Apps Amazon Instant Video

[Hermes Monster]

What app are you using? The biggest reason I haven't used my iPhone to do this is because it took a few apps to do what my Harmony One will do.

Unfortunately it's still the case (sorry, I didn't make that clear) but at least it's all on one device. But at least the Apple TV remote can control the volume and turn the power off now. Baby steps.

Long term, I'm hoping my Apple TV becomes my only device, somehow, and then we're golden

 

[ajforbes20]

I Think it's realy dumb that they aren't making an app yet!

 

[Hermes Monster]

I Think it's realy dumb that they aren't making an app yet!

I find it odd that they won't make an app for the ATV, but do allow AirPlay (which works very well)

 

[satcomer]

I find it odd that they won't make an app for the ATV, but do allow AirPlay (which works very well)

It's really elementary if you understand people. Just think why Amazon made a iOS versions but not a Apple TV Version. Then Amazon decided not to sell the new Apple TV or current other TV boxes. This all happened when Amazon decided to see their own TV the Fire TV box. Makes one wonder!

 

[derekshank]

I find it odd that they won't make an app for the ATV, but do allow AirPlay (which works very well)

I think it makes sense when you understand why the iOS app exists, and then consider the much more recent competition between Amazon and Apple.

The purpose of the iOS app is to have your Amazon library available when you leave the house. 43+% of Americans have iPhones, so Amazon needs to be iPhone compatible if they want a chance to compete with iTunes.

The Apple TV has nowhere near that market penetration, so Amazon can compete directly with the Fire TV and hope to win some long term customers. That would benefit them far more than being available on the Apple TV.

The AirPlay capability preexisted the current competition between the Apple TV and Fire TV. It's one thing for Amazon to choose against creating an ATV4 app that has never existed... and it's quite another to disable a service that is currently available.

You think people are mad now about no app? Think about the outrage if Amazon made it impossible to watch your content on an Apple TV?

Currently Amazon can claim that Apple bears some responsibility for the lack of an ATV4 app. Disabling AirPlay would be 100% Amazon's fault, and would almost certainly result in a significant number of cancelled Prime memberships.

 

[d21mike]

I think it makes sense when you understand why the iOS app exists, and then consider the much more recent competition between Amazon and Apple.

The purpose of the iOS app is to have your Amazon library available when you leave the house. 43+% of Americans have iPhones, so Amazon needs to be iPhone compatible if they want a chance to compete with iTunes.

The Apple TV has nowhere near that market penetration, so Amazon can compete directly with the Fire TV and hope to win some long term customers. That would benefit them far more than being available on the Apple TV.

The AirPlay capability preexisted the current competition between the Apple TV and Fire TV. It's one thing for Amazon to choose against creating an ATV4 app that has never existed... and it's quite another to disable a service that is currently available.

You think people are mad now about no app? Think about the outrage if Amazon made it impossible to watch your content on an Apple TV?

Currently Amazon can claim that Apple bears some responsibility for the lack of an ATV4 app. Disabling AirPlay would be 100% Amazon's fault, and would almost certainly result in a significant number of cancelled Prime memberships.

I agree with most of what you are saying. But the part about "preexisted". Even though I agree, they did not have to make improvements like with X-Ray which adds a new element to AirPlay which did not exist before the Apple TV 4 was released.
I think Amazon Video Airplay support is the best I have seen. I do give them credit for that.

 

[derekshank]

I agree with most of what you are saying. But the part about "preexisted". Even though I agree, they did not have to make improvements like with X-Ray which adds a new element to AirPlay which did not exist before the Apple TV 4 was released.
I think Amazon Video Airplay support is the best I have seen. I do give them credit for that.

True enough.

I do think they are trying to walk the tightrope of discouraging Apple TV purchases while retaining Apple TV customers.

 

[tpluth]

True enough.

I do think they are trying to walk the tightrope of discouraging Apple TV purchases while retaining Apple TV customers.

Apple threw down the gauntlet today by moving part of the $1B/yr in services for iCloud from Amazon's cloud services to Google's cloud services.

That sounds like punishment to me.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ap...s-cloud-from-amazons-2016-03-17?siteid=yhoof2

 

[off_piste]

Apple threw down the gauntlet today by moving part of the $1B/yr in services for iCloud from Amazon's cloud services to Google's cloud services.

That sounds like punishment to me.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ap...s-cloud-from-amazons-2016-03-17?siteid=yhoof2

Data centers are big business with many competitors now. My last company built numerous ones for Amazon and Microsoft. It may be punishment or it could just be that Google offered a great deal.

 

[Cubs Fan]

No, it's punishment. Apple didn't want their business going to a company with whom they have a lot of competition. So, they turned to . . . Google.

 

[off_piste]

No, it's punishment. Apple didn't want their business going to a company with whom they have a lot of competition. So, they turned to . . . Google.

You mean like how Apple has iPhone business going to Samsung?

 

[Cubs Fan]

You mean like how Apple has iPhone business going to Samsung?

Of course Apple does business with competitors. My point was that it makes no sense that they were going to "punish" Amazon for Amazon's competitive practices only to turn around and give that business to a company they compete with significantly more.

 

[off_piste]

Of course Apple does business with competitors. My point was that it makes no sense that they were going to "punish" Amazon for Amazon's competitive practices only to turn around and give that business to a company they compete with significantly more.

Doh!

 

[derekshank]

Of course Apple does business with competitors. My point was that it makes no sense that they were going to "punish" Amazon for Amazon's competitive practices only to turn around and give that business to a company they compete with significantly more.

Yeah. It doesn't strike me as punishment either.

But they are apparently taking steps to rely less and less on direct competitors. At least for cloud storage.

https://www.macrumors.com/2016/03/17/apple-cloud-storage-infrastructure/

 

[Marshall73]

Dunno why Amazon are pushing folk to its own hardware when it has to be costing them in the long run when the majority of fire stick owners are just getting them for kodi and its add ons anyway.

 

[tanfan]

Dunno why Amazon are pushing folk to its own hardware when it has to be costing them in the long run when the majority of fire stick owners are just getting them for kodi and its add ons anyway.

Amazon would like you to buy their fire box but, they are not limiting access to Amazon video to just their device like say, Apple does with itunes. Amazon video is on many devices, like all my Roku boxes and many smart TVs. And it's not the neutered app like on ios...the full Amazon video store.

 

[lparsons21]

True, but Amazon does some strange selections. Sony is using Android TVOS and has Amazon video app, but no other TV running Android TVOS does. You can't even side load it anymore and have it work.

 

[Marshall73]

Amazon would like you to buy their fire box but, they are not limiting access to Amazon video to just their device like say, Apple does with itunes. Amazon video is on many devices, like all my Roku boxes and many smart TVs. And it's not the neutered app like on ios...the full Amazon video store.

that's not the point I was making, they sell a device which can be set to run kodi at boot, so you never see anything Amazon, which is then used to stream free movies, TV shows live sports etc

You would think that they would be under pressure from broadcasters to at least try to block the piracy.

 

[jdag]

that's not the point I was making, they sell a device which can be set to run kodi at boot, so you never see anything Amazon, which is then used to stream free movies, TV shows live sports etc

You would think that they would be under pressure from broadcasters to at least try to block the piracy.

Keep in mind that those tinkerers that load Kodi are vastly in the minority. Maybe not on a forum such as this, but the general users are plug & playing streaming boxes. I doubt that Amazon is spending any cycles worrying about the relatively small number of people that alter their FireTVs.

 

[kiranmk2]

If Amazon was offered the opportunity to sell one prime subscription OR one Fire TV 4K surely they would choose to sell the Prime subscription. Yes, the Fire TV would give them the opportunity to sell apps and content but the Prime subscription would lock in that customer to make the majority of their purchases for the following year from Amazon. If they had already paid for fast shipping with Amazon, why shop elsewhere - even if Amazon is a few £/$ more expensive?

With this in mind, by not releasing a Prime Video app for other boxes, to me Amazon is effectively opting to sell the Fire TV rather than try and sell a Prime subscription. People who have an AppleTV, Roku or other non-Amazon box are surely less likely to take out a Prime subscription if they can't view Prime videos on their TV conveniently. By not having a Prime subscription I would argue that they are also more likely to be less exclusive to Amazon for their other purchases too.

My guess is Amazon is hoping people will go with a Prime subscription and then pick up a FireTV but I think if their strategy hasn't worked by the Summer we will see a Prime Videos app befor the end of the year.

 

[satcomer]

If Amazon was offered the opportunity to sell one prime subscription OR one Fire TV 4K surely they would choose to sell the Prime subscription. Yes, the Fire TV would give them the opportunity to sell apps and content but the Prime subscription would lock in that customer to make the majority of their purchases for the following year from Amazon. If they had already paid for fast shipping with Amazon, why shop elsewhere - even if Amazon is a few £/$ more expensive?

With this in mind, by not releasing a Prime Video app for other boxes, to me Amazon is effectively opting to sell the Fire TV rather than try and sell a Prime subscription. People who have an AppleTV, Roku or other non-Amazon box are surely less likely to take out a Prime subscription if they can't view Prime videos on their TV conveniently. By not having a Prime subscription I would argue that they are also more likely to be less exclusive to Amazon for their other purchases too.

My guess is Amazon is hoping people will go with a Prime subscription and then pick up a FireTV but I think if their strategy hasn't worked by the Summer we will see a Prime Videos app befor the end of the year.

Do you realize Amazon started Last year started NOT selling Apple TV first because they didn't want it competing against the Amazon Fire! So Amazon started this childless game.

 

[kiranmk2]

Exactly - and I wonder what the ratio of FireTV boxes sold to Prime subscriptions lost due to lack of Prime video on AppleTV.

 

[Teon]

And I will not speak ill of the Amazon , it gives me a VPS for 1 year free of charge ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) )

 

[tanfan]

If Amazon was offered the opportunity to sell one prime subscription OR one Fire TV 4K surely they would choose to sell the Prime subscription. Yes, the Fire TV would give them the opportunity to sell apps and content but the Prime subscription would lock in that customer to make the majority of their purchases for the following year from Amazon. If they had already paid for fast shipping with Amazon, why shop elsewhere - even if Amazon is a few £/$ more expensive?

With this in mind, by not releasing a Prime Video app for other boxes, to me Amazon is effectively opting to sell the Fire TV rather than try and sell a Prime subscription. People who have an AppleTV, Roku or other non-Amazon box are surely less likely to take out a Prime subscription if they can't view Prime videos on their TV conveniently. By not having a Prime subscription I would argue that they are also more likely to be less exclusive to Amazon for their other purchases too.

My guess is Amazon is hoping people will go with a Prime subscription and then pick up a FireTV but I think if their strategy hasn't worked by the Summer we will see a Prime Videos app befor the end of the year.

But what if with Apples terms, Amazon would be losing money on every transaction made on the Apple TV? By the way, Amazon video is on Roku.

 

[d21mike]

But what if with Apples terms, Amazon would be losing money on every transaction made on the Apple TV? By the way, Amazon video is on Roku.

Everyone buys Amazon Prime on the Amazon Web Site and therefore they would not loose any money. This is exactly the same as on the iPhone or iPad.