We have good and bad news about Amazon's streaming platform Prime Video. The good news is that South Africans can continue to stream content in 4K at the same affordable price. The bad news is that it won't last much longer.
Last Friday, the platform announced it would be launching Prime Video Ultra, which will cost an additional fee on top of an existing Prime or Prime Video subscription. Prime Video Ultra has a few perks, including 100 downloads for offline viewing (up from 25), five concurrent streams (up from three), Dolby Atmos, no ads, and 4K resolution.
In particular, 4K video is being locked behind a paywall. Right now, depending on your set-top box, TV or PC and Internet connection, the platform defaults to 4K when selecting the “Best Quality” option.
“Delivering ad-free streaming with premium features requires significant investment, and this structure aligns with other major streaming services, while also ensuring customers have the flexibility to choose how they want to watch. Prime members will continue to enjoy core Prime Video benefits, including HD/HDR and now Dolby Vision, at no additional cost with a Prime membership.” A press release on Friday.
Once again, this change is specific to the US and will add access to Prime Video Ultra for $4.99 on top of the $14.99 Prime membership. Keep in mind that Stateside, Prime includes Amazon's premium shopping benefits as well as the streaming platform.
There was a strong reaction to the news of the launch of Prime Video Ultra. Reddit users have indicated that they will be canceling their subscriptions. One user even jokingly suggested that Amazon was trying to fund another melania movie.
As we mentioned, this change will not affect South Africans, at least not yet. There's a possibility that Amazon is refocusing Prime Video to lock in higher resolution streaming behind the higher price in other parts of the world. This has become common practice recently and as long as we understand it, it will do nothing to discourage potential pirates from looking elsewhere for content.
South Africans may want to keep an eye on Prime Video if Amazon considers raising prices. Currently at R79, it is one of the more affordable content platforms, especially with Showmax's foray into end-of-life care.
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