Amazon Online Free Streaming With Kindle Fire: Netflix, Hulu Plus Compete With Amazon's Set-Top Box
The Wall Street Journal has reported that a new advertising-supported streaming service free of cost is coming from Amazon. The free advertising streaming service will have music videos and television content with advertisements supporting the costs of the streaming service. With the new and free advertising service from internet giant Amazon, the video streaming scene currently comprised of Hulu Plus and Netflix can expect to experience some interruptions.
Rumors about Amazon's streaming service was said to have started in 2012 with a 2013 holiday season launching. The planned launch was postponed, though, for unknown reasons. There were reports that the Amazon Common OS will run the device. It is the same OS used for Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet. It is said that a gaming component is one of its features (a wireless game controller is being created by Amazon).
The WSJ report also stated that the streaming service is scheduled for launch in the next few months. It added that the service is not based on the $99 annual fee of Amazon Prime. It is not clear, though, why Prime is not a prerequisite to use the service, particularly when Amazon has just recently increased the fee for Prime. (Amazon Prime service was increased from $79 to $99 in February, a move that coincided with the rebranding of Amazon's Lovefilm.)
At present, access and shipping to video content via Amazon's website is faster with Prime. With Amazon opting not to use Prime for video streaming service, the company will be able to put up its less recognized advertising unit.
However, Sally Fouts, spokeswoman for Amazon, stated that although the company is frequently trying out novel ideas, they have no plans of offering a streaming-media service for free.
With that statement from Fouts, it seems that the launch of Amazon's streaming service will not push through this April. However, we can expect the launch of its set-top box. Amazon's set-top box will have the same apps contained in Hulu and Netflix, but the service from Amazon could become a frontrunner in the future.