Skip to main content

Amazon working on subscription video package to compete with Netflix

Amazon On DemandThe Wall Street Journal is reporting that Amazon is looking to offer a subscription streaming feature similar to Netflix. While digital media distribution might seem like a leap from Amazon’s retail origins, a summary of the company’s recent history clearly says otherwise. Since 2009, Amazon has offered video services provided through its On Demand store, where you can find TV series and movies much like in the iTunes Store. However, Amazon has iTunes beat when it comes to one category: while iTunes limits how long you keep the content, Amazon leaves it in your hands indefinitely.

And even though Internet TV is having a relatively difficult time getting off the ground (what with cable providers refusing to share), Amazon has integrated with Blu-ray players as well as set-top boxes from TiVo, Roku, and Google TV. While Internet TV is struggling to get sufficiently out of the gate, recent studies show consumers maintain a steady interest and will to pay for the service, and that it’s inevitably going to make its way into living rooms everywhere. When it does, Amazon’s established relationship with front-running providers could give its subscription dreams a huge boon.

Subscription plans are catching on. The WSJ reports that in the last year, Netflix has seen its subscriber number increase 52 percent since last year, but also says that Amazon would be able to offer a lower rate. Early speculation is that consumers would be offered the streaming package bundled with Amazon Prime for $79 a year, compared to Netflix’s $95 a year.

Regardless of Amazon’s rumored plans, Netflix is probably far from feeling threatened. Business Insider reported that the company easily outdid Apple’s stock market performance this year and its CEO is being looked at as Fortune’s businessman of the year. That’s not to mention its recent offer to pay $100,000 per episode for currently airing shows, a deal that would make it difficult for the millions of Netflix subscribers to switch to Amazon. Still, competition is good for the consumer, and more choices for video content may be coming your way.

Molly McHugh
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Before coming to Digital Trends, Molly worked as a freelance writer, occasional photographer, and general technical lackey…
Best OLED monitor deals: Get an OLED screen from just $450
Marvel's Spider-Man running on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8.

Shopping some of the best monitor deals is a good way to save on some extra screen real estate, but if you’re looking for something that can produce a stunning image you should turn your shopping cart toward the OLED monitors. OLED is one of the best picture technologies currently available, and it can create a lifelike image that makes interacting with games, presentations, and creative work much more immersive. The best OLED monitors can run pretty expensive, but that’s what OLED monitor deals are for. If you’re looking for superior picture quality and some ways to save, read onward for more details on the best OLED monitor deals taking place right now.
ViewSonic 15.6-inch VX1655 4K OLED portable monitor — $450, was $500

Getting into the OLED game can be both affordable and portable with the ViewSonic VX1655. It’s a 4K OLED display that’s made to function as either a laptop extension or something to pair with a tablet. It comes in at a super sharp 4K resolution and a refresh rate of 60Hz. This isn’t something you’d want to pair with a gaming PC, but it’s a great little display to keep with you if you do creative work on the run or want some extra screen real estate while working on a tablet at your desk.

Read more
Best monitor deals: Gaming, office, curved, OLED and more
Dell UltraSharp 27 4K PremierColor Monitor

Whether you prefer to work at one of the best desktop computers, the best laptops, or anything in between, an external monitor can be helpful to add some extra screen real estate. One of the best monitors can even go a long way toward reducing eye strain and creating an immersive digital or gaming experience. While high end monitors can get quite expensive, there are always some impressive monitor deals to shop, and we’ve tracked them all down. Reading onward you’ll find what we feel are the best monitor deals, whether you’re shopping for 4K monitors, gaming monitors, ultrawide monitors, or more general monitors meant for all-purpose users.
Best monitor deals

The following deals represent a best-of of the deals below. They're selected to give a mixture of prices, styles, and levels of discount. If you don't see something you like, don't worry, as the following sections will have plenty more deals for you to choose from. However, this is a highly recommended place to start:

Read more
7 best Chromebooks for 2024: the best for every budget
Close up of the Chrome logo on the top of a Chromebook.

Chromebooks might have a hard time competing with Windows laptops and MacBooks, but that doesn't mean they don't have their place. We've reviewed hundreds of laptops over the years, testing for important qualities like performance, battery life, and display quality — and we've found that Chromebooks consistently excel at performance and reliability.

You can find Chromebooks from Google, HP, Lenovo, Acer, and many others, and we've dug through them to put together this roundup of the best Chromebooks on the market. They're incredibly accessible devices, and for the right person, a Chromebook can be the best laptop in terms of value.

Read more