Prime Video Review | Is Prime Video Subscription Worth Buying?

If you are planning to buy Prime Video subscription then in this post i am going to review the Prime Video that whether it’s worth buying or not.

Not being a member of Amazon Prime, you probably wonder if it’s worth it. Prime Video is an over-the-top (OTT) video streaming service that’s included in your Amazon Prime membership.

Amazon Prime video may not be on top of the OTP platform’s list yet, but it features plenty of critically acclaimed and award-winning original series of high quality in its own right, establishing itself as one of the giant streaming platforms.

If you are not a Prime member, you can buy or rent content from Amazon on a pay-per-title basis or sign up for a separate subscription to Prime Video, which gives you access to the streaming service only.

Additionally, the platform offers a handful of ad-supported channels that are free for you to view, although you will have to endure periodic commercial breaks during each show.

Amazon first entered the instant video space under the name Amazon Unbox in 2006, and it was later rebranded in 2011 as Amazon Instant Video.

In 2012, the service acquired pay-TV channel Epix and merged with Amazon’s UK subsidiary, LoveFilm, in 2014. Amazon disclosed it has over 200 million paid Prime members worldwide by the end of the first quarter of the 2021 earnings call.

What can you watch on Prime video?

1. Amazon originals: Movies & Series

Though Amazon video originally served as a platform to purchase and watch content, it has evolved and embraced the idea of streaming unlimited movies and TV shows on a subscription basis.

The original series includes Emmy-Award winning The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; fan-favorite superhero show The Boys, critically acclaimed dystopian alternate history series The Man in the High Castle; a sci-fi comedy Upload; crime thriller Bosc and many more.

Besides, in the interest of bracing for Disney’s entry into the streaming service industry, Amazon Video has invested in series that have won over strong brand recognition, like the forthcoming Lord of the Rings series.

The original movie lineup is smaller, and that’s where it lags behind its counterparts like Netflix and Disney plus; but that’s beginning to change.

Amazon has made significant investments in its film production, acquiring ambitious movies like The Tomorrow War starring Chris Pratt, Tom Clancy’s Without Remorse, and the Borat Subsequent Movie film. 

Prime Video Movies 

Prime Video’s library has plenty to choose from if you want more than just Amazon’s original. Its library includes a sheer volume of popular movies, with about 13,000 titles, which offers a range of content from classic to current.

The Library groups movie collections and helps its users with helpful categories like “Award Winners” and “New Releases” so that viewers can conveniently find movies based on their preferences.

You can find critically and commercially acclaimed movies like Knives Out, Mission Impossible: Fallout, Moneyball, Donnie Darko, Inception, Zodiac, and many more.

Without a doubt, Prime videos include more movies than any other platform, but when you filter for quality, it is in line or below par with them. Furthermore, despite having a Prime membership, you will need to pay to watch some films on Prime Video.

Prime Video TV Shows

In addition to the original TV series, Prime video offers a large section of top-quality shows that were produced elsewhere. The list includes shows such as Mr. Robot, Hannibal, and Burn Notice.

However, multiple shows such as Veronica Mars, The X-Files, and Justified are not found in Prime video now. Several other HBO and NBC shows have left or will be leaving the service soon as well.

Though there are many shows, Prime video again comes behind Netflix and Hulu when it comes to quality, but with this lineup, Amazon Prime video is surely giving stiff competition to other streaming companies. 

Documentaries

If you’re sifting through zillions of film selections, you’ll find the best documentaries are on par with Hollywood blockbusters.

The growing selection of documentary films available on Amazon reflects Amazon’s continuing competition with Netflix to provide an array of captivating choices to its viewers.

Prime Video does a decent job by providing time and attention-worthy documentaries like Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In, That Sugar Film, Hamilton: One Shot to Broadway, and One Child Nation.

Anime

Amazon Prime Video does not offer much in the way of anime and cartoons, but the company does offer an extensive list of animated kid’s shows.

With Netflix and Hulu expanding their anime offerings, Amazon is stepping up its efforts to compete. Despite Amazon Prime’s reputation as a mediocre anime service, the streaming service has created a respectable mix of classics and brand-news shows that are low-key and impressive.

Pokémon, Naruto, Akira, Evangelion: 3.0+1.01 Thrice Upon a Time are some of the notable anime you can choose to watch on Amazon Prime Video.

Premium Channels

As with other video streaming services, Amazon Prime Video also allows users to subscribe to different content providers for a monthly fee.

The options are Cinemax ($9.99), Showtime ($8.99), PBS Documentaries ($5.99), and Starz ($8.99). The Prime Channels can be accessed by Amazon Prime Video subscribers only; standalone Prime Video subscribers cannot add this content.  

Live Sports

In terms of sports streaming services, Amazon Prime Video is mainly recognized for delivering WNBA games, Thursday Night Football, and select Yankees games for New York residents.

You can also add several sports-oriented channels to your subscription, such as NBA League Pass, Paramount+, and PGA Tour Live.

How much does Prime Video cost?

Typically, people sign up for Amazon Prime to gain access to Amazon’s library of movies and TV shows. But as we mentioned, that’s not the only way.

The company does not actively promote Amazon Video memberships, but you can opt for one to access the company’s video content.

With an Amazon Prime membership, the Prime Video service costs $12.99 for a month or $119 for a year. If you only want Prime Video, you can sign up for it for $8.99 per month without any of Prime’s other perks.

College and university students in the United States can save 50% on Amazon Prime if they subscribe through Prime Student. Similarly, Amazon also offers discounts to EBT and Medicaid cardholders. Here are the complete details of each price and plan.

Prime Video Features

X-Ray

The unique X-Ray feature of Prime Video gives it an edge over other streaming services. Thanks to Amazon’s ownership of IMDb, users can scroll to find music playing, cast members, and trivia information as you watch a show or movie — minimizing the need for general queries.

This also helps you get live score updates, player information, and more. You can easily access this standout feature on devices such as iOS and Android phones, tablets, and Fire TV remotes.

Ad-free content

There is the added benefit of Prime Video being ad-free. Although you will likely see a brief advertisement for an Amazon Original prior to watching a show, the streaming service does not run advertising once started. Only IMDb TV has some free, ad-supported shows from popular network shows.

Simultaneous streaming

Amazon Video allows you to stream three videos simultaneously per account, but you can only stream the same title on two devices at once.

That’s better compared to Netflix, considering its stream limitation to one screen for its basic plan and two devices for its standard plan.

You have to go for Netflix’s premium plan for 4 simultaneous streaming, which is pricier as compared to Prime video. The service also beats Hulu’s single-stream limit.

Mobile App

You can download the Prime Video app on your mobile device, tablet, or a compatible computer running Windows 10.

Talking about the mobile app interface, it looks exactly like the site’s interface, though scaled-down.

Users have the option of having multiple profiles with distinct recommendations, such as a kid’s profile to keep things PG-rated.

You can also use the excellent search function if you are tired of browsing the vast array of categorized content.

Offline viewing/downloads

Amazon Prime Video is one of the few streaming services that make it possible to download movies to watch offline.

That means you don’t have to worry if you are somewhere without an internet connection. Amazon Video allows you to download up to 25 titles to devices like phones and tablets at any given time.

However, you can only download a title to more than two devices at the same time, just as with simultaneous streams.

4K and HDR content

What’s more satisfying than a service that delivers a noticeable and impressive picture quality improvement? A number of advanced audio and video formats are supported by Prime Video, including 4K Ultra HD, HDR, and Dolby Atmos.

You may need a high broadband speed and 4K UHD streaming device and display that supports the format.

Rent or buy

Among Prime Video’s many features is a “Rent or Buy” section, where you can rent and buy both newer and older movies at a lower price, though distinguishing the content that’s free to stream and the one that has to be purchased can be hard sometimes.

Movie rentals through Prime Video can be as low as $2.99 for older titles and as high as $19.99 for recent theatrical releases.

Profiles & Parental control

You can also create up to five user profiles within Prime Video and set up parental controls based on content ratings with a PIN. With different profiles, you don’t have to worry much about finding content based on your past viewing history.

Like other streaming services, Prime video offers parental controls to restrict inappropriate content for your kids. After all, you don’t want your kiddies to see the ultra-violent superhero shows, even if it’s a cartoon.

Prime video UI (user interface)

The user interface of Amazon Prime video is similar to other streaming services. You can find tabs for home, movies, TV shows, Kids, download your watchlist, and search on the left side of your device’s screen.

You can also find personalized categories like TV shows and movies as per your viewing history, making it easier to navigate. 

However, Amazon Prime library’s user interface can be confusing at times. There are many titles on Prime Video’s menu screen that aren’t included in a subscription.

There is a chance that it will get frustrating if you don’t want to pay separately for each episode or movie.  To be honest, the video service’s homepage cannot compete with Netflix or HBO Max’s minimal aesthetic, although it looks decent.

Accessibility & Compatibility

Prime Video was initially available to only limited countries like the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and Austria.

However, it has extended its service worldwide except in North Korea, mainland China, Syria, and Iran. Talking about the content, some country has access to only a fraction of the US Amazon Prime library, but you can use a VPN to unblock those contents.

When it comes to compatibility, Amazon Prime video is compatible with a wide range of streaming devices, including TVs from major brands, Blu-ray players, media players, games consoles, set-top boxes, and of course, mobile devices (iOS & Android), laptops and PC. Here’s the complete list of supported devices;

1. Android phones, tablets
2. iPhone, iPad
3. PC, Mac web browsers
4. Game consoles (Xbox One, PlayStation, Wii)
5. Streaming devices (Chromecast Apple TV, Rokus, Fire TV)
6. Smart TVs (TCL, Samsung, Sony, Philips, Vizio)
7. Blu-Ray Players (Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, LG)

Does Amazon Prime Video offer a free trial?

You get a free 30-day trial, which means you can take advantage of Prime Video for the month. Consider trying it out free for a month first if you’re unsure whether you’ll like it, especially if you are unsure whether you’ll sign up.

A week-long free trial of Showtime’s add-on is also available, so you can test out even more of Prime Video and its add-ons.

Prime video vs. other OTT platforms

Is paying for Prime video worth it?

Netflix still dominates the game with its sheer volume of quality shows and movies compared to Prime Video’s small portfolio of original content. Furthermore, it doesn’t have the contiguity like other services, which stream content instantly after being broadcasted.

Nonetheless, Prime Video is still a good option for TV shows and movies, especially if you are a movie buff. Additionally, the growing collection of original Amazon content has proven to be a big draw – especially since every show is free of ads. The option of 4K HDR is also another appealing factor to those with 4K TVs. 

In case you aren’t sure which streaming service to choose, why not try both. Many people these days use multiple streaming services. With a few different streaming services, you can make sure you don’t miss any of the great original content available, and you’ll always have access to classic movies and shows you love.

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