Hmmm...Amazon Prime or Netflix?

[MaxDepth]

$79/year for Prime or $7.99/month ($95.88/year) for Netflix streaming

Now add Fire for $199, Touch 3G for $149, Touch for $99, and Kindle for $79.

Interesting to note that Prime assumes that all movies and TV shows in their storage amount the same like a fixed cost to the consumer. However, it still costs printed media at different price points. So this way it assumes that books are the better margins for entertainment to the company.


But from a consumer standpoint, which is better? Amazon for multiple devices and cheaper yearly cost or Netflix's larger catalog of media?

 

[Anubis]

if you order stuff online prime is worth having even if you ignore everything in your post

the shipping upgrades pay for it in a matter of days

 

[Maleficus]

Prime is certainly moving in the right direction and the 2-day shipping is awesome, If I had to pick between the 2 I'd go with Prime.

 

[mnewsham]

I have both 😀

If you have a .EDU email Amazon Prime with instant streaming is only like 40-50 bucks a year.

 

[MtnMan]

I've got prime for the shipping, and the problem with the Prime streaming is that you can't create a queue of things you want to watch from a computer, then have your queue list appear on your gaming device or BD player hooked to your TV.

Finding a movie with just the remote for the BD player (in my case) is a total pain in the ass.
Netflix (which I also have) displays the queue I've added movies to from my laptop.

 

[FoBoT]

amazon, just because Reed Hastings is a dilwad

 

[slayer202]

amazon's selection can't compete. but if the money is really a big difference to you, and you want the free shipping, then maybe you can start considering amazon

 

[MaxDepth]

Anubis is certainly on target with the other things Prime provides. I think Bezos has weathered that first storm to hit Amazon (ebay and knockoff online retailers) and has been able to expand into these newer areas.


But more interesting now is that I think the idea of ownership has changed. For someone much younger than me (say, 19 or 20) their idea of home entertainment is to go online for music and video, as well as reading materials provided by device instead of hard copy. they are buying the service much more than anything physical. I have DVDs and CDs (okay, some cassettes...but no eight tracks!) and they have playlists on Spotify.

I think this will be the new model for many entertainment businesses: produce once, host many. Also, a boutique market for the physical instance you may want. You want to keep all of Season One of Buffy for "offline"? Well, you need to pay more, much more, for that privilege.

So I guess to the 19 or 20 year old, they may think what is the purpose for "owning" something when you can just pull it down from the network?

 

[IndyColtsFan]

amazon's selection can't compete. but if the money is really a big difference to you, and you want the free shipping, then maybe you can start considering amazon

Their selection can't compete, BUT, they are rapidly improving it unlike Netflix. They're up to 11,000 Prime streaming titles now and I guarantee that will continue to grow and I won't be surprised if Amazon snatches some of the content deals from Netflix.

The wife and I are seriously considering dropping all of Netflix (we have a DVD and streaming plan) and just going with our Prime selection. I imagine we'll end up just killing the DVD plan but Netflix's strategy to split off the DVD business is idiotic given their lack of selection on streaming. No argument that it is probably the correct strategy in the future, but I think they jumped too early.

 

[jhansman]

I have both, running a Roku. By far Netflix has the better interface on that device, and a better free selection, but I want to support Amazon so we continue to have a choice. If you buy merchandise from Amazon with any regularity, the free two-day shipping is well worth it and you get streaming. Once Amazon gets their selection up to Netflix's, I'm not sure how the latter will remain competitive.

 

[MaxDepth]

This is when you get these companies to bid as distributors. I could see in the future where Netflix and Stone Theaters join and Amazon, to compete, buys a similar nation-wide theater chain. These mergers would allow for movie distribution contracts as a one shot deal. The theater runs the movie for x amount of time or by ticket volume (if the movie stinks, it goes to streaming sooner) and then passes it to its streaming partner/division. This ensures to the production companies that their product will have a longer immediate shelf life. For this merged company, better margins on their investment on the product.

As for indie films and indie film houses, your deals are that much harder I suppose unless you become the indie department in one of these larger companies. Example: Amazon buys the distribution rights to a film out of Sundance Film Festival and then distributes it to their indie movie theaters (most by colleges). If word of mouth makes it a hit, then they ship it to their chain stores.

I have both, running a Roku. By far Netflix has the better interface on that device, and a better free selection, but I want to support Amazon so we continue to have a choice. If you buy merchandise from Amazon with any regularity, the free two-day shipping is well worth it and you get streaming. Once Amazon gets their selection up to Netflix's, I'm not sure how the latter will remain competitive.

 

[mb]

Do you know anyone that has a netflix streaming account? See if you can just share it with them. I was willing to chip in a couple bucks a month but a coworker is letting me use her account for free.
Just don't do it if you live in TN.

 

[trmiv]

Amazon gave me another free trial of Prime this month after I had one like two years ago. I think those bastards may have managed to suck me in this time. I've been ordering like a man possessed. I don't think I can give it up.

 

[FoBoT]

This is when you get these companies to bid as distributors. I could see in the future where Netflix and Stone Theaters join and Amazon, to compete, buys a similar nation-wide theater chain. These mergers would allow for movie distribution contracts as a one shot deal. The theater runs the movie for x amount of time or by ticket volume (if the movie stinks, it goes to streaming sooner) and then passes it to its streaming partner/division. This ensures to the production companies that their product will have a longer immediate shelf life. For this merged company, better margins on their investment on the product.

i think that is the UV, UltraViolet model
http://www.uvvu.com/

When you purchase UltraViolet media – as Blu-ray, DVD or Internet download – you get much more than just a single file or disc: You also get the enduring right to access your content on any UltraViolet device registered in your Household Account. You can also enjoy your UltraViolet entertainment via streaming through devices at home or on the go.

 

[Demo24]

Do you know anyone that has a netflix streaming account? See if you can just share it with them. I was willing to chip in a couple bucks a month but a coworker is letting me use her account for free.
Just don't do it if you live in TN.

Problem there is that you can't both watch something at the same time.

 

[brblx]

no idea why people want to pay for a 'membership' for an online flea market.

 

[mb]

Problem there is that you can't both watch something at the same time.

Sure you can, unless Netflix changed something and we just haven't run into the problem.
We tried it out just to make sure because I didn't want to cause any problems for her since I was getting it for free, and it worked just fine. I used it on my Droid 3 and PS3 as the same time she was watching on her laptop. That was 3 different IPs all streaming at once on the same account.

 

[dfuze]

I haven't really looked into the Amazon streaming yet, but I did cancel Netflix about a month ago. I like the bonus of the 2 day shipping which I use more often lately, not to mention I also got it at 1/2 price using an old college email acct (1 year extention)

 

[zinfamous]

no idea why people want to pay for a 'membership' for an online flea market.

because prime is a amazing, if you use Amazon a lot.

consider them for general dry good type of groceries, and it can be huge savings on just about all of your shopping.

with the recent announcement that they signed a contract with Fox for streaming content, they are definitely looking better--still nothing new compared to Netflix, but both are quite cheap as it is.

 

[DaveSimmons]

I have both (Prime for shipping), and Prime's free content is still very weak compared to Netflix streaming. It's still a long way from being a suitable replacement. Don't confuse the full video store with the free content. For example Bones, House, Dr. Who, Supernatural are all $2/episode ($3 in HD) even if you have Prime. Also, Amazon instant video does price the paid videos differently for TV shows and movies, SD vs. HD.

The Fire is an android device so I'd expect it to work with Netflix too. Both also stream to PCs, Roku and blu-ray players, while Netflix also streams to PS3 and Xbox. The e-ink Kindles won't play video.

 

[zinfamous]

I have both (Prime for shipping), and Prime's free content is still very weak compared to Netflix streaming. It's still a long way from being a suitable replacement. Don't confuse the full video store with the free content. For example Bones, House, Dr. Who, Supernatural are all $2/episode ($3 in HD) even if you have Prime. Also, Amazon instant video does price the paid videos differently for TV shows and movies, SD vs. HD.

The Fire is an android device so I'd expect it to work with Netflix too. Both also stream to PCs, Roku and blu-ray players, while Netflix also streams to PS3 and Xbox. The e-ink Kindles won't play video.

the Fire is a complete surprise to me--I think the first time I heard about it was two days ago, haha.

the price is rather awesome for what it claims to do/be.

 

[SP33Demon]

I have both (Prime for shipping), and Prime's free content is still very weak compared to Netflix streaming. It's still a long way from being a suitable replacement. Don't confuse the full video store with the free content. For example Bones, House, Dr. Who, Supernatural are all $2/episode ($3 in HD) even if you have Prime. Also, Amazon instant video does price the paid videos differently for TV shows and movies, SD vs. HD.

The Fire is an android device so I'd expect it to work with Netflix too. Both also stream to PCs, Roku and blu-ray players, while Netflix also streams to PS3 and Xbox. The e-ink Kindles won't play video.

Fire will stream Prime as well.

 

[gorcorps]

I have both. Prime has an even worse selection of streaming stuff than Netflix. Netflix has apps for all devices and consoles, Prime does not. I would not consider Prime for the streaming at all. I would consider it for the shipping perks and then what few streaming there is as just a bonus.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

no idea why people want to pay for a 'membership' for an online flea market.

I happened to look at my Amazon account today and discovered that I've placed 40 orders this year so far, all with free 2-day shipping at a minimum (with free release day video game shipping as well). That doesn't include my wife's orders, who is also on my Prime account. It is worth every penny and the video service is just icing on the cake.

 

[thecrecarc]

Amazon's strategy is amazing. Get people to know about prime by offering free stuff like videos, and they start ordering from amazon like crazy. Why buy elsewhere when you get free 2 day shipping?
I know for a fact that after I got prime, my amazon orders shot up.