Amazon Prime Video finally joins Apple TV
LOS ANGELES – In the course of just two days, there has been a small quake in the Internet streaming landscape, meaning one more choice on the high end, one fewer choice on the low end for cord cutters.
Tuesday, Apple finally added Amazon Prime Video to the Apple TV platform, a move first announced in June. Along with Netflix, Amazon has the most aggressive offerings of Internet entertainment with original shows such as Transparent, The Man in the High Castle, Red Oaks and The Grand Tour, which features the former stars of the BBC’s Top Gear.
To watch online entertainment if you don’t have a smart TV, you need a streaming box, such as Apple TV, FireTV, Roku or Google’s Chromecast devices.
Apple’s move comes a day after rival Google yanked its YouTube network (effective Jan. 1) from Amazon’s FireTV platform in what it says was retaliation for the e-tailer not stocking some Google-branded products. This is bad news for consumers, as streaming boxes have been and are expected to continue to be one of the most popular gift items, since they are (mostly) affordably priced.
Google’s Chromecast is $35, Amazon Fire and Roku both start at $39.99, while Apple TV starts at $179.
And now, if consumers want to get the best of streaming from the top two providers — Netflix and Amazon — along with the world’s most popular video network, YouTube — their two best options are Roku on the low end and the pricey Apple TV. Both offer hundreds of channels in addition to the big three.
FireTV is now sans YouTube, and while Chromecast can view Amazon Prime, it’s not as easy to access as other channels.
Unlike Netflix and competing streaming services, most consumers pay the $99 yearly for Prime membership to get expedited shipping. The movies, TV and music offerings are a bonus.
To access channels such as Amazon Prime or Netflix, you add them to the menu of Apple TV, Roku and FireTV, if they’re not already preloaded, and then register your subscription credentials. The streaming devices also offer free, ad-supported channels such as TubiTV, PBS and Crackle and network TV apps (NBC, ABC, FX), which can only be seen with proof of a cable subscription and access to recent movies.
Like Apple and iTunes, if you want to see a recent blockbuster film such as Wonder Woman or an episode of The Walking Dead, you’ll have to pay extra for it.