Yes, my husband and I've noticed likewise. We've been with NF for about a decade, starting with discs and then when they started streaming. The streaming has gotten progressively better. Hope we can say the same for Amazon in years to come.
Amazon releases Amazon Instant Video app for iPad
- Thread starter dgstorm
- Start date
Yes, my husband and I've noticed likewise. We've been with NF for about a decade, starting with discs and then when they started streaming. The streaming has gotten progressively better. Hope we can say the same for Amazon in years to come.
AQ_OC
iPF Novice
My initial experience with the app was fine, but I only watched two back-to-back episodes and that was right after the app was released and before I got notice from Amazon. Will be paying more attention. I'm sure Amazon will improve the app. They must know that Netflix is on everything so if they want to compete they will have to loosen up on the silly restrictions. With Netflix, I start watching on one device and finish on another. If they don't plan to compete, then they should have just not gone to the effort to produce this app. But I think they do and will. New things just have to be worked out.
Yes, I expect Amazon to keep improving things. They're good at constant improvement.
In many instances when streaming stopped, an error message popped up and asked whether to send an error report -- I must've sent about a dozen over the course of watching Downton Abbey's second season. I'm guessing someone will be looking at the mass of error reports from users, and for tweaking to happen.
I've also been a longtime user of Audible. That service improved dramatically, after Amazon bought it. It seemed like the big difference was fewer server crashes and now there's no streaming as slow as molasses from their end.
Amazon has money and smarts, and a good track record. As a customer, though, I'm in it for myself, and if there's better service from one vendor vs. another, I don't cut slack for intentions -- I look for results.
AQ_OC
iPF Novice
Kaykaykay said:
I'm not sure what amazon is expecting from a customer like me. I'm a prime member and there is no changing that as there is no real competition. But I'm never going to rent a movie to watch on a iPad.....though I will do that on my tv from time to time. I've been with netfix since the beginning and I rent blu-rays from them....I only stream old stuff, and that is what I will do with the amazon app. My point this app will not earn them an extra dime from me, but it does give me a reason to keep prime.
I'm an audible user too.
I doubt they expect to get much out of customers like you immediately. Amazon thinks long term, though.
If they can beef up their streaming to rival NF, they can start charging for streaming like NF does for subscriptions, for instance. Maybe one day they'll sell some sort of content package -- apps, music, movies, ebooks, audiobooks are possibilities. And with more content, they could always keep selling hardware, or be a good potential partner for device makers -- the other companies could make branded hardware, and Amazon could offer an alternative to iTunes.
In the shorter term, they also sell more Prime memberships if they add value. The more Prime memberships sold, the more multiplier effect sales from those memberships.
The more Amazon is on users' brains, the more likely they are to buy other stuff from Amazon, too. (In general, a lot of advertising is done to keep brands fresh in customers' minds, including existing customers, according to what I've read about the advertising industry.) Before I got a Kindle, I rarely spent anything at Amazon. Since then, I've bought a Kindle e-ink reader and a Kindle Fire, and buy ebooks, apps and music, along with plenty of nondigital goods. That's some multiplier effect. I bet I'm not the only such customer.
App works well on my iPad 2, and lets stay synced to shows I was watching on my Roku or PS3. No glitches.
I applaud that this app is designed to acknowledge that it's running on a device that can easily keep a desktop browser open simultaneously and task-switch easily. There's no need for the app to have Search or any other advanced features -- those are all already there in full measure in the AIV store on their site. Full reviews, file sizes and running times, add-to-watchlist control, access to your account and digital libraries... just keep your browser open, and swipe back and forth between the browser and the player. Why should they complicate the player with additional features?
I applaud that this app is designed to acknowledge that it's running on a device that can easily keep a desktop browser open simultaneously and task-switch easily. There's no need for the app to have Search or any other advanced features -- those are all already there in full measure in the AIV store on their site. Full reviews, file sizes and running times, add-to-watchlist control, access to your account and digital libraries... just keep your browser open, and swipe back and forth between the browser and the player. Why should they complicate the player with additional features?
This link is from last year, but it offers a good look at Amazon thinking:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/b...ks-long-term-and-means-it.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/17/b...ks-long-term-and-means-it.html?pagewanted=all
Because it's a convience to customers and search is one of the most basic functions when looking for content.
It's also makes the assumption that people don't know how to use their iPads. There is no way they could make an in-app search function as complete and useful as the one already present on the website without just linking the search to the website. Which you can do yourself with one tap of a desktop bookmark.
That's hilarious. They have a big search field at the top of their Kindle Fire video app.
No need to veer off track with strawmans. A search function will be added because it's a basic convenience. They probably left it off as an oversight or because they're not yet geared up enough to support streaming on a wider scale on the app, as a search function would demand.
Similar threads
