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Amazon takes on Netflix with rebrand of LoveFilm video-on-demand service


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Old 20-02-2014, 19:52
cgk
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Amazon is hitting back at Netflix in the UK by rebranding its LoveFilm video-on-demand service.

LoveFilm, bought out by Amazon three years ago in a deal worth nearly £200m, will be folded into the online retailer's British website next week, creating a one-stop service for digital streaming, DVD rental and books.

"Consumers will be able to shop for what they want, read what they want and watch they want anywhere at any time," said Tim Leslie, vice-president of Amazon Instant Video for the UK and Germany.

LoveFilm, which offers streaming of television series such as The Walking Dead and hit films such as The Place Beyond the Pines and Wall-E, will be merged with the Amazon Prime subscription service, which gives members perks including unlimited free delivery and borrowing up to 500,000 Kindle ebooks.

Existing subscribers will get access to the new LoveFilm service, to be called Prime Instant Video, which will have the effect of enabling Amazon to leapfrog Netflix as the UK's biggest digital TV and film streaming business.
http://www.theguardian.com/technolog...film-tv-rental

So they are moving towards the model they have in the US...
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Old 20-02-2014, 20:00
Hurlley
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Damn I thought automatic Amazon prime membership but looks not to be the case:

"Amazon Prime costs £49 annually. The new combined package will be charged at £79, about £6.58 a month, making it 35% cheaper than subscribing to each service separately."
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Old 20-02-2014, 22:43
wakey
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The Guardian seem to have pulled the article so I'm not too sure how accurate the story is. I do expect them to do this at some point but personally can't see them doing it yet, the disc rental markets despite its decline is too strong to kill off and that part of the service causes too many complications to bringing it all under prime.
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Old 21-02-2014, 07:09
frightlever
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The info off the Amazon splash page says it's included. I'm paid up for the next 10 months, so I should be getting it next week. I've been really tempted to dump Prime - I still buy a lot of stuff for me and everyone I know off Amazon but the next day delivery has been pretty spotty. This would tempt me to keep it at £49 per year, for 80 quid a year including streaming, I dunno. hopefully they keep the price the same and don't put it up. Don't see anything on Amazon to say they will.

Edit: I checked my Prime management page and it says I'll be charged £79 when I renew towards the end of the year. Well that's a bummer. I liked the next day delivery but the streaming is of no interest to me. Jeeze.
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Old 21-02-2014, 08:04
cgk
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The Guardian seem to have pulled the article so I'm not too sure how accurate the story is. I do expect them to do this at some point but personally can't see them doing it yet, the disc rental markets despite its decline is too strong to kill off and that part of the service causes too many complications to bringing it all under prime.
It's real and all over the amazon site.
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Old 21-02-2014, 08:51
Philip Wales
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Not sure how they can force us to take the extra service, I assume we will have to opt out should we not require streaming.

Just looked doesn't seem to be an option to opt out. Anyways got nearly a year of prime so will have plenty of time to asses the service, there are a few TV series I'd like to watch. Here's hoping they bring out a Apple TV app, otherwise it's airplaying from iPad.
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Old 21-02-2014, 09:14
Tiwttmos
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I have an Amazon Prime account, and have no interest in streaming movies. I can't see me renewing my Prime membership.
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Old 21-02-2014, 09:23
stud u like
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Once again, we end up paying more than the USA!

The USA only pays £47.40!
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Old 21-02-2014, 09:43
Philip Wales
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I suppose their aiming at Netflix like price, around the £70 mark so it less than £150 a year for both services Netflx and Prime streaming, this could be a killer blow to Sky's dominance.
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Old 21-02-2014, 09:45
ovbg
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Let's hope they don't pull the kill switch on Lovefilm's website. It may be a far cry from Netflix, but it is a thousand times better than Amazon Prime Instant Video in the US, which uses nothing more than just their standard shopping website - fine for shopping, but absolutely horrible to browse for films and TV shows.
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Old 21-02-2014, 09:52
The Phazer
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Let's hope they don't pull the kill switch on Lovefilm's website. It may be a far cry from Netflix, but it is a thousand times better than Amazon Prime Instant Video in the US, which uses nothing more than just their standard shopping website - fine for shopping, but absolutely horrible to browse for films and TV shows.
Bad news (though not happening immediately).
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Old 21-02-2014, 10:49
wakey
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Once again, we end up paying more than the USA!

The USA only pays £47.40!
Using exchange rates are misleading though because its simply a financial value for converting currency. In real terms there are other factors that have to be taken into account, wages especially, which make $1 being worth £1. If you are doing a job that pays $80k in the US and then take the same job in the UK you won't find yourself making under £50k but rather around ten £80k range.

As such cost the cost to provide products and services is higher so the price to purchase these things is higher but in terms of purchase price to wages ratio its around the same.

Should also be noted US prices are without tax where as ours are with tax as we have a single tax rate but there changes depending on which state you live in
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Old 21-02-2014, 11:34
dazb
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Will never be able to match Netflix with picture quality ive seen lovefilm and even in HD its not good compared to netflix.
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Old 21-02-2014, 11:36
wakey
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Having found a help section on Lovefilms site on this change they really have made being unclear and confusing a real art.

They talk about how the mail and streaming services are being split and how you will get two charges showing, one that's Lovefilm by mail and the other prime instant video but don't tell you how much each one will cost. It does state that if you pay for prime and Lovefilm by mail it will be less than you currently pay for both services but that could mean by 1p. I wouldn't be surprised if they reduce the mail service by less than £3 making that part of the service actually more expensive
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Old 21-02-2014, 11:40
wakey
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Will never be able to match Netflix with picture quality ive seen lovefilm and even in HD its not good compared to netflix.
Amazons Instant prime in the US is generally much better than Lovefilms so it may be the case that the switch does allow them to offer a better streaming quality because they can just use their US video framework rather than using Lovefilms custom one.

Should also hopefully see the streaming come to more devices as they should be able to use the streaming apps they use for the American service over here too in the same way Netflix can use a single app for both countries
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Old 21-02-2014, 11:41
Sue_C
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I'd like Prime for the better parcel delivery options and Kindle lending library, but don't want to lose my 4 dvd/bluray rentals a month from Lovefilm. The package for £49 for the first year if you sign up in the next few days does sound attractive though.
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Old 21-02-2014, 11:50
wakey
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I'd like Prime for the better parcel delivery options and Kindle lending library, but don't want to lose my 4 dvd/bluray rentals a month from Lovefilm. The package for £49 for the first year if you sign up in the next few days does sound attractive though.
The Lovefilm help section states the Rent by mail is staying as a separate service supposedly at a reduced price but they don't state what this reduced price is.

As for prime certainly worth signing up now to save £30 for the year. Also if anyone gets prime and their amazon purchase don't show up next day when they should be its worth complaining everytime even if its only a day late (thus still quicker than normal amazon delivery) because their usual response is to say sorry and extend your prime membership so the £49 can be even better value.
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Old 21-02-2014, 11:54
Philip Wales
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^^ Yep had mine extended twice for late deliveries
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Old 21-02-2014, 19:11
mred2000
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Also if anyone gets prime and their amazon purchase don't show up next day when they should be its worth complaining everytime even if its only a day late (thus still quicker than normal amazon delivery) because their usual response is to say sorry and extend your prime membership so the £49 can be even better value.
^^ Yep had mine extended twice for late deliveries
Since getting Prime last October I've had four late deliveries, two by four days. I've only had my membership extended by two months and been told that that is the max. they can extend a membership by.
I wasn't going to continue with Prime come renewal time and certainly not for £79 just for the sake of having Prime Video added - I've already tried out LoveFilm Instant a couple of times and the selection and HD quality have not impressed.
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Old 21-02-2014, 19:41
LostFool
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Will never be able to match Netflix with picture quality ive seen lovefilm and even in HD its not good compared to netflix.
Another problem with Lovfilm is that they still don't have a client for Android. I know they want to encourage people to buy a Kindle Fire but there are still a lot of potential viewers with other Android devices.
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Old 21-02-2014, 21:39
gds1972
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I like the look of the deal but can't work out if the reported unlimited 15'000 moves and TV series will mean a huge influx of new material included within the subscription cost or just lots of PPV stuff added to the service.
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Old 21-02-2014, 21:58
azimo
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I'd be more concerned about Lovefilm streaming actually working, I've had Lovefilm a few times and it was unwatchable because of buffering, I'd doubt any carrot on a stick will get any previous subscribers signing back up to Lovefilm.
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Old 21-02-2014, 22:14
noise747
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chatting to a friend this evening on the phone and she was on about this prime as she uses Amazon a fair bit and uses prime, but she is not prepared to pay the rise no matter if it offers kindle, video or what since she will not use those features. so she will cancel and look elsewhere for her products.

I don't buy enough from Amazon to bother with prime, but I do use lovefilm, only two disks a month, i have been meaning to cancel for a while to be honest, I use netflix for streaming. for a while now Lovefilm have bugged me about linking my amazon and lovefilm account, I will not do that.
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Old 21-02-2014, 23:18
wakey
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Another problem with Lovfilm is that they still don't have a client for Android. I know they want to encourage people to buy a Kindle Fire but there are still a lot of potential viewers with other Android devices.
I doubt it has anything to do with pushing the Kindle fire as they are perfectly happy supplying apps for the iPad and iPhone.

Its more to do with Android as a platform being a pain in the neck to develop for due to the sheer number of devices. This is especially the case when its an app the delivers other people's copyrighted material. You will notice how netflix didn't launch on all Android devices at once and there are still some that won't run it. Sky also rolled out their apps for Android after iOS and did so staggered by devices and iPlayer updates usually come to iOS first and then rolls out in batches to andoid.
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Old 21-02-2014, 23:26
wakey
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chatting to a friend this evening on the phone and she was on about this prime as she uses Amazon a fair bit and uses prime, but she is not prepared to pay the rise no matter if it offers kindle, video or what since she will not use those features. so she will cancel and look elsewhere for her products.

I don't buy enough from Amazon to bother with prime, but I do use lovefilm, only two disks a month, i have been meaning to cancel for a while to be honest, I use netflix for streaming. for a while now Lovefilm have bugged me about linking my amazon and lovefilm account, I will not do that.
The increase in reality isn't that high tbh when you think about it. Anyone who does a reasonable amount of Amazon shopping will even at £79 be quids in unless they only buy things in batches to get meet the super saver threshold. Even then the benefit of getting the item next day is a major benefit rather than 3-5 on super saver. Most retailers charge at least £5 for next day after all.

Certainly if you don't have prime you are paying between £2 and £6 an order for First class so if you order at most just 4 of the cheapest to post items a month you have covered the cost.

Also as prime is marketed as something you share with your family members you can pay! add them and get them to contribute towards the costs while getting the same benefits

Also it may be more than an increase due to the streaming being added as Amazon did hint they would be rising the price of a prime in the US.
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