In the course of just last few days, there’s been a small quake in the Internet streaming landscape, meaning one more choice for the cord cutting viewers, one fewer choice on the low end for cord cutters.
On 6th Dec, Finally, Apple added Amazon Prime Video to the Apple TV platform, a move which was first announced in June. Netflix along with Amazon has the most aggressive offerings of Internet entertainment with some very popular original show lineups.
To view online content people nowadays are opting for streaming devices/boxes such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku or Google’s Chromecast devices as they refrain from shelling out hard earned money on smart TV’s.
On 5th Dec Google decided to take off its YouTube network from Jan. 1 on Amazon’s Fire TV platform due to aAmazonrefusing to not sell some Google-branded products as commented by google. This however is a setback for the cord cutting consumers, since the Fire TV is mostly affordably priced. People who watch a lot of YouTube videos through their Amazon streaming devices(including me) got a nasty surprise on Tuesday when YouTube announced it would cut its video service from the FireTV by Jan. 1 due to a “lack of reciprocity” from the retail company.
Now since 1st Jan 2018, if consumers want to get the best of streaming from the top two providers Netflix and Amazon —–along with the world’s most popular video streaming network, YouTube—–their two best options are Roku (not available directly in india) on the budget option and the Apple TV at a hefty price tag. Both have many other online streaming options than the big three.
For now you can enjoy Google’s own YouTube till 1st Jan 2018 and while Chromecast can view Amazon Prime, it’s not as easy to access as other channels.
Unlike Netflix and competing streaming services, most consumers pay the ₹999 (Now revised from ₹499) yearly for Prime membership to get next day or discounted same day shipping. The movies, TV and soon to be available music offerings are a bonus.
Google has also blocked a workaround that Amazon introduced to restore YouTube access to a screen-based version of its smart speaker Amazon Echo Show(Not Available in India). According to the experts this mark an escalation of a business row in which consumers have been caught up in the fallout.
Amazon recently removed the latest Nest-branded smart home kit – including a home security system and a new version of its thermostat – from e-stores last month.
Also since 2015, Amazon has refrained from selling Google’s Chromecast video and audio-streaming dongles.
Earlier in September, Google had blocked Amazon’s Echo Show speakers from being able to play YouTube videos as amazon had altered the way the software worked. The version Amazon presented had lacked next video recommendations, subscriptions and other features – but these were restored in November, when Amazon changed its view to more normal YouTube version.
According to Techcrunch, Alphabet Inc(Google) believes its rights have still been violated because Amazon continues to overlay its own voice controls.
Due to this the consumers of Fire TV have two major disadvantages. Users will not be to access a service that Amazon’s Fire TV had promised to deliver. And Amazon’s refusal to allow third-parties to sell certain Google products through its website makes it harder to find them at their lowest price.
YouTube is an open source website which is about maximizing the number of people who see its content and Amazon wants to be known as the ‘everything store’. It’s all very unfortunate for consumers, who will have little understanding of the commercial tensions between the two companies.
Ironically people on both sides of the net neutrality debate are calling out Google for being hypocrites as it blocked YouTube from working on Amazon’s Fire TV product.
Consumers in India along with the world where Amazon sells its FireTV Products who watch a lot of YouTube videos through their Fire TV started getting the message as shown below in the image.
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