Amazon Prime Video Introduces Offline Viewing for iPhone and iPad

[FriendlyMackle]

So Amazon Prime streaming Movies/TV Shows is okay on the iPhone but not on Apple TV makes a lot of sense

Exactly. Ugh!

 

[FriendlyMackle]

It's a ATV 3 rev.1 from june 2012 without support for Peer to Peer. Only models produced after march 2013 (rev. 2) have the newer silicon, which made it possible. Apple didn't highlight this hardware change and said they were identical, until they introduced the functionality last september for rev 2 only. And with the upcoming ATV 4 i am not really interested in investing in outdated technology. But i am very interested in those new Oreo slims.



You better get a Fire TV Stick for this scenario. Cheaper than the adapter and you get better quality. The adapter is limited to an upscaled 1600x900 resolution (not full 1080p) due to constraints of USB/Lightning interface and has even a slight delay and compression artefacts. I could live with that for vacation (if offline mode works!), but i wouldn't use it for my home setup. Or wait for the (soon to be updated) Apple TV, which might have an App Store, which allows an Amazon Instant Video App.



On my iPad downloaded movies appear in the library tab.

I am waiting -- I would really prefer one single solution rather than a Fire Stick + whatever else to stream from my own home computer - assuming that ATV and/or Fire can do this reasonably well. Any thoughts on that?

I tried using Plex early on, but had HORRIBLE buffering issues no matter how small the file -- and this is on a decent home N network.
I gave up on the Plex - it just was not worth the struggle.

So, now I make all of my files compatible with Apple devices, but not sure how well those will pass through via Airplay (I'm also thinking on the ATV this is what I would need to use). Any thoughts?

 

[Narcaz]

This will be of limited usefulness depending upon the filesize.

One reason why I don't use Amazon Instant Video is because they insist on sending the highest quality image that my bandwidth is capable of (regardless of what the receiving device is capable of). There is no way to limit it like there is with Netflix.

When I'm watching video on a 9.7" iPad, I don't need Amazon to send 8GB (approx.) of HD video. My Handbrake encodes weigh in at about 1GB for a 90-100 minute film.

If Amazon does the same with downloads, wasted space on the device, and wasted use of download usage for those with broadband data caps.

The Amazon Instant Video app had its problems, but amazon made a lot of improvements with the updates this year. They offer now HD for some movies/series and you can choose between three different qualitity options for streaming and downloading. The downloaded file size isn't enormous. The size for the second episode of "Fear the Walkind Dead" on my rMini2 is on good 348MB, on better 577MB and on best 780 MB.

I am waiting -- I would really prefer one single solution rather than a Fire Stick + whatever else to stream from my own home computer - assuming that ATV and/or Fire can do this reasonably well. Any thoughts on that?

I tried using Plex early on, but had HORRIBLE buffering issues no matter how small the file -- and this is on a decent home N network.
I gave up on the Plex - it just was not worth the struggle.

So, now I make all of my files compatible with Apple devices, but not sure how well those will pass through via Airplay (I'm also thinking on the ATV this is what I would need to use). Any thoughts?

I suggest to wait and see what happens. Maybe the upcoming device isn't limited to certain file types anymore. So far you have to transcode everything or work around with apps like Beamer (Mac) + Airplay or Nplayer (iOS) + Airplay Mirroring (slight quality drop) to view e.g. mkv files on the Apple TV. And you would have to use Airplay to stream Amazon Instant Video with an iOS device. An App Store on a ATV4 could solve those problems (maybe we get native apps for Kodi/Amazon/VLC).

 

[FriendlyMackle]

The Amazon Instant Video app had its problems, but amazon made a lot of improvements with the updates this year. They offer now HD for some movies/series and you can choose between three different qualitity options for streaming and downloading. The downloaded file size isn't enormous. The size for the second episode of "Fear the Walkind Dead" on my rMini2 is on good 348MB, on better 577MB and on best 780 MB.



I suggest to wait and see what happens. Maybe the upcoming device isn't limited to certain file types anymore. So far you have to transcode everything or work around with apps like Beamer (Mac) + Airplay or Nplayer (iOS) + Airplay Mirroring (slight quality drop) to view e.g. mkv files on the Apple TV. And you would have to use Airplay to stream Amazon Instant Video with an iOS device. An App Store on a ATV4 could solve those problems (maybe we get native apps for Kodi/Amazon/VLC).

Thanks, yes, I will be waiting to see what is actually announced. And when the App Store (if there is indeed one) will be populated - that could still be a few months after the new ATV release for something like Amazon Video.

 

[rigormortis]

i had trouble with offline viewing on my amazon fire phone. so just a heads up. sometimes the list of shows you have on your device won't match what amazon says, and amazon will say you have reached all 20 ( or is it 25 ) shows you are allowed to save. i had to talk with amazon about this, they were saying i had all these shows , and i was on the phone and i was trying to tell them i did not. i felt like they did not believe me. those shows were erased. but the amazon guy would not budge.. i had to deregister my entire fire phone to get amazon to let me have shows again.

if the reregistration failed, there was no way on their end to fix it

i think they waited till the amazon fire phone was dead, before letting us people with iPhones have it.

i am serving notice that i predict in the next 6 months amazon flow will be updated and amazon firefly will become available for iOS. if i win i get nothing if i lose i get nothing, i just want to call it, heh

 

[jlc1978]

Call me when Netflix offers offline viewing.

Ring Ring Ring They're called DVD's.

Seriously, I doubt they will do that anytime soon given their moves to cut licensing fees and become a content producer. They may with some of their content but the challenge with that is people will be upset they can't get movies etc., so the move make little sense to them at this time.

 

[mxmgodin]

Ring Ring Ring They're called DVD's.

Seriously, I doubt they will do that anytime soon given their moves to cut licensing fees and become a content producer. They may with some of their content but the challenge with that is people will be upset they can't get movies etc., so the move make little sense to them at this time.

Netflix's DVD renting service is only available in the U.S., whereas instant streaming is available in dozens of countries. And bringing a DVD player on your commute isn't the most practical solution anyway...

I would too be surprised if Netflix went ahead with offline content anytime soon, but one can still hope...

 

[campyguy]

i think they waited till the amazon fire phone was dead, before letting us people with iPhones have it.

i am serving notice that i predict in the next 6 months amazon flow will be updated and amazon firefly will become available for iOS. if i win i get nothing if i lose i get nothing, i just want to call it, heh

^^This. And, that.

 

[PaulRustad007]

Is it an aTV 2? Last I looked they were selling for hundreds on eBay. Sell it and buy an aTV3, an iPad, and some of those new Oreo slims. I hear they are good.

Edit: just checked. You could get two aTV3.

Thise Orea Slims ARE really good. Personally, better than the originals.!

 

[GlenK]

Works great and love it!!