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Amazon Instant Video now available on Xbox 360

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R

RBH

Member
aiv_on_xbox._V147656914_.jpg


Amazon has just announced the launch of Instant Videos for Xbox 360, just a few months after the company brought its streaming video services to Sony's PlayStation 3. Xbox Live Gold members who also are subscribed to the $79 / year Amazon Prime service now have access to the service's 17,000 movies and TV episodes; those who aren't Prime subscribers can still purchase any streaming video content Amazon has to offer and easily watch it through their Xbox 360. There's also a featured called "Watchlist," which lets you manage your queue and purchased content into a playlist from your computer. Unsurprisingly, users can use the Kinect to navigate the Amazon app, as well as use the more traditional remote-driven interface. There's also WhisperSync functionality built-in, which lets users start a video on one device (like the Xbox 360) and continue it from the same spot on a second device (like a Kindle Fire). Unfortunately, you still can't purchase content through the app — you'll need to do you purchasing on a computer.

This is just the latest in a string of content infusions the Xbox 360 has received this year, including the recently-launched HBO Go app as well as the controversial Xfinity On Demand app. The app should be available today, and users can try a free one-month Amazon Prime membership if they want to check out the Prime Instant Video library before making a commitment.
Click to expand...
http://www.theverge.com/2012/5/29/3050440/amazon-instant-video-xbox-360



Dear Customers,

You can already stream Prime Instant Videos on your Kindle Fire, your PlayStation 3, your Roku, and hundreds of other TVs, Blu-ray players, and set-top boxes. Today, we're excited to announce that the Xbox 360 joins the fold.


We've also just added a new Watchlist feature, which helps you keep track of the movies and TV episodes you want to view later. You can add favorites and new discoveries to your list—then come back anytime to watch instantly. Try it on your Xbox 360, Kindle Fire, or your browser on PC & Mac ... and Watchlist is coming soon to PlayStation 3 and Roku.

With instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV episodes, Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items, and over 145,000 Kindle books to borrow for free from the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, Amazon Prime is an outstanding value and remains only $79 a year. Millions of people have already joined Prime. You can sign up for a one-month free trial today.

Thanks for being a customer.

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO
Click to expand...
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.ht...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1370423902&pf_rd_i=507846
 
K

KoreanBarbecue

Member
Hoping the selection offers up more than Netflix, etc. I dig all the video on demand services on 360 so far, but pretty much all offer the same movies/tv shows.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
We've also just added a new Watchlist feature, which helps you keep track of the movies and TV episodes you want to view later. You can add favorites and new discoveries to your list—then come back anytime to watch instantly. Try it on your Xbox 360, Kindle Fire, or your browser on PC & Mac ... and Watchlist is coming soon to PlayStation 3 and Roku.
Click to expand...

Hope this won't take too long to roll out.
 
U

ultron87

Member
Yet another thing where it is totally ridiculous that they require you to have Gold to take advantage of. But since I have Gold already, I am certainly happy for this.
 
A

ari

Banned
Marty Chinn said:
Wow nice. The 360 really is shaping up to the the best video hub.
Click to expand...

so true, i was thinking about getting a roku but the 360 seems like a deal even if the interface was a little too late.

madden 13 and halo 4 is the deal breaker with that.
 
M

Marty Chinn

Member
ari said:
so true, i was thinking about getting a roku but the 360 seems like a deal even if the interface was a little too late.

madden 13 and halo 4 is the deal breaker with that.
Click to expand...

I think the 360 is also the only device that let's you search across all services which is a huge plus.
 
C

Cth

Member
I finally decided to use my Amazon Student Prime trial offer, only to realize it doesn't cover streaming :D

I guess $39 a year isn't as bad as $79, especially since I have two Kindles.

Lots of contents for the kids, my daughter should like that.
 
D

demon

I don't mean to alarm you but you have dogs on your face
Cool. Can't wait for it to be available for the computer.
 
T

The Last Wizard

Member
Cth said:
I finally decided to use my Amazon Student Prime trial offer, only to realize it doesn't cover streaming :D

I guess $39 a year isn't as bad as $79, especially since I have two Kindles.

Lots of contents for the kids, my daughter should like that.
Click to expand...

It does include it.
 
N

NEOPARADIGM

Banned
GloveSlap said:
Let me know if the interface is good, because I might have to switch from the horrible Xbox Netflix App.
Click to expand...

Assuming it's not too different from PS3, Netflix interface is better. For starters there's only one "row" of content, and it always takes you back to the first item in the row every time you select something; so if you want to fire up item #72 in the row, for instance, but then decide you want to keep browsing, you'll be back on item #1 when you hit the back button, forcing you to scroll all the way back to item 73 to continue browsing from where you were. Makes hopping around and firing up different shit pretty painful. Lame.

In general, though, it's nice, especially for the $40 student price. Way cheaper than Netflix and more or less comparable.
 
B

border

Member
Is there anything on this service that Netflix doesn't already have? From what I've seen, it pretty much looks like all the same stuff.
 
S

soul creator

Member
Looks like you can't buy/rent directly from the 360 app yet (though you can buy/rent on another device, and then watch it from the 360)

Where can I rent and buy new movies and TV episodes?
You can shop the Amazon Instant Video store from the web on a PC, Mac or tablet. Anything you buy or will appear in Your Video Library on your Xbox 360, where you can instantly watch your video, or add to Your Watchlist. Buying and renting movies directly on your Xbox 360 is not currently supported.
Click to expand...
 
T

teh_pwn

"Saturated fat causes heart disease as much as Brawndo is what plants crave."
ultron87 said:
Yet another thing where it is totally ridiculous that they require you to have Gold to take advantage of. But since I have Gold already, I am certainly happy for this.
Click to expand...

That's why I use an HTPC. I'm not paying a dime to Microsoft to allow me to use a 3rd party app on something that I already purchased while being bombarded with ads. They should be paying me honestly, but even then it's not worth my time.
 
J

jagowar

Member
sparky2112 said:
Streaming services rule. Except for their catalogs, which suck. So basically, they suck.
Click to expand...

I am really surprised one of the streaming services have not figured this out yet.... but bundle in a few new release movie "coupons" with our subscription.

Say Netflix/Amazon/vudu/xbox video has a new $15-20/month plan where you get all the usual catalog stuff but you also get 3 or 4 new movie credits to watch any new release the day it hits store shelves. I don't think it would mess with the existing contracts because it would essentially be a rentals like we have now just in bulk.... and would not cost $6 per movie because you would get a "bulk" rate.

You would think out of all the companies competing somebody would try that option.
 
K

kmfdmpig

Member
ultron87 said:
Yet another thing where it is totally ridiculous that they require you to have Gold to take advantage of. But since I have Gold already, I am certainly happy for this.
Click to expand...

I was planning on buying a streaming device (for some reason my 360 makes videos very dark), and one of the things I was looking forward to was the Amazon Prime free streaming videos. When I first saw this news I thought I might keep trying to change the connection on the 360, but as soon as I read that it's Gold only I realized that it's not worth it for me. I can buy this and get Amazon and (hopefully) no more dark videos.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882105656

And still come spending less than I'd spend for a year or two of Gold.
 
jediyoshi

jediyoshi

Member
jagowar said:
I am really surprised one of the streaming services have not figured this out yet.... but bundle in a few new release movie "coupons" with our subscription.
Click to expand...

It's up to the studios, they're the ones who plan release schedules. Obviously doesn't take much to realize that people would be drawn to new releases sooner rather than later.
 
R

RBH

Member
jagowar said:
I am really surprised one of the streaming services have not figured this out yet.... but bundle in a few new release movie "coupons" with our subscription.

Say Netflix/Amazon/vudu/xbox video has a new $15-20/month plan where you get all the usual catalog stuff but you also get 3 or 4 new movie credits to watch any new release the day it hits store shelves. I don't think it would mess with the existing contracts because it would essentially be a rentals like we have now just in bulk.... and would not cost $6 per movie because you would get a "bulk" rate.

You would think out of all the companies competing somebody would try that option.
Click to expand...

Streaming services would obviously love to incorporate more new releases, but it's ultimately not up to them. The studios hold all the cards.
 
D

D-Fens

Member
RBH said:
Streaming services would obviously love to incorporate more new releases, but it's ultimately not up to them. The studios hold all the cards.
Click to expand...

I think what he meant is amazon giving a coupon code for a free download (to own) of a variety of new movies. It's basically a subsidy for a product that they are already selling on their website, it has nothing to do with the studios
 
L

Lumiere

Neo Member
NEOPARADIGM said:
Assuming it's not too different from PS3, Netflix interface is better. For starters there's only one "row" of content, and it always takes you back to the first item in the row every time you select something; so if you want to fire up item #72 in the row, for instance, but then decide you want to keep browsing, you'll be back on item #1 when you hit the back button, forcing you to scroll all the way back to item 73 to continue browsing from where you were. Makes hopping around and firing up different shit pretty painful. Lame.

In general, though, it's nice, especially for the $40 student price. Way cheaper than Netflix and more or less comparable.
Click to expand...
The Amazon 360 interface is really different from the PS3 app though. I like it better than Netflix, easier to browse content; also, it doesn't go back to item #1 (I really hated that about the PS3 app).
 
L

Lumination

'enry 'ollins
Is the selection with Amazon Prime video any good? I remember it being complete ass a little over a year ago, and I haven't touched it since.
 
J

jagowar

Member
D-Fens said:
I think what he meant is amazon giving a coupon code for a free download (to own) of a variety of new movies. It's basically a subsidy for a product that they are already selling on their website, it has nothing to do with the studios
Click to expand...

The coupon would be a "rental" credit.... which right now costs between $4-6 per viewing depending on the service for new releases. I am saying incorporate 3 or 4 of those coupons with the subscription plan so you can watch the few big releases that happen each month and have the current catalog stuff as something to fall back on.

Sure you could just buy the rentals but the whole point of incorporating them with the subscription is to buy in bulk to pass the savings onto the consumer so that its more palatable. If you buy 4 new release rentals on amazon you are looking at $16 just for those but if you could do it as part of your prime subscription plan for say $15/month people would go for it because its a good value and I think the studios would too because its not that much less per rental but in turn would generate guaranteed revenue that the studios get regardless of all the coupons being used each month. I won't be surprised at all if apple is the one that ends up doing it. They have traditionally been able to see past issues like this and come up with the solution.
 
G

Gary Whitta

Member
I love Prime, I burned through the entire run of NYPD Blue recently, as far as I know that's not available anywhere else. Lots of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood too!
 
C

Caspel

Business & Marketing Manager @ GungHo
used the browser to search for movies and added to the watchlist. Much easier than navigating through the app.
 
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