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Amazon Prime Video: Price, features and content compared
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Long before Netflix launched in Australia and before video streaming was even a thing, Australians looking for a bargain on the latest DVD movies would often head to Amazon to try to get a better price. As far back as 2006, Amazon offered video rental and download services like iTunes, but in 2011 it launched Amazon Prime Instant Video in the US, a streaming platform offering a huge range of content.
Timed around the launch of the spiritual Top Gear successor The Grand Tour in December 2016, Amazon took Prime Video global to 200 countries around the world, including Australia. While global licensing arrangements meant the line-up of content at launch was not as extensive as Netflix or Stan, Amazon invested in quality, original content that made Prime Video a big player in streaming. Here are some things you might want to know before giving it a try.
Does Prime Video have a free trial?
Yes, Prime Video is free with Amazon Prime, which comes with a a 30-day free trial. This gives you access to all of the services Prime offers including Prime Video, Amazon Music and free shipping on eligible products.
How much does Amazon Prime Video cost in Australia?
There was plenty of discussion around how much Prime Video might cost when it went global late in 2016. Fortunately for Australians, Amazon has decided to be rather aggressive with its pricing strategy for its streaming video platform.
In June 2018, Amazon launched its full-blown Amazon Prime service in Australia. An Amazon Prime subscription includes not only Prime Video access but free and expedited shipping on a number of products from Amazon Australia. A subscription to Amazon Prime will set you back $6.99 a month. Or you can sign up for a year for $59.
You can also try Amazon Prime for free for 30 days. You can register for your free trial with your Amazon account, which will be automatically charged at the end of the 30-day trial.
Amazon Prime Video content
Prime Video is committed to creating high-quality original content. Some of the acclaimed originals it has produced include Reacher, The Wheel of Time, Outer Range, The Boys, Jack Ryan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Fleabag, Star Trek: Picard, Modern Love and more. On the movie front, you might want to check out The Tomorrow War, All the Old Knives, Being the Ricardos or Sound of Metal.
That being said, it's not just originals in Prime Video's library. There are thousands of shows and movies from third parties. Prime Video even obtained the global broadcast rights for Borat 2. Or, you can stream the majority of James Bond films. Check out our list of Prime Video's best shows and movies.
Prime Video is also exploring developing some local Australian content. This began with the release of Cricket Australia docuseries The Test and continued with AFL docuseries Making Their Mark and swimming doco head Above Water. Amazon also streams a reboot of Packed to the Rafters.
What are Prime Video Channels?
On 9 November 2021, Amazon launched Prime Video Channels. This offers users the option to subscribe to 12 additional app services through a single Prime login. This includes 6 apps not available elsewhere in Australia.
Prices for these channels vary and will be extra on top of your monthly Prime Video subscription. They are additional, paid subscriptions that allow you to add content from other third-party streaming entertainment services. You can pick between hayu, Paramount Plus, iWonder, Docplay, Shudder, AMC+, OutTV, MGM, StarzPlay, The Great Courses, Love Nature and Acorn TV.
The advantage here is that you'll be able to access any of these services directly through the Prime Video app, making the entire streaming process more simplified.
What devices are compatible with Amazon Prime Video?
The fact that Amazon Prime Video has been active in some markets for years before its global launch means that there's a solid line-up of devices you can use to access the service. In addition to the standard web browser, there are dedicated apps for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.
Being that Amazon also plays in the hardware space, it's not surprising to learn that its range of Amazon Fire tablets also support Prime Video streaming, as well as the Fire TV Stick. While initially not available in Australia, you're now able to stream through game consoles: PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and Xbox One. You can access the service via compatible smart TVs - including models from Sony, Samsung, Vizio, LG and Panasonic, among others.
Alternatively, you can access Prime Video through blu-ray players (LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony) and set-top boxes/streaming media devices (Chromecast, nVidia Shield, Apple TV, Telstra TV, Fetch TV, Foxtel).
In July 2020, Amazon also launched a Prime Video dedicated app available on the Microsoft Store on Windows 10 devices (including desktop PCs, laptops and tablets). Using the new Windows app, subscribers can stream content online or download Prime Video content for offline viewing on their device.
How many devices can I watch Amazon Prime Video on?
Prime Video lets you stream on 3 different devices simultaneously, as long as the content you're watching differs. You can stream the same title on only 2 devices at a time.
What features does Amazon Prime Video have?
The Prime Video interface can be clunky and difficult to navigate, but the service does come packed with premium features that make watching content a breeze.
Multiple profiles
Similarly to Netflix, Prime Video allows you to create and manage multiple profiles within your account with content tailored to each profile. In other words, each profile will have separate recommendations and a separate watchlist based on individual profile activity. You can have up to 6 user profiles within Prime Video on a single Amazon account.
4K video quality
A big chunk of the catalogue is available in 4K video quality, so you can watch on the big screen in style.
Watch Parties
With Watch Parties, users can chat with up to 100 friends in the same country while watching movies and TV shows online together. Titles that are included with Amazon can be enjoyed as part of a Watch Party, but only on desktop browsers for now.
The feature provides synchronized playback which the host controls and a chat feature to communicate with participants. Once you find a movie or TV show to watch with friends, all you need to do is click on the Watch Party icon to get started. You will then send your Watch Party link to friends so they can join in the fun.
Offline viewing
You can download content on your mobile devices to watch offline.
How much data will Amazon Prime Video use?
Amazon's streaming app has a pretty robust range of streaming-quality settings in its mobile applications, although the settings are different depending on the device you use. You can stream up to HD videos on iOS devices and Windows 10 and up to Ultra HD on Android. Here's a breakdown of the approximate data use for an hour's worth of streaming across the operating systems and quality settings:
| Setting | Android | iOS |
|---|---|---|
| Best | 460MB | 5.8GB |
| Better | 270MB | 1.3GB |
| Good | 270MB | 600MB |
| Data Saver | 140MB | N/A |
As we've mentioned, Amazon does also allow users to download videos for offline viewing, with files taking up about the same amount of space on your device as the streaming settings. You can change the quality setting at any time on your mobile device by heading into the settings menu and choosing the streaming and download quality within the app. Here are the numbers provided by Amazon within the iOS and Android apps:
| Setting | Android | iOS |
|---|---|---|
| Best | 460MB | 900MB |
| Better | 270MB | 600MB |
| Good | 270MB | 300MB |
| Data Saver | 140MB | N/A |
As with all the other streaming services though, those rates are indicative. If you're streaming and your connection can't deliver the best quality stream, it will adapt to give you the best quality it can under the conditions, capped at the setting you've chosen.
How do I cancel my Amazon Prime Video subscription?
If you no longer want to be subscribed to Amazon Prime Video, cancel your subscription by going to Account & Settings from your Prime Video profile.
Then, select the Your Account tab. If you receive access to Prime Video as part of a Prime Video-only subscription, click on End Membership on the page and confirm.
If you have access to Prime Video as part of an Amazon Prime membership, select Edit on Amazon in the Your Membership section and then click on Cancel on the following page.
Amazon Prime Video frequently asked questions
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Ask an Expert
For Amazon Prime it says the subscription is $6.99 a month of $54 per year.
Does that mean I pay the $54 annually instead of paying $6.99 per month?
Hi Gaz,
Thanks for getting in touch! The membership for Amazon Prime is 6.99/month if you want to pay monthly or pay a $54 fee upfront annually. This option is given for user flexibility and it will be up to you which one you want to pay for. For monthly payers, this gives them the option to cancel anytime if they think they don’t want to use Amazon Prime. The annual fee is cheaper for users who get a lot of features using Amazon Prime since paying monthly after 12 months comes up to about $80 – a great deal!
Hope this clarifies!
Best,
Nikki
Does Prime Aust stream Gaia?
Hi Rachel,
Thank you for reaching out to finder.
Gaia the series is not yet part of the Amazon Prime library as of the moment. But you may check with Amazon Prime customer service as to when the expected date would be for the library to be updated with this series. Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Reggie