Amazon Prime Video's Global Launch Looks Soft, But It's Just a First Step (variety.com) 19
Earlier this month, Amazon announced that it is expanding its Prime Video on-demand video streaming service to over 200 countries and territories. But how good is the content catalogue? A report on Variety explores: In several countries looked at by Variety, the company hasn't even bothered to translate the PrimeVideo.com website's interface from English into the local language. And its content offerings seem scant and lacking in local flavor. Amazon's strategy appears to be a two-step process: first establish a global footprint, then go back and build out more tailored platforms in key new markets with better-curated and more local-language content, similar to what the company has already done in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Austria, and Japan. In India, they set up a local operation prior to their Dec. 14 launch there. "We are just getting started. It's still day one for us," Roy Price, Vice President, Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Studio, wrote in emailed comments to Variety. "Like everything we do at Amazon, we are focused on continuously improving the customer experience, including adding content and localizing features over time," Price said, noting that Prime will be adding new Amazon originals as well as licenced and localized programming in the future. To do this, Amazon will likely start cutting larger acquisition deals with prominent local players, including leading broadcasters.
Mostly satisfied but. (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Mostly satisfied but. (Score:5, Funny)
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Region locking seems to leave netflix America with a dearth of its own content in my experience. Companies have a big American machine designed to wring the money out of this market so they won't throw their stuff up on another company's setup because they don't want it to compete with their offerings. But if its a market they aren't already established in they'll just grab that low hanging fruit licensing to Netflix there.
Which explains why the majority of the best content on netflix in the USA seems to be
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Why do prime video still show me ciontent (while I'm logged in) that i don't have the possibility to warch( region testrictions), nice pr move Amazon " look at al this grait content that you can't whatch" wth?
Don't be sad. The content availability in the US is also awful. Most of what they list are things you can't watch with Prime video. It's just a way to get you to pay to look at ads for rentals.
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How much time would you get in Germany for watching 'Man in the High Castle' in public?
No, that is exactly what we DON'T want (Score:2)
new markets with better-curated and more local-language content
If I want to watch reruns of Betty La Fea (Ugly Betty) I will watch my local fucking cable channel. I want the stuff I CAN'T get here. In the language (English) I CAN'T get here. Not the same poorly translated movies I am already watching. That is the whole fucking point of the internet - breaking old models and allowing the viewer to watching things he couldn't watch before. "Localization" merely attempts to shove the viewer back into the box some committee thinks he belongs in.
the Netherlands launch (Score:1)
Is it on my device yet? (Score:2)
Can I watch their content on my Apple TV without streaming it from my phone or iPad? No? Then who cares? As far as I'm concerned, it still hasn't launched.
In before "but Apple walled garden! froth! rant!": the Prime Video app is available for other iOS devices so Amazon is apparently perfectly happy with the fee structure they've worked out with Apple. They're just being petulant.
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Chromecast support (Score:2)
They have decent content but it's such a waste without Chromecast support. They should hire people out of Hulu or Netflix (but definitely NOT HBO) to get that fixed. They did this whole PR thing blaming Google when it is totally their fault. Time to fix that up, no other part of Prime Video deserves attention.