I have to pay extra to remove ads from Prime Video
I’d seen rumours online but got the email this morning.
EDIT: seems like there won’t be ads for everyone straight away.
Live events, such as sports, and content offered through Amazon Freevee will continue to include advertising. Customers in the Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man won’t see ads in their experience at this time.
Honestly, I would love to believe everyone here, but I remember Netflix last year with eliminating password sharing and how everyone lost their collective minds about it. I thought dam Netflix will really get it this time, then it turns out Netflix was right and they actually gained subscriptions from doing it.
Then do t use it. This is a new way to access free content. Sure it doesn’t have any suggested shows, but that’s because it does t host any shows in house. It aggregates sources. Also the project is open source, feel free to post your issues there. Open source projects only grow with the collaboration of their communities.
If you want pictures you could check out Stremio with the Torrentio addon, although I'd recommend also getting a Real-Debrid subscription for faster streaming.
If you're interested but confused here's a reddit thread with detailed instructions.
Why was it odd? I don't follow mainstream media, I don't know show names, I don't know actors/actresses names, I don't follow their jobs etc.. so a site that wants you to specifically look for a movie or show title doesn't actually work for me at all.
I usually watch shows/movies I see recommended by people (either online or in real life) rather than stuff recommended by an algorithm, but that's just me. Whenever I've tried algorithmically suggested TV or movies, it's kinda been bad (which is surprising considering I love Spotify's suggestions)
The thing is I don’t think a majority of people pay for Prime for Prime Video. I obviously have no statistics for this, but I think Video is just a “bonus” on top of the shipping. I don’t know anyone who uses Prime Video as their main source of streaming.
Can confirm, of the 6 people I know with prime, only one actually cares about the video. They all got it for shipping and easily buy enough that the free shipping paid for it, so I don’t fault them at all. Heck, I‘ve had to inform a few of them that they even get video and other services at all.
I have never once accessed wherever they put their media. I don't even know how to get to it or what shows they offer with the exception of the shows I have acquired via the high seas that says amzn or something in the files title.
Even the shipping sucks ass from them..they offer nothing to justify the cost.
Frankly the no more password sharing thing was kinda justifiable. Fair is fair, actively making the service worse and telling you that it's for the bettering of the service when it's clearly not on the other hand...
Netflix punished me, who does not share a password, by making it impossible to sign into a TV while on a trip because it wasn't at my 'home location' without switching the location. That isn't an option when the rest of the family is still at home and wants to watch too.
Plus Netflix had already said that sharing a password was cool with them, so it was a reversal of something that they were completely fine with when it was increasing their market share...
That whole password stuff would at minimum make me change my subscription. That multi-screen plan is way too expensive to not be able to use it away from home.
I wonder how many people downgraded though. I'm sorry, but even if I'm using their premium 4 screen plan in one household, I want the option to take it with me or let someone in another house watch something without hassle.
I personally canceled when they got rid of the cheapest option and replaced it with an ad option and a way more expensive base ad-free option. They also auto enrolled me into the premium package as the "closest" to their old cheapest plan.
Fuck em. I'll enroll for a month when the next Sandman comes out and that's probably it.
Well, the total user base here is in the tens of thousands, even assuming there was even 100% agreement on that, that still amounts to less Netflix subscribers cancelling than they have in a single small town in the us.
I think people here (and reddit and other social media) forget that most people just kind of do their thing and don't make posts online about this stuff.
They actually lost subscribers in major markets. The added subscribers were in developing markets and had nothing to do with the changes in plan costs — developing market prices are comparatively dirt cheap.
But Netflix PR was good at spinning this as a win.
My parents and mil still use our Netflix, once they start charging extra I will cancel. To be fair I would've cancelled years ago, they are the only reason I keep the service.