

Amazon rumored to be prepping a subscription video service - lotusleaf1987
http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2010/08/amazon-rumored-to-be-prepping-a-subscription-video-service.ars

======
aresant
No doubt this is true.

Amazon has been quietly building a decent movie rental streaming service.

It's player app is now built into major brand devices (Sony, Samsung, Tivo,
Roku, etc) and expanding fast.

Instead of aquiring NFLX per rumors they're positioned to make a real go at it
themselves by subsidizing rather than dropping the $5 - 6B for Netflix.

Bottom line it's going to be an epic Apple, Amazon, Netflix battle.

Although if neither Amazon or Apple picks up Netflix seems like a pretty spot-
on aquisiton for Google to boost their new Google TV .

------
naner
They already have a video on demand service. It is an abysmal failure so
hopefully they are replacing it. A "video subscription service" sounds more
like Netflix.

Here's the old VOD service:

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_l...](http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_lnav_dyn?ie=UTF8&nodeId=3757)

~~~
mikeryan
What makes you think it's a failure? I know tons of people that use it with
Roku boxes and IP connected TVs for catching up on old seasons of shows. Most
people have combined it with Netflix to get a pretty ro bust movie service it
makes a ton of sense for them to try to grab some of the Netflix share.

~~~
naner
Well much like you I relied on empirical information. I don't know anybody who
uses it or who is likely to even knows that it exists.

