PS3 Adds Amazon Instant Video Support

[Earnest Cavalli]

PS3 Adds Amazon Instant Video Support

The next time you fire up your PlayStation 3, you'll have the option to pull down films and television from Amazon's handy Instant Video service.

If this news comes as a surprise, you're not alone. Sony did almost nothing to promote this addition, instead preferring to surprise PlayStation 3 owners with a brand new cross-media bar icon. Clicking said icon will prompt a 19MB download, but once that's complete users can rent and purchase video content from Amazon's sizable library (or gorge on huge swaths of filmed ephemera at will, if they happen to have an Amazon Prime subscription).

Interested in using the service? Setting it all up seems rather simple if you have a PlayStation 3 and an Amazon account. Simply hit this link [http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_361567062_6?ie=UTF8&docId=1000778121&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=11PFYNC7H1EY6YBZ0EBW&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1355827482&pf_rd_i=507846], follow the on-screen instructions and start pulling down video from the world's largest online retailer.

So why now? Why this? It obviously seems like an attempt by Sony to counterprogram the Xbox 360's swelling multimedia offerings, but the lack of build-up for today's launch is just weird. Shouldn't they have, like, maybe, told PS3 owners that Amazon Instant Video was coming? If, for no other reason, than to convince film buffs and those who subsist entirely on passive entertainment that the PlayStation 3 continues to be a good investment.

But what if that's the gag? Maybe somewhere there's a movie buff who traded in his PlayStation 3 a few days ago who is now intensely regretting the decision. Maybe this is like that Twilight Zone episode where the last man on Earth is finally free to read all the books he never had time for before, right up until his glasses break.

If that's the case, then mad propers to Sony for crafting such a bafflingly intricate example of poetic irony. It doesn't make any sense to the rest of us, but you better believe that one dude has totally learned his lesson.

Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/03/playstation-3-gets-amazon-instant-video-kinda-out-of-nowhere/]

Permalink

 

[Sp3ratus]

Let me guess... US only? I'd be genuinely surprised if us Europeans didn't get shafted, once again.

EDIT:
Yea, I was right:

Instant video is available only to Amazon Prime members located in the United States

What a surprise...

 

[CleverCover]

Let me guess... US only? I'd be genuinely surprised if us Europeans didn't get shafted, once again.

EDIT:
Yea, I was right:

Instant video is available only to Amazon Prime members located in the United States

What a surprise...

Maybe its a test run, and that's why there was no advertisement. They want to make sure it works before they give it to the world.

Don't worry. No one forgot 'insert country here'. That's really bad business sense to ignore a whole chunk of your base, especially when things are not optimum for them now.

 

[Frizzle]

This is pretty awesome. I had prime for a few months, and if i actually watched movies/TV a lot I could totally see myself using it. As it stands, I like my games just a weeeee bit more. Props for a sweet service though!

My guess is they're doing this now to get everything set up for when Orbis(?) releases in a year or two. Everything will flow right into it with all the kinks worked out

 

[Yal]

I imagine Sony isn't shouting this one from the rooftops because it's a direct competitor to the PSN movie service. Let Amazon shoulder the cost of advertising this one.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Interesting. Makes for a convenience, and I like the idea of having my amazon library on my tv without needing my computer. That's a nice option to have.

 

[Richardplex]

Let me guess... US only? I'd be genuinely surprised if us Europeans didn't get shafted, once again.

EDIT:
Yea, I was right:

Instant video is available only to Amazon Prime members located in the United States

What a surprise...

Maybe its a test run, and that's why there was no advertisement. They want to make sure it works before they give it to the world.

Don't worry. No one forgot 'insert country here'. That's really bad business sense to ignore a whole chunk of your base, especially when things are not optimum for them now.

Nice idealism, but not realistic. Things like this appear only in the US frequently; us europeans have learnt to be incredibly cynical about this.

I mean, look how much Nintendo of America dragged their feet about operation rainfall if you need an example that affects the US.

 

[GonzoGamer]

Probably never going to use it but I am amazed that they're actually ADDing a feature to the ps3.
I thought Sony wrote that thing off.

 

[David Deese]

I don't feel ripped off. I'm just upset that I can't uninstall this pesky green icon stuck in my services menu on the XMB for an application I'd gladly give European users for free.