Amazon One Ups Netflix By Adding Download Function To Prime Videos For Offline Viewing
There's only one streaming video service in the world that offers the ability to download movies and TV shows for offline viewing, and that's Prime Video. Adding that function gives Amazon a leg up over the competition, including Netflix, which went on record saying it will "never" offer that kind of capability.
Never say never, right? Netflix dismissed the notion of offline viewing before Amazon rolled out the function to Prime Members. By blazing a trail, it wouldn't be surprising to see other streaming services follow Amazon's lead. There are some obvious technical hurdles to overcome, but it's now been done. It's also a common function in the streaming music world.
For now, offline viewing is exclusive to Prime Video users in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Austria. It doesn't cost anything extra, you just need to be a Prime member, which runs $99 per year (cheaper for students) and includes free two-day shipping on millions of qualifying items, plus several other perks.
This is nothing new for Fire tablet owners, though the function is now available to owners of iPhone, iPad, and Android phone and tablet devices. The catch? Not every TV show and movie in the Prime Video library is available for offline viewing.
That said, it's a pretty expansive list of titles that include Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, 24, Justified, The Good Wife, and many more.
Never say never, right? Netflix dismissed the notion of offline viewing before Amazon rolled out the function to Prime Members. By blazing a trail, it wouldn't be surprising to see other streaming services follow Amazon's lead. There are some obvious technical hurdles to overcome, but it's now been done. It's also a common function in the streaming music world.
For now, offline viewing is exclusive to Prime Video users in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Austria. It doesn't cost anything extra, you just need to be a Prime member, which runs $99 per year (cheaper for students) and includes free two-day shipping on millions of qualifying items, plus several other perks.
This is nothing new for Fire tablet owners, though the function is now available to owners of iPhone, iPad, and Android phone and tablet devices. The catch? Not every TV show and movie in the Prime Video library is available for offline viewing.
That said, it's a pretty expansive list of titles that include Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, 24, Justified, The Good Wife, and many more.
