Sounds like an anti-competitive move. Cue the google/apple lawsuits and FTC investigation in 3, 2, ......
Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices
121–130 of 545 posts
Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices
#122>"Over the last three years, Prime Video has become an important part of Prime," Amazon said in the e-mail. "It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion." Google and Apple now both have open SDK's for creating streaming apps for their devices. Isn't the the fact these devices don't "interact well with Prime Video" entirely Amazon's fault?
If I was Apple I would try really hard to avoid Amazon's service working.. they are a more direct competitor than say netflix, as they sell both the hardware and the service
Apple isn't Microsoft in the 1990s where it was Apple or the highway. They've allowed Kindle, Netflix, and other apps, some featured prominently on their default configuration.
They've even gone so far as to present options when looking at a movie in their store on the new hardware and OS so you know what other services offer it.
I'm guessing Amazon will be removed from this list immediately.
Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices
#123Earlier quoted context omitted.
I also have Prime but wish I could display it on our TV using Chromecast. The only way to do this is to cast a tab (desktop) or cast the entire device display (Android). It would be great if Amazon Prime Video supported Chromecast with a cast button like Hulu, Netflix, Youtube, Vevo, etc...
My wife was just complaining about this very thing. The solution to Prime's streaming issues isn't to ban the sale of Chromecasts it's to add Chromecast support to prime. This is a very odd choice on their part.
Their solution is for you to buy an Amazon Fire Stick and use it instead of your Chromecast.
Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices
#124Earlier quoted context omitted.
Totally agree. They are destroying their most valuable component of their brand, for a relatively weak one (Prime Video). I have Prime and prefer Netflix, because Prime Video still doesn't have a great selection.
> They are destroying their most valuable component of their brand, for a relatively weak one (Prime Video). This is why it almost seems like Amazon's Google+ moment: one underperforming product area somehow manages to convince leadership to change the company's underlying principles in its advantage to the long-term detriment of overall brand perception. Edit: 32 points in 19 mins for this comment. I really hope som…
This is a really good point.
One difference here is that Amazon can quietly go back on their decision if it doesn't work and they see people aren't viewing the Apple TV, Chromecast and Fire as substitutes- since it is just a few listings.
Google integrated everything with Google+ the vestiges are still all around.
Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices
#125After considering a Chromecast and an Apple TV I went with Roku because the main services I want are Amazon Prime Video and Netflix. If Apple and Google are playing hardball against Amazon video this move only makes sense in a tit for tat battle.
Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices
#126Well, if I needed a reason not to buy a Fire Stick, here it is. If you can't sell your product without striking down competitor's products, than clearly your competitors have a better product.
Does anyone here have a Kindle Fire Stick? It seems to already have dual band, has double the memory/ghz of a chromecast and most importantly - does not need a phone or computer to work. It comes with an independent remote control and built in apps to run. Plus, it already has Spotify. I'm wondering why you would get the Chromecast over the Fire Stick.
We use an original generation Fire Stick specifically for Prime streaming (everything else is on Apple TV), and it's an okay product, but Amazon's dual goal to provide free streaming while also driving purchases makes it a flawed product in the same way that Apple Music within iTunes made me pull out my hair. The new generation with voice should be a good improvement (the amazon remote app for smartphones already incorporates it for the original generation of fire sticks).
Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices
#127Cancel your Amazon Prime, send a signal to Amazon.
There are plenty of retailers with expedited shipping options now, and I've long preferred say, Newegg, over Amazon for technology products.
I'm canceling my Prime. I don't even own a Chromecast, or any iOS devices, but I'm not going to support a company throwing its weight around in this abusive manner, even if it's entirely legal.
(It is not without irony that I write this, because one of the reasons Amazon is doing this is the Apple tax on digital goods, which is why I don't purchase iOS devices for personal use. The idea that Apple should get a 30% cut of everything that flows through an iPhone or iPad is insane to me.)
Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices
#128>"Over the last three years, Prime Video has become an important part of Prime," Amazon said in the e-mail. "It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion." Google and Apple now both have open SDK's for creating streaming apps for their devices. Isn't the the fact these devices don't "interact well with Prime Video" entirely Amazon's fault?
"Google and Apple now both have open SDK's for creating streaming apps for their devices." And with what provisos about selling through those apps? This is not a technical issue. Amazon just doesn't want to give up 30% of GMS (which would be an even higher % of its margins) on digital media.
> And with what provisos about selling through those apps
Chromecast doesn't have any special connection to Google Play. Anyone can cast whatever they want. Amazon Prime Instant Video can already be cast, but the user experience is so bad that you probably don't want to.
Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices
#129Amazon can absolutely do this (but I think it is a slippery slope, possibly a sign of some bad changes ahead at amazon. They really should be neutral about the products listed on their site) but the reason they gave is kinda ridiculous [1]. I have a hard time believing the enough people don't know the difference between Prime & Netflix to make this a legitimate reason to stop selling Chromecast and Apple TV [1]: Over…
> Amazon can absolutely do this
May, maybe not. It depends if the FTC views this as an anti-competitive move. See https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/competition-guidance/guide-a...
"It is unlawful for a company to monopolize or attempt to monopolize trade, meaning a firm with market power cannot act to maintain or acquire a dominant position by excluding competitors or preventing new entry."
Re: Amazon Will Ban Sale of Apple, Google Video-Streaming Devices
#130>"Over the last three years, Prime Video has become an important part of Prime," Amazon said in the e-mail. "It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion." Google and Apple now both have open SDK's for creating streaming apps for their devices. Isn't the the fact these devices don't "interact well with Prime Video" entirely Amazon's fault?
I guess the question is whether those SDKs provide everything Amazon needs. And, are there no legal restrictions that affect Amazon either. Overall the article just says Prime "doesn't work well" on those devices, but does work well on others. It doesn't say why. At this point it's hard to say who's to blame. It would have been nice if the article had investigated the issue.
Amazon Instant Video is available on Sony TVs running Android TVs, but Amazon disables the app from working on non-Sony TVs:
http://www.androidpolice.com/2015/05/16/amazon-disables-the-...
Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Crunchyroll, etc. all support Chromecast. It would be extremely easy for Amazon to support it, if they wanted to.