as a student moonlighting as a private investigator, ran on UPN and the CW from 2004 to 2007.

    “The Veronica Mars series has been popular on DVD and Amazon Instant Video for years, so we know how much Amazon customers love this iconic television show,” said Brad Beale, Director of Digital Video Content Acquisition. “We are excited to become the exclusive subscription streaming home for Veronica Mars and to be able to offer the entire TV series to Prime members to enjoy at no additional charge. With the movie coming on March 14, both die-hard fans and new viewers can easily catch-up on this great show.”

    As Beale says, this gives you a little over two months to catch up on the series before the new Veronica Mars movie hits theaters.

    The Veronica Mars movie traveled an interesting path from conception to production. Creator Rob Thomas went the Kickstarter route to fund the project and wound up with one of the most-successful crowdsourcing projects in recent memory. Thomas started out with a $2 million goal and to this point has raised over $5.7 million for the film. The Veronica Mars kickstarter was the fastest project to hit both $1 million and $2 million in funding, and has the most project backers in the history of Kickstarter.

    On Wednesday, Amazon announced that they had secured the exclusive streaming rights to CBS’s new series Extant, starring Halle Berry, which is set to debut in June.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons