When it comes to Amazon Prime, everyone seems to have an opinion. Is the annual membership fee worth it, or is the free two-day shipping perk enough? Is Amazon Prime Video a must-have for cord-cutters, or are better streaming options available?
In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at Amazon Prime Video and its features first. And if you’re someone new to this wholesome streaming service, you can easily get American Amazon Prime in Canada and join us in the discussion.
So without wasting any time, let’s start exploring whether or not it’s one of the best perks of Amazon Prime membership or simply a fun bonus.
What Is Amazon Prime Video?
It is an on-demand streaming service that comes free with your Amazon Prime subscription. It offers a wide selection of movies and TV shows to watch, including original programming produced by Amazon. And you can watch Prime Video content on your computer, phone, tablet, or TV.
Having said that, Amazon Prime Video is a video streaming service offered by Amazon.com. It was initially launched in the United States in 2006 as Amazon Unboxed, a platform for downloading purchased and rented digital movies and TV shows.
Now let’s dive deeper into Amazon prime Video’s main features:
Pricing
To begin with the subscription, there are two different ways to sign up for Amazon Prime Video — monthly and yearly. The prime video subscription costs $8.99 per month if subscribed separately.
Similarly, the yearly plan costs $139 per year. However, the monthly plan costs $14.99 if availed with the Amazon Prime subscription.
There are also different plans that offer premium channels like HBO and Starz. And further you can also add in more channels by paying extra.
Content
Amazon Prime Video has an array of selection of movies and TV shows. The selection includes new releases, classic movies, and TV shows.
Amazon Prime Video has a selection of children’s movies and TV shows. For instance, Prime Video streams fan-favorite movies and TV shows such as Heathers, Silence of the Lambs, Scrubs, etc.
Plus, a handful of Amazon Prime Originals like the Wheel of Time, Reacher, The Boys, Hanna, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Upload, and many more are available.
Interface
Moving on, the Amazon Prime Video interface is simple and easy to use. Once you sign in, you are taken to your home screen, which has a list of all the shows and movies that you have rented or bought and those that are available to watch with Prime.
You can browse by genre or by latest releases. To watch a movie or TV show, click on its cover image. Then you will be relayed to the page with all the information, including description, cast and crew listings, ratings, and running time.
Live Events
One area where Prime Video outperforms Netflix is live events. Amazon sports some Thursday night football games, Premier League football in the United Kingdom, and Ligue 1 football in France.
Amazon not only streams tennis in the United Kingdom and Ireland but also gives viewers access to key events such as the US Open and the WTA and ATP visits.
While Netflix and Disney Plus aren’t currently available in that territory, live sports are becoming more common on streaming services, like Apple TV Plus getting Friday Night Baseball MLB games.
Prime Video is also branching out into live music and concert specials. Recently viewers were gifted with Drake, Kanye West, and a new Lizzo special.
Is It One of the Best Perks or Fun Bonus?
There are two ideologies when using Amazon Prime Video. One is those who see it as one of the best perks of Amazon Prime membership, and the other is who see it as a fun bonus.
Let’s take a closer look at both sides as we have already discussed what Amazon Prime Video is in-depth.
One of the Best Perks
There are many reasons why Amazon Prime Video could be considered one of the best perks of Amazon Prime membership.
- Amazon Prime members have access to a library of movies and TV shows that can be streamed at no additional cost.
- Secondly, it provides free two-day shipping on millions of items. It can be a huge time-saver for busy people who order a lot online.
- Additionally, the video quality is great. You can watch them in HD or even 4K if you have a compatible device.
- When it comes to pricing, Prime Video outshines services such as Netflix and Hulu. For example, it costs $9/month compared to Netflix, which costs $10-$20/month, and Hulu, which costs $7-$13/month.
- Another advantage of Prime Video is buying it as part of your Amazon Prime subscription, which costs $15 per month or $139 per year.
A Fun Bonus
As opposed to Amazon Prime Video being one of the best perks, some people feel that it is a fun bonus rather than a perk, and it could be better in many ways.
- First, the selection of movies and TV shows is not as good as other streaming services, like Netflix or Hulu.
- Second, there are ads on Prime Video, which is annoying.
- Third, the interface could be better. It’s not as user-friendly as Netflix or Hulu.
- Fourth, I don’t think Prime Video is worth the price of Prime membership. Other benefits to Prime membership are more valuable, like free shipping and access to Amazon’s library of books and music.
While Amazon Prime Video does have a large selection of movies and TV shows, I don’t think it’s worth the $139 annual fee. There are other streaming services like Netflix and Hulu that have a larger selection of content and don’t require a yearly membership fee.
Bottom-line
When Amazon Prime Video first came out, it was a great perk for Amazon Prime members. Members could watch movies and TV shows online for an annual subscription, with no ads. However, Amazon Prime Video has become more of a fun bonus than a perk over time.
The number of TV shows and movies to watch online has decreased, while the number of ads has increased. In addition, the quality of the movies and TV shows that are available has decreased.
To conclude, it depends on what you are looking for. Amazon Prime Video can be an amazing perk or a fun bonus, depending on what you are looking for in a membership program.
For instance, if you want free, fast shipping on all of your Amazon purchases, the Prime membership is worth it. However, if you are mainly interested in the Prime Video library, it might not be worth the extra money.
