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Amazon Prime Streaming vs Blockbuster ! The war for digital delivery of your videos is getting more interesting. Cable and smartphone providers are entering the ring, along with major tech companies such as Apple and Google. Roku is on its way to becoming the biggest thing to hit set-top boxes since TiVO.
All the while, online video titans Netflix and Hulu have lost ground to the new challengers. We’ll take a look at two of the more familiar names – Amazon Prime and Blockbuster on Demand and see how the two companies’ strengths and weaknesses compare to each other.
Amazon Prime Vs Blockbuster on Demand
One month after announcing a deal with Viacom, Amazon Prime debuted on the PlayStation 3, both of which were significant coups for the year-old video streaming service.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime had already made the jump from computer viewing to TVs, via Roku and TiVO set-tops and a relatively long list of TVs that support the service right out of the box. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/video/ontv/devices]
However, PS3 support immediately and exponentially expands the potential customer base.
Amazon Prime PROS
- $80 per year gives you unlimited viewing — for less than the price of three Blockbuster on Demand video rentals per month.
- Nearly 1700 movies and 1500 TV shows.
- Supported hardware list is impressive, including TVs, STBs, Blu-Ray players, and now PS3.
- Extra Prime stuff includes free 2-day Amazon shipping on most purchases, free borrowing on the Kindle Library (if you own a Kindle), and some other minor bonuses.
Amazon Prime CONS
- Amazon Prime doesn’t include all Amazon Instant Video titles, and the movie and TV selection has some major holes in new releases and popular classics.
- Video rental is still extra ( the average $3-4 is exactly the same as Blockbuster ).
Blockbuster On Demand
Blockbuster ’s main business model, the ‘physical disc by mail’ service, more directly competes with Netflix than it does with Amazon Prime ’s video streaming service.
In fact, Blockbuster stock On Demand wing competes more directly with Amazon Instant Video rental/purchase offerings, in both price and selection. Blockbuster recently partnered up with DISH Network and now offers Blockbuster @home DISHOnline video streaming option for digital satellite customers.
Blockbuster On Demand PROS
- Blockbuster On Demand has the edge in selection, especially for new release movies.
- Amazon has nothing to compare to Blockbuster ’s ‘physical disk by mail’ service.
Blockbuster On Demand CONS
- Blockbuster has no comparable ‘unlimited streaming’ service.
- Rented OnDemand videos are only available for 24 hours to watch after starting (Amazon Instant Video rentals offer 7 days after start).
- Hardware list is fairly short (Samsung is the only manufacturer), and setup/verification process is less intuitive than Amazon’s Prime video app
Amazon Prime Streaming Or Blockbuster On Demand : What is Best?
I won’t exactly call it a fair fight. The sizable lead that Blockbuster once had in the video rental world may have blinded the company to the possibilities of online video. The OnDemand selection is healthy. But there are simply too many other good ways to get what Blockbuster offers.
Amazon, on the other hand, is an Internet pioneer that never stops innovating and diversifying. Amazon Prime ’s unlimited streaming instantly places Amazon near the top of the online video choices and all they need to do is fatten up their selection a little (and possibly add Xbox Live support) to become THE must-have video service. So what do you think .. Amazon Prime Streaming or Blockbuster on demand?
