Difference between revisions of "Amazon Prime Video"

Revision as of 19:55, 11 February 2022

Amazon Prime Video, also frequently referred to as Prime Video, is a subscription-based streaming and rental service for video, primarily television shows and movies. Amazon Prime Video's programming consists of live-streaming of television shows and sporting events, original series known as Prime Originals, and shows and channels licensed by Amazon. It has become one of the leading competitors in video streaming services, its library outsizing industry giants like Netflix.^[1] Amazon Prime Video is available on both online and mobile platforms.

Amazon Prime Video logo^[2]

History

The predecessor service to Amazon Prime Video originated in 2006 as a video download service called Amazon Unbox.^[3] Similar to other video services such as Blockbuster and Netflix, Amazon Unbox allowed its users to download television shows and movies from major studios, including Paramount, Warner Bros, and Fox.^[4] Amazon Unbox was only available for use on PC with their application or a TiVo box.^[5]

It was subsequently rebranded into Amazon Video On Demand and announced on September 3, 2008.^[6] Amazon users could now stream within the browser, download, purchase, or rent titles.

Features

The service offers licensed content, produced originals, and user-uploaded content.^[7] With a paid subscription, they have unlimited access to Amazon Prime Video's entire library alongside Amazon Prime's free shipping cost benefits.^[8]

Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime is the paid subscription in which Amazon customers can have access for Amazon Prime Video, with an annual subscription fee of $120^[9] for its shipping and extraneous benefits. Other subscription options are $12.99 per month, or solely a Prime Video membership that is $8.99 per month.^[10] Students who sign up with ... can receive

Prime Originals

Ethical Concerns

Unregulated Content

As Amazon Prime Video has been a newer streaming service compared to the likes of established services like Netflix and Hulu, Amazon's strategy has been focused on amassing large volumes of content to give it the competitive edge.^[11] A large majority of the content the service has taken in and hosted is user-uploaded content rather than licensed content. Amazon Prime Video has as a result allowed an abundance of conspiracy theory videos, amateur productions, and short instructional clips.^[12]

The lack of transparency with regards to user-uploaded content raises concerns on regulation given the nature of many of the titles in the library being conspiracy theorist and extremist works. For one, Amazon users who produce user-uploaded content receive a small revenue for each video that is posted.^[13] Users have also discussed the inability to distinguish between produced and vetted content versus user-generated content.^[14]

In December 2019, Ampere Analysis, a UK-based data and analysis firm,^[15] found that user-created content was almost double the amount of professional or licensed content on the service.^[16]

Transparency

Copyright Issues

Amazon Prime Video

References

1. ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazons-video-library-has-grown-big-on-amateur-content-11579792605
2. ↑ https://logos-world.net/amazon-prime-video-logo/
3. ↑ “What Was Amazon Unbox and Why Was It Discontinued?” What Was Amazon Unbox and Why Was It Discontinued?, Failory, 18 Mar. 2021, from https://www.failory.com/amazon/unbox.
4. ↑ “What Was Amazon Unbox and Why Was It Discontinued?” What Was Amazon Unbox and Why Was It Discontinued?, Failory, 18 Mar. 2021, from https://www.failory.com/amazon/unbox.
5. ↑ https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-customers-can-now-instantly-watch-ad-free-movies-and-tv
6. ↑ https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-customers-can-now-instantly-watch-ad-free-movies-and-tv
7. ↑ Molla, Rani. “The Dark Underbelly of Amazon Prime Video.” Vox, Vox, 24 Jan. 2020, from https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/1/24/21080240/amazon-prime-video-conspiracy-theory-offensive-content
8. ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazons-video-library-has-grown-big-on-amateur-content-11579792605
9. ↑ https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/1/24/21080240/amazon-prime-video-conspiracy-theory-offensive-content
10. ↑ https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=G34EUPKVMYFW8N2U
11. ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazons-video-library-has-grown-big-on-amateur-content-11579792605
12. ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazons-video-library-has-grown-big-on-amateur-content-11579792605
13. ↑ https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/1/24/21080240/amazon-prime-video-conspiracy-theory-offensive-content
14. ↑ https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/1/24/21080240/amazon-prime-video-conspiracy-theory-offensive-content
15. ↑ https://www.ampereanalysis.com/about
16. ↑ https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazons-video-library-has-grown-big-on-amateur-content-11579792605