Amazon Prime Video Guide & How Much It Cost?

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Amazon Prime Video. The name may be quite the mouthful, but it might just be one of the easiest entries into on-demand TV.

Why? The service is free for Amazon Prime members (if you have free delivery, you probably have Prime), and all the shows are available through the Amazon website, so if you’ve used it for shopping then the service will be familiar.

Amazon invests fortunes in original TV content, and also covers sports exclusive to the platform, so you need a subscription to access them.

If you want to watch those or any of the thousands of other programs or films, this is all that you need to know - including how to get it on your TV.

What is Amazon Prime Video?

Amazon Video is the name given to Amazon's TV show and movie streaming application and service available on multiple devices. It comprises two elements: there are thousands of films and TV box-sets to rent or purchase digitally, which you pay for on an ad hoc basis; there is also Amazon Prime Video, a subscription service that offers thousands of other TV shows and movies to watch as part of Prime membership, as cited by Radio Times.

Prime Video is a streaming TV and movie service from the online shopping company Amazon. Launched in 2014, it allows Prime members to watch TV via an internet connection, without having to download. If you’re using a tablet or mobile device, you can also download episodes to watch later – handy if you’re a binge-watching commuter.

You don’t buy individual series or films on Amazon Prime Video. Instead, you pay a monthly subscription which gives you access to a whole library of programs to watch. Any program that is included in the membership will have a Prime symbol over the image in search results.

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How much does it cost?

Prime membership costs £7.99 per month if you go for a monthly subscription. However, you can also opt for an annual subscription costing £79 per year, which works out at £6.58 per month.

If you are sure you only want to use Amazon’s video service, there is a separate membership just for Amazon Prime Video that costs £5.99 per month. However, that subscription does not include any of the other services.

If you want to see what the service is like before paying for it, you can sign up for a 30-day free trial.

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What are Amazon Prime Video Channels?

In May 2017, Amazon launched its new TV service Amazon Channels in the UK. The new service gives Amazon Prime subscribers the chance to pick and choose from over 40 different premium channels, from Discovery and Eurosport to classic movie channel MGM and Scandidrama channel Nordic Noir and Beyond.

Instead of paying for large TV bundles full of channels you’re not interested in, Amazon Channels aims to give you the chance to pick the channels you actually want to watch.

There are often great Amazon Channels deals during Prime Day and Black Friday – last year Amazon offered 50% off five main channels for three months, Pocket-lint cites.

How to watch Amazon Prime Video on your TV?

Amazon Video apps are available for many Smart TVs from multiple manufacturers. These include, but are not exclusive to, TVs from LG, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony. You just need to download the app onto your set, open it, enter your Amazon account details and away you go.

Many TVs are also able to playback 4K HDR content too, with some supporting Dolby Atmos.

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How to watch Amazon Prime Video on a set-top box or streaming stick

Amazon Video apps are also available for a selection of set-top boxes and this is generally the cheapest an easiest way to watch Amazon Video on your TV.

Amazon's own streaming devices - the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Cube - have access hardbacked into their operating systems, so you see the content as part of the home screen menus and search results. They are compatible with Alexa and offer a direct route to Amazon content.

Amazon Prime Video is also available on common streaming sticks and boxes: Apple TV, Roku devices, Google Chromecast, Nvidia Shield, BT TV set-top box, Virgin Media TiVO, many Blu-ray players..

4K Ultra HD and HDR support are available through the latest Amazon Fire TV set-top-box, along with Dolby Atmos sound. Some other devices only support sound up to 5.1 surround sound. It requires an HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP 2.2 copy protection enabled on your TV to work.

How to sign up for Amazon Prime Video?

If you are already an Amazon Prime member, then you already have access to Prime Video. All you have to do is start searching for shows to watch.

To sign up as a new member, go to the Amazon Prime page, pick a membership plan that suits you and enter your details. Remember, you can start a free trial to check out what’s available first.

Like Netflix, it is possible to share your subscription with other people. By linking up different Amazon accounts into an Amazon ‘Household’, you can share benefits such as free delivery and free streaming.

You keep your own personal account (so you can watch shows at your own pace), but can share all the benefits (and therefore costs) between members of the same ‘household’.

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