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Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

arstechnica.com

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Re: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

#71

Post by paulmd »

commandlinefan wrote: post #23

It looks like these streaming services have been hemorrhaging cash for years now and they just can't hide it any more. They're going to have to take drastic steps to try to become profitable - remains to be seen whether customers will bite. OTOH, we don't have the infrastructure to go back to the days of DVD rentals.

> OTOH, we don't have the infrastructure to go back to the days of DVD rentals.

amazon is perfectly capable of doing the old disc-based netflix/blockbuster model if they want - actually it would complement their pivot into distribution and shipping perfectly. Just some mylar mailers and a bunch of BD-R blanks - licensing is another matter but what is the logistical problem? Print QR code and put on disc, send it out, get it back, scan QR code when it's "returned" and goes back to inventory...

Re: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

#72

Post by razodactyl »

sleepybrett wrote: post #32

Technical question, a typical 2 hour movie represents how many bytes of stereo audio signal, how many bytes if atmos. How many streams served with stereo, how many with 5.1/atmos/whatever. Are they actually saving any real money here or is it just a pain point to milk the whales? I'd be willing to bet that 80%+ of households don't even have equipment that can properly render atmos or even 5.1.

They're one of the largest providers of cloud compute in the world. I doubt they care about bandwidth.

I remember back around 2015 they had a problem and half the internet went down.

Re: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

#73

Post by ggm »

The fifth paragraph goes directly to Qui Bono: It costs them licencing fees to people like Dolby Laboratories. So, it's the kind of choice which drives directly to outflows of revenue.

They made a bet less people will cancel, than the net outflow of licences, and those who pay $2.99 are on their way to being made to pay more rather than meeting the licence-tax.

Re: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

#74

Post by TylerE »

sleepybrett wrote: post #32

Technical question, a typical 2 hour movie represents how many bytes of stereo audio signal, how many bytes if atmos. How many streams served with stereo, how many with 5.1/atmos/whatever. Are they actually saving any real money here or is it just a pain point to milk the whales? I'd be willing to bet that 80%+ of households don't even have equipment that can properly render atmos or even 5.1.

Bet it’s a licensing cost things. But some Atmos tracks are losslesss.

Re: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

#75

Post by woobar »

echelon wrote: post #3

I'd really like for regulators to look at Apple and Amazon and their interest in the film business. Both of these are propped up on the profits of unrelated business units and offered below cost to viewers. This behavior has led to existing film studios folding and getting bought out by these giants. Now they're jacking up prices to healthy levels. They literally just ate an entire unrelated industry because of their…

Traditional studios was also "propped" by unrelated business. Seagram/Unviersal, Gulf+Western/Paramount, Transamerica/UA, (Time,AOL,AT&T)/WB, Sony/Columbia, News/Fox.

On what grounds a business should not be allowed to buy another unrelated business?

Re: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

#76

Post by shahar2k »

minimaxir wrote: post #44
jeffbee wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the real problem with Prime Video. The first party content is terrible .

The Boys/Invincible are generally at the top of the Most Watched lists on Prime when they release new episodes.

same here and there's a few non "shipping time" bonuses I remember hearing about and noting that I wanted to try... but then never did, I wonder if I should cut them off because I really dont mind just "acquiring" those shows otherwise if I want to watch them

Re: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

#77

Post by Mistletoe »

tpowell wrote: post #5

I’m letting my Prime lapse for the first time in well over a decade. I don’t watch Prime Video much, but this rubbed me the wrong way when they’re making money hand-over-fist on top of recent Prime increases.

Same here, it’s just not worth it anymore and the ads on Prime Video sealed the deal for me. Anything I wanted to watch on my list has been replaced by “rent or buy” below it and what’s left is trash. We buy too much crap from Amazon anyway and I’m done paying $139 a year for the privilege. We cancelled our Netflix too. HBO Max continues to be the only thing that has actual movies on it.

Let me edit my comment to add some more substance.

If these statista numbers are true, it seems like I'm not the only one. The first lower number ever happened in 2023. It will be interesting to see the 2024 numbers.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1223385/amazon-prime-sub...

Re: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

#78

Post by javajosh »

melvinram wrote: post #37
jeffbee wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the real problem with Prime Video. The first party content is terrible .

Jack Ryan and Reacher are pretty good.

"Reacher" is simply right-wing violence-porn. Its moral turpitude is only exceeded by the risible "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" that somehow wants me to like protagonists who kill and hurt strangers without any justification. I've loved everything Donald Glover was in, until now. Meanwhile, "Rings of Power" is left-wing girl-boss porn that utterly disrespects everything Tolkien made. Above all, Amazon's blatant anti-labor practices and monopolistic size makes it an important company to avoid. There are many smaller, better companies that specialize in different markets and offer better deals and support, and if they do err at least they will do so at a much smaller scale (personally I like alibris for books, discogs for music, b&h photo for electronics, the local dollar store for supplies like toothpaste and detergent, and the local thrift store for everything else).

Re: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

#79

Post by 1000100_1000101 »

Loughla wrote: post #36
bigstrat2003 wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Clarkson's Farm is legitimately good. It's worth checking out.

I'll second this. It also helped me to humanize Jeremy Clarkson as more than just an old oaf. The moment at the end of the first season when they're totaling up his profit for the year. It is delicious. Top 10 TV moments, when the realization of what he's doing washes across his face.

I'd like to see a fairer accounting, amortizing the equipment costs instead of incurring them all in full on year one.

Re: Prime Video cuts Dolby Vision, Atmos support from ad tier–and didn't tell subs

#80

Post by Someone1234 »

melvinram wrote: post #37
jeffbee wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the real problem with Prime Video. The first party content is terrible .

Jack Ryan and Reacher are pretty good.

Reacher's first season was good. Second season turned into a bad action movie. Bad writing, little time spent on characters/development while adding six new characters we were given no reason to know or care about.

It is legitimately too bad, they really had something with S1.

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