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.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

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

Amazon Prime Day is finally upon us, and early access deals and exclusive offers for Amazon Prime members are already trickling in. Sure, smartphones, laptops, and speakers will likely be the hottest products in Amazon’s annual midsummer savings event, but there are plenty of other electronics bargains worth your attention. Now, Amazon Prime members only can secure an early Prime Day deal on a mesh network wireless router, with the Eero Pro Wi-Fi system now just $299, down from its original $499. Prime membership certainly has its perks, and early access to deals like this is a prime example.

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.

Computing

How to check how much RAM you have on Windows and Mac

RAM installed in slots.

You can only know if you have enough RAM, if you know how to check how much you have. Fortunately, doing so is super quick and easy and then you can decide whether you want to upgrade your memory -- here's how to choose new memory sticks -- or whether you have enough for what you need to do.

You certainly don't need to buy more or new RAM just for the sake of it, and if you have enough for what you need, more memory won't make much difference anyway.

Computing

The real reason so many laptops have moved to soldered RAM

The Intel 12th-gen Mainboard upgrade for the Framework Laptop.

The completely redesigned Dell XPS 14 and 16 came out this year as two of the most divisive laptops in recent memory. No, it wasn't just the capacitive touch buttons or invisible trackpad that caused an uproar -- it also moved to soldered RAM. This was a big change from the past, where the XPS 15 and 17 were both celebrated for their upgradability.

Of course, Dell isn't the first to make the transition. In fact, they're one of the last, which is what makes the decision so much tougher to swallow. Where soldered RAM was previously limited to just MacBooks and ultrabooks, it's now affecting most high-performance laptops for gaming as well. Even the fantastic ROG Zephyrus G14 moved to soldered memory this year.