Entertainment industry is caught up in revolutionary change that began with the commercialization of the Internet in 1991 and still continues today with the buzz that focuses on video-on-demand streaming. In just a few years, the Internet has fundamentally changed the broadcasting landscape and shaped the media & entertainment industry. Players, both big and small, are competing against each other in the media landscape for the top spot. Netflix is a leading player in the media industry which has established itself from a small DVD rental service to a global media empire. But Netflix is not alone; it has been a direct competitor of Amazon in the online streaming business. We pit the two media titans against each other to find which one’s the better choice in terms of pricing, content, and features.

What is Amazon?

Amazon is the online retail giant which also focuses on video-on-demand services, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. Founded by Jeff Bezos, Amazon started as an etailer, first with books, videos and DVDs and in later years, with many product lines. Today, Amazon becomes the place where people can find and discover almost anything they wish to buy online. The company’s latest offering is its proprietary video-on-demand service called Prime Video which allows members to stream and download popular movies and TV shows including Amazon exclusives like The Man in the High Castle, The Grand Tour, etc.

What is Netflix?

Netflix is a California-based media company founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in 1997. Netflix has had a transformative effect in a relationship between consumers and content providers in the 21st century. Netflix has revolutionized the way we consume media, changing every aspect of movie viewing experience. In 2010, the company decided t move most of its streaming operations to Amazon Web Services cloud that puts Netflix in the position of being a major user of Amazon’s cloud. Netflix is primarily devoted to providing high-quality media content, the type of entertainment that has been traditionally produced by the Hollywood studios and major television networks.

Difference between Amazon and Netflix

 – Amazon is the dominant leader of the e-Commerce landscape which also focuses on video-on-demand services, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. The California-based media company, Netflix has changed the world of entertainment for home audiences. Netflix began as a simple DVD rental service that only stocked a few titles but in a few decades, became a pioneer of the online video rental landscape. Both are popular video-on-demand streaming services that allow members to stream and download popular movies, TV shows, sitcoms, comedy specials, along with the exclusives.

 – Both VoD services offer free trial which allow you to enjoy their services for a month for free – you just need to sign up for your trial offer and instantly access their catalogue of movies and TV shows. Amazon charges a monthly fee of $8.99 for its Prime Video membership if you choose to pay monthly. If you wish to pay yearly, the membership costs $119 a year. Netflix, on the other hand, offers its basic plan at $8.99 per month; the Standard plan costs $12.99 per month; and the Premium plan costs $15.99 per month which allows you to stream on 4 screens simultaneously.

 – Prime Video is a relatively new service compared to Netflix, so the video catalog of Prime Video isn’t as extensive as Netflix’s. And considering Netflix provides a myriad of paid-only subscription plans to cater to every television-watching audience. Netflix has a video library of thousands of titles including some hard-to-find titles that aren’t available to stream, plus its exclusives such as House of Cards, Stranger Things, Narcos, and more. Prime Video also has a library of thousands of TV shows and movies with new titles coming every month or so.

 – Thanks to the evolution of Internet and inception of smart devices such as Smart televisions, now anyone can stream high-quality media from any Internet-connected device with respective apps such as Netflix app or Prime Video app. Netflix has its dedicated Netflix app which can be accessed from a host of devices such as smartphones, tablets, Blu-ray players, Google ChromeCast, PS3, Apple TV, Xbox 360, and more. Prime Video also offers access through its mobile app but unfortunately, it does not have so many devices support as with Netflix. It can be accessed through a dozen of devices such as Roku, smart televisions, Nvidia Shield, Google TV, Kindle Fire, etc.

– Most of the Netflix titles are available to watch in high-definition and will play HD content automatically if your subscription plan and bandwidth supports it. Netflix perfectly utilizes the data usage to provide the best video quality. Netflix excels in the media landscape, especially when it comes to video and sound quality. Prime Video, on the other hand, lags behind Netflix when it comes to video quality, failing to stream HD videos on low-speed connections. However, Amazon excels in the HDR content category.

Amazon vs. Netflix: Comparison Chart

Summary of Amazon vs. Netflix

Netflix is a leading player in the media industry which has established itself from a small DVD rental service into a global media empire. Prime Video is Amazon’s proprietary video-on-demand service which allows members to stream and download popular movies and TV shows from its extensive library including Amazon exclusives like The Man in the High Castle, The Grand Tour, etc. Netflix provides a myriad of paid-only plans to cater to every television-watching audience. Plus, Netflix has a video library of thousands of titles including some hard-to-find titles that aren’t available to stream, which makes Netflix clearly the winner in the media landscape.

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