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Amazon Wants 'Acceptable Business Terms' to Offer Prime Video on Apple TV
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Guess I need to update my Nest thermostat because no matter what I do, I can't get Prime Video player to show up.
I don't see any winks or smiley faces so I'm assuming that you're being serious. Apple owns the App Store...they did all the hard work so that you can plop in your app and sell it. For money. For giving you a platform to make money, they are taking their cut. Just like Amazon does with the Amazon Marketplace. Just like eBay does when you use their auction platform to sell something.
I see a lot more willful ignorance on this forum than I do cognitive dissonance.
The thing is after the initial download of the app and besides updates, all the content comes from Amazon so it doesn't use Apple infrastructure. Support for the app comes from Amazon not Apple. As for billing you are logged into your Amazon account so Apple wouldn't even have to do any billing, if they would allow it, but they don't.
All this hassle is due to Apple. They require you to use their billing system, so they can take 30%. I have no problem with Apple taking a cut of an app I buy since they host it. I also have no problem with them taking a cut if you want to do your billing through Apple. The problem is with company's like Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu that already have a billing system in place, and have accounts that aren't Apple based. If anyone but Apple did this everyone would be up in arms over it.
You think Amazon is fighting for "us" by not allowing paying customers to use whatever box they want to watch stuff they paid for? You seem very confused.
Except it's not. Streaming is a loss making business and that's not going to change until we as consumers stop thinking $10/£10 a month is excessive. Prime streaming exists for 2 reasons, first as a bonus that helps sell more prime memberships and hence sees more products sold on Amazon as people look to take advantage of the shipping and second so they are in a position to be a player if/when streaming becomes more financially viable (plus it spends their earning so they don't make a profit, they spend so much on things like R&D seemingly only so they don't turn a profit)
Their compitition is with Apple and Google for the digital rental and purchase where there is some decent money in that
First of all this "if anyone but Apple did this" meme is getting very old and very tired. Second, how come Hulu and Netflix managed to release free streaming apps without any issues? Seems like the answer to your silly post is "if anyone but Amazon".
The problem with Amazon is they still don't take their streaming services seriously, one just needs to try to browse their prime video section, and see what kind of a mess it is. I can also see the same happening on in their iOS player where people end up buying/renting movies, thinking it was part of their prime subscription.
Additionally, I can think of at least three different ways to work around Apple's 30% cut of the revenue stream, but it seems Bezos isn't willing to do a workaround until they can work out something with Amazon.
Additionally, I can think of at least three different ways to work around Apple's 30% cut of the revenue stream, but it seems Bezos isn't willing to do a workaround until they can work out something with Amazon.
But if each company released their products on all platforms wouldn't the consumer be able to choose which products are the best and support them? I would argue that with that model, the increased competition would be nothing but great for the market.
Amazon is going to have a tough time telling Apple how to run their business - especially considering their financial and market positions.
What does this have to do with the 30% cut that everyone is obsessed with? You pay Netflix and can watch their movies on the Apple TV app. You pay Hulu and you can watch their content on an Apple TV app. I pay for HBO and can watch their content on the HBO Go app. I app for Amazon Prime...why can't I have a streaming to watch content I pay for? This doesn't seem to be an issue for anyone other than Amazon.
Amazon is doing it because they want people to buy their streaming boxes. Period. And that's fine. But why some of you insist on blaming Apple for this is beyond reason.
Because Netflix and Hulu are just streaming services. Amazon is iTunes and Netflix combined HOW HARD IS IT TO UNDERSTAND THAT. Amazon wants you to be able to buy a movie in app, without giving Apple 30%. After the initial download of the app if it wasn't for Apples F'ed up rules they wouldn't have any resources involved in it.
I used to think Xbox, and PlayStation fanboys were crazy, but they are nothing compared to you Apple lovers.
You forget that Apple invented the "app store" concept. Before that, apps were "programs," and you had to search around various sundry online and meat-space places to buy them, usually for a lot of money, and installing them was often a hinky and laborious process, and depending on what programs you bought and from where, it could also be risky. The app store made acquiring and installing free and inexpensive apps easy and convenient. Apple handles the back end, including quality and compatibility assurance, as well as handling the purchase transactions, making that convenient and easy. Prior to all this, the idea that someone could make good money on volume, writing and selling apps for 99 cents was simply unheard of. Apple still handles all that, plus the back end for in-app purchases. Also important is the fact that Apple provides a stable device and OS to run all this stuff. So it's not correct to suggest that Apple is taking a cut for doing nothing.
They have their own selfish motivations obviously but what they want to achieve is if they manage it better for us than just letting Apple and Google keep the status quo.
If no-one stands upto them why would they ever drop the 30% take which means we have to buy media multiple times for each device OS because they eat up the stores profit and impacts streaming services financials. And we will get stuck with two tier app systems that limit rival services or lock out rivals devices
No, Amazon is doing this because Prime is a loss-leader to drive their customers to rental and purchase content, where they can make money. I would bet that their streaming boxes are also loss-leaders, or at best a break-even proposition.
NOTHING is stopping Amazon from building a streaming app to satisfy their current PAYING CUSTOMERS. That's what everyone is asking for. I'm already paying for Amazon content...i want to watch it on whatever box I choose. I'll continue buying my content through the app or through the website, thanks.
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Again...zero reason why they can't build a streaming app for the Apple TV and continue to sell content the way they currently do, which seems to be working for them. I should be able to rent/buy a movie on the Amazon app (or their website), and then watch it on the Apple TV. It's really dishonest of Bezos to try and blame this on Apple.
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The problem is for a subscription service 30% is bloody high for what is just payment processing at that point. PayPal would take at most 4.5%
And as I've said a few times 30% is the exact profit margin services make on digital media so that 30% charge prevents the purchase and rental options which is where the money is in anyway. If Amazon sold a copy of Force Awkens via an Amazon Video app on the ATV they would hand 30% to Apple, 70% to the studio and receive nothing themselves.
It's not the included content, it's 'in-app' purchases. So if you want to buy a movie while in the AP app, part of that money has to go to Apple....
Because the 30% cut is the reason it isn't on the ATV. Amazon isn't making any money on their hardware. They simply don't want to pay the money for sales and rentals that Apple wants. It doesn't make Bezos stupid or evil - it's a calculated business decision.
All of the silly blustering in this thread about people cancelling their Prime memberships out of principle is kind of funny. You ordered it for a reason, likely for the convenience and to save money on shipping. So now you are going to somehow punish Amazon by losing the convenience and paying more for shipping? Okay...
I will give Amazon credit. Their implementation of AirPlay on the Prime Video iOS app is way better than most apps. Their app continues the AirPlay stream in the background if you switch to another app or lock your iPhone. Most apps kill the stream if you try to switch to another app or lock your phone, you therefore have to disable automatic locking to keep the stream alive.
Apple obviously has all the reasons for getting its share for the stuff that is sold on the App Store (as is Amazon with its Marketplace). The problem with your logic is that the only thing that gets actually sold and distributed on the App Store would be the app - but not the streaming service. And Apple wants to get paid for both. i.e. they want money for something that they contribute literally nothing to. Does Amazon Marketplace do that? It does not.
Agreed. Digital movie rental prices are ridiculous do to no competition. Why does it cost $6 to rent an HD movie from iTunes, but it only cost $2 to rent an actual Blu-ray from Redbox?
Which is the reason Amazon, isn't putting their app on the Apple TV. Their is no reason for Apple to charge a 30% fee. You are signed into your Amazon account so Amazon could do the billing, and apple has no costs involved except in initial downloads and updates. They can't do that though because Apple has an asinine rule that you have to use their billing system. Yes they tell you it's for security and privacy, but that is all BS it's so they can take 30% for doing nothing.
See my longer post above. There is no good business reason for Amazon to create an ATV app to give you Prime content at a loss while making it more convenient for you rent and purchase content via iTunes. Nobody stays in business by taking a loss to drive foot traffic to their competitor.
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