Overview
In great news for online streaming fans who feel as though their options are limited now that Netflix has cracked down on that whole VPN thing, there's now another streaming service to add to your rotating repertoire. After quietly and somewhat inexplicably making their Prime Video streaming service available to Aussie customers in mid-November, Amazon has gone and made it all official, with the online shopping behemoth last night launching their film and television streaming platform in 200 countries including Australia and New Zealand.
So if you signed up for a Prime Video account last month, it now has the offical stamp of approval from Amazon — but don't expect the number of titles that you can watch to change dramatically just yet. Amazon's first round of titles represent their efforts to dip a toe in the waters of online streaming, but the company still has to navigate around existing local rights deals for some of their original content. Basically, if it's already available on another platform — such as the most recent seasons of Mozart in the Jungle and Transparent, which are linked to Stan in Australia and Lightbox in NZ — then you won't find it on Prime.
What you will find is an introductory deal of USD$2.99 per month for the first sixth months, with the cost rising to USD$5.99 monthly after that. And yes, Amazon is keeping their prices in US currency.
So, go forth and stream, film and television fiends, whether car-focused banter on the highly anticipated The Grand Tour, catching up with the first seasons of Amazon Original Series such as Red Oaks and The Man in the High Castle, or diving through a host of movies takes your fancy. Next year, additional efforts such as Woody Allen's Crisis in Six Scenes, David E. Kelley's Goliath featuring Billy Bob Thornton, and Sneaky Pete, which is produced by Bryan Cranston and stars Giovanni Ribisi, will join the global lineup.
Amazon Prime Video also boasts offline downloads, which Netflix only recently introduced. Alas, as for how you can watch it, you'd best get used to viewing on it on a phone or tablet (sorry, anyone who likes watching television actually on their television). At the time of writing, the service is supported by Android and iOS phones and tablets, plus Amazon's own Fire Tablets, but only on LG and Samsung smart TVs.
For more information about Amazon Prime Video, visit PrimeVideo.com.