Prime Video
Prime video (Amazon’s streaming service) is one of the most used streaming sites inside of the UK, it bears such conglomerate competitors like Netflix, Now Tv and even YouTube. Going hand in hand with Amazon prime you can see why it has excelled so much in the online streaming sector with its creative solely produced shows, and they are most notably the creators of The Grand Tour. In this piece I will outline the pro’s, con’s and draw a conclusion from these findings.
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Pro’s
Prime video’s surge to the top of online streaming charts can be attributed to one crucial factor, their pricing; Prime video has a standalone package that is £5.99 per month, or you can purchase prime for £7.99 a month/£79 per annum (this comes with extra prime benefits and services, which is the reason for this choice’s immense popularity). Now this may not seem like a good price to most people, but when comparing it to Netflix’s premium package that costs £11.99 it is a bargain, this is of course the package that resembles prime videos features the most. Prime video also does something that only Netflix have really mastered in the last few years, which is creating and producing their own shows that are solely made my them (Amazon), the biggest example would be their Re-invention of the once world famous Top Gear; this being The Grand Tour of course, which is one of the platforms most watched shows if not the most and features the old Top gear cast that so many fans love. Their ability to do this and succeed shows how they can adapt to whatever bears relevance at any given time, As well as this content solely made by Amazon they also offer an extensive range of movies and shows that were not produced by themselves, but other giants such as the warner brothers, DreamWorks etc.
Cons
Whilst Prime video excels in many different sub-categories, they also have their fair share of cons. One being their lack of live sports coverage in the UK especially with sports like rugby and football being Extremely popular and arguably the categories that rake in the most viewers nationally across normal television and other streaming services like now tv which streams nearly every premier league/champions league game. Because of Prime Video’s extended reach this is something that escapes its radar, which unfortunately marks it down drastically for many. Another negative that is extremely minor and overshadowed by the others on this list is Prime video’s habit of randomly deleting content in what can only be a presumed attempt to clear their cache in an attempt to add more content, although this isn’t as frequent and resounding as many others, it is one that can affect a viewer, especially if one of their main reasons for being subscribed to this service is said show that has felt the wrath of prime video. Now, for the biggest and most complained about issue in the history of Prime video (even throughout its various domain name changes, Amazon instant video, Amazon video) Which would be the User-Interface (UI) which even I can relate to, it is far more jumbled up and confusing than the likes of Netflix and YouTube etc. This could’ve been done in an attempt top differentiate itself from other streaming apps, but regardless it is an issue that decreases that desire to use this app regularly and make it your main streaming app. As well as the flawed user interface, there is also the purchasing of certain shows that bis required if said individual bought the Prime video standalone instead of Subscribing to Amazon prime, sometimes small purchases of certain shows are mandatory with the stand alone, which is quite the contrary compared to the Amazon prime full package; as all shows can be watched without any further transactions (Apart from the membership Obviously).
Conclusion
To conclude, prime video is quite clearly one of the best online streaming options if you’re a movie lover and a lover of prime exclusive shows like The Grand Tour, which can only be watched on an Amazon platform. Although if occasional transactions to watch a certain movie aren’t something you can take a liking too, I wouldn’t recommend it as a sole choice; if you like watching regular live sports, this is also something that may not satisfy your visual needs. But overall it is a service that can compete with streaming giants such as Netflix, which I would personally say lends it credence.