Amazon launches unlimited video streaming service for Prime customers

By Aemon Malone February 22, 2011

Amazon announced today that it has begun offering members of Amazon Prime access to instant video streaming of more than 5,000 movies and TV shows.

Subscribers who pay the $79 annual Amazon Prime subscription fee will get access to unlimited, commercial-free streaming at no additional costs, the Seattle-based retailer said in a press release. Amazon Prime already provides subscribers with free two-day shipping.

Amazon specifically mentioned some titles among the 5,000 available, including “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” trilogy, “Amadeus,” “Syriana,” and “Chariots of Fire.”

An Amazon video streaming service that would compete with Netflix has been anticipated for sometime, but until today it wasn’t clear how the program would be implemented. So far, it sounds like a good deal for consumers. Netflix offers a streaming-only plan for $7.99 a month — or just under $96.00 a year. Amazon’s Prime $79 annual membership is cheaper, and also includes free two-day shipping for most of Amazon’s retail products.

As far as number of titles available, it looks like Netflix may have the upper-hand — but it’s not clear by exactly how much. Netflix doesn’t disclose just how many titles it has available for streaming, but at least one analyst cited in a report by MarketWatch estimates that the total is somewhere in the neighborhood of 20,000 — four times as many as Amazon is currently offering.

Apple, Hulu, Google are some of the companies competing for a share of the Netflix-dominated video streaming market. Last week, Redbox announced that it was looking for a partner to help deliver its own instant video streaming service. At the time, Amazon was rumored to be a likely candidate for a Redbox partnership.

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Deals

The Eero Pro Wi-Fi system is $200 off in early Amazon Prime Day deal

amazon prime members get early day deal on eero pro wifi system 23c7d375cdff1a4d95cf656360f8a456

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Wireless routers are not the sexiest piece of tech in most homes. In fact, many owners may not even know how to set one up. But, an iffy Wi-Fi connection is unacceptable in 2019, so if yours is subpar, then a new wireless router might be your best bet. Digital Trends declared the Eero Pro to be the best home router kit of 2019, for its impressive combination of capabilities and range. With three Eero Pros included in the Prime Day deal, your new Eero system replaces a traditional Wi-Fi router, Wi-Fi extender, and internet booster, bringing fast and reliable coverage to spaces as large as a five-bedroom home. The second-generation Eero Pro is twice as fast as its predecessor and can be easily installed in minutes, and managed via mobile app. Best of all, the Eero Pro updates automatically once a month, ensuring you always have the latest upgrades.

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The screen of the Galaxy Book4 Ultra.

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Starfield running on the Asus ROG Ally.

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