[OT] Netflix, Amazon Prime, Amazon Fire etc.

[Tim Watts]

It's been solved well enough by iPlayer - and the BBC's providers are very fussy.

[Tim Streater]

Is this another Woddles nym?

[Hank]

Easy to circumvent.

- and the BBC's providers are

Bet they don?t get asked.

[News]

In message , Chris French writes

Chris, everyone, thanks, as ever. We thought we had settled on Netflix until today's Amazon announcement - son is now thinking we should switch to Prime, because the ex Top Gear crew are his heroes. The Prime site is even worse than Netflix! Am I understanding correctly? Pure streaming 5.99 per month OR streaming, music, delivery etc 79 per annum? Than is, an extra seven pounds a year for the extras? (I hope it is not

79pa PLUS 5.99pm).

Having signed for one of the above, are there additional charges for specific content? Wife has just found Braveheart on Amazon, but it seems that we pay an additional 2.49 to watch, in addition to the subscription?

Taking Chris's point above, could we use an old X Box as the 'box' to turn an ordinary TV into a smart TV?

Finally, I can't find, on the Amazon site, the additional cost, if any, to allow more than one simultaneous download.

I could ask Child all these questions, but he already thinks I'm a clueless old fart :-)

[Tim Watts]

No extra charges for Netflix - unless you count subscribing to a region switcher to get access to ALL the content worldwide.

[Bob Eager]

When they jacked their Prime price up and added Netflix, I gave up Prime as I didn't need the extra (since found that I can usually beat Amazon on price elsewhere anyway)

That aside...there were a lot of mutterings in the Amazone discussion forums about limitations of the Prime offering. I'd check that out very carefully.

[Chris French]

In message , News writes

Not sure when the program will actually be available.

That's right, just the £79 pa -of course you are signed up for a year.

Just sign up for a months trial of Prime to see which is preferred.

Some content has extra charges (buy or rent), some content is included 'Prime Instant video' stuff is included. My feeling from using both at different times is that the amount of included stuff on Amazon is about the same as Netflix, but they also have extra stuff that you pay to either own or rent. This isn't necessarily bad. Films just released on DVD can be available to buy on Amazon Instant Video at the same time. They won't appear on Netflix for a ages.

The business models are bit different I think.

Might depend on how old is 'old'

Basically 2 devices, but I think it's a bit more complicated cos of the options to by and rent.

[newshound]

The BEEB have finally got "Download" working on iPlayer radio for Android. Havn't actually checked if TV works too.

I guess one of the reasons that providers are so keen on streaming rather than permitting saved downloads is that they can bill advertisers per viewing that way.

[Tim Watts]

In theory they still (mostly) can.

The DRM requires their app to play the cached copy, so it can still tally viewings and report back at the next opportunity.

[Chris French]

Tv has been doing it for ages.

No adverts on Netflix, or iPlayer though.

Amaozn do allow some downloading AIUI