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Amazon to add limited ads to Prime Video starting in early 2024

marketwatch.com

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Re: Amazon to add limited ads to Prime Video starting in early 2024

#21

Post by nickcw »

huhtenberg wrote: post #18

There's a crucial difference between what Netflix did and this. Netflix added a new lower-priced ad-supported option, leaving existing subscribers as they were. Amazon however is pushing ads onto existing subscribers and adding a new ad-free option to which one has to upgrade. This burns a lot of goodwill. It just ain't nice. I will be cancelling the subscription once this hits my country as a matter of principle.

...and the no-ads tier is only available in the US.

Looks like I'll be cancelling prime video as no ads is really important to me.

Re: Amazon to add limited ads to Prime Video starting in early 2024

#22

Post by zeta0134 »

MagicMoonlight wrote: post #13

The whole point of me paying is to make it easier for me. If you’re going to fuck me over even more for paying then I’ll just go hack to pirating 4k rips of the content for free.

When I was paying for Netflix, I still found it easier to download the shows I was interested in watching as this permitted me to remember my place, dodge their shitty player UI, and not deal with crappy internet problems causing the stream to change to potato quality at random moments.

Most of these problems aren't a thing with physical media. Honestly I want to pay for content to support the creators, but that's what I want to pay for. I'm not paying to use your shitty player app and I'm not paying for draconian DRM that lets you take the content away from me later, or restrict the devices I can play the content on, or tell me I can't watch my movie on a flight with no wifi, etc. The payment is on my honor, because the content is frankly stupidly simple to access for absolutely free if I really want to, and that's not going to change. Data isn't going to get *harder* to copy over time. Just let me pay the artists as directly as possible, because that's where I want the money to go, to support their work. Can we make that a thing?

Re: Amazon to add limited ads to Prime Video starting in early 2024

#24

Post by fxtentacle »

prepend wrote: post #5

The main reason I dropped prime is that the shipping stopped working. Two days slipped most of the time. But what put me over the edge was their music stopped being included, it was another fee to remove adds and unlock everything. And video had these annoying preroll ads. Frequently for things I already watched. Now there will be ads throughout and it’s a monthly fee to get what was free. I do like some prime shows…

The big issue in my opinion is that movie execs have this misguided belief that if you stop people from pirating your content, every prevented download will turn into a sale at full price.

But I expect that people will simply stop watching mediocre movie and low-effort series. Or wait for rebates, like those people who avoid cinema and then rent the bluray later. As a result of this misunderstanding, they try technical solutions and the effect is that probably every 2nd person who reads this has Sonar setup to fuel their "web-dl subscription" to Prime. The correct solution would be to lower prices (and that somewhat includes less ads) to make it more attractive to pay for that content. And they will need that strategy anyway to survive a direct competition with Disney = the Marvel cinematic universe.

I myself cancelled Netflix when I noticed that none of the people I talk to regularly care enough about their Netflix shows to remember the story... And from that I concluded that it must be mostly filler content.

Re: Amazon to add limited ads to Prime Video starting in early 2024

#25

Post by AnssiH »

nickcw wrote: post #21
huhtenberg wrote: post #18

There's a crucial difference between what Netflix did and this. Netflix added a new lower-priced ad-supported option, leaving existing subscribers as they were. Amazon however is pushing ads onto existing subscribers and adding a new ad-free option to which one has to upgrade. This burns a lot of goodwill. It just ain't nice. I will be cancelling the subscription once this hits my country as a matter of principle.

...and the no-ads tier is only available in the US. Looks like I'll be cancelling prime video as no ads is really important to me.

> ...and the no-ads tier is only available in the US.

That's not what the announcement (https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/entertainment/prime-video-u...) says:

> We will also offer a new ad-free option for an additional $2.99 per month* for U.S. Prime members and will share pricing for other countries at a later date.

Re: Amazon to add limited ads to Prime Video starting in early 2024

#28

Post by cooperadymas »

dsego wrote: post #12
RandomLensman wrote: post #8

What is curious is that all entertainment really only seems to be viable when heavily cross-subsidized by everyone.

You have to wonder as a species if we have too much entertainment, all the endless tv shows, movies, it's hyper production of mostly forgettable noise and variations on the same few recycled themes. Instead we might be better of with less but better quality content or turn to various activities and socializing for fun.

I do agree with the broad premise that we have a glut of content. AI is only going to make it worse.

The problem with your argument is that most people love the mostly forgettable noise and variation on the same theme. That's why there are 137 Marvel movies which were all huge hits, 42 different Star Wars productions going on right now, and Gordon Ramsey has 13 simultaneous shows. (Warning: made up numbers).

Most people don't want to think when they watch movies. They don't want high concept indie flicks. That's why Netflix and Amazon are huge and Mubi and Criterion Channel aren't.

Re: Amazon to add limited ads to Prime Video starting in early 2024

#29

Post by rerx »

huhtenberg wrote: post #18

There's a crucial difference between what Netflix did and this. Netflix added a new lower-priced ad-supported option, leaving existing subscribers as they were. Amazon however is pushing ads onto existing subscribers and adding a new ad-free option to which one has to upgrade. This burns a lot of goodwill. It just ain't nice. I will be cancelling the subscription once this hits my country as a matter of principle.

While this is true, Netflix hiked prices massively over the years. Their 4K/HDR offering is 17.99 EUR per month here. Amazon Prime including Prime Video is still 8.99 EUR/month, cheaper if paid yearly, without any surcharge for 4K/HDR. So that's more than twice the price for a comparable streaming service.

Re: Amazon to add limited ads to Prime Video starting in early 2024

#30

Post by dazc »

huhtenberg wrote: post #18

There's a crucial difference between what Netflix did and this. Netflix added a new lower-priced ad-supported option, leaving existing subscribers as they were. Amazon however is pushing ads onto existing subscribers and adding a new ad-free option to which one has to upgrade. This burns a lot of goodwill. It just ain't nice. I will be cancelling the subscription once this hits my country as a matter of principle.

They obviously have the advantage of people having Prime for deliveries and the inertia required to change shopping habits.

Like you, I think this is a step too far and I will gladly suffer the inconvenience of buying stuff from other retailers in the future.

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