The online retail giant Amazon has issued a pretty substantial update to its free video-streaming iOS app, Instant Video. Now bumped to version 2.7, the app offers the ability to stream the first episodes of selected TV shows for free, as part of the Amazon First Episode Free feature, with advertising breaks before and during video playback.
Additionally, you’ll notice all-new playback controls, the addition of HBO shows such as The Sopranos, The Wire and Deadwood and more…
The new playback buttons allow you to easily jump forward/backward ten seconds, play the next episode of the TV show and a play or pause a video with a touch of a button.
Key highlights include:
- Now stream the first episode of selected TV shows for free. First Episode Free videos include advertising breaks before and during video playback (requires iOS 6 or later).
- All new video playback controls, including one-touch play/pause and 10-second skip forward/backward buttons, and a “Next Episode” button to quickly play back the next episode of the TV show you’re watching (requires iOS 6 or later).
- Prime Instant Video now features dozens of groundbreaking series from HBO like The Sopranos, The Wire, and Deadwood, plus early seasons of True Blood and Boardwalk Empire.
- Faster playback start time after pressing play (requires iOS 6 or later).
- Bug Fixes and stability improvements.
Amazon last week announced its Fire smartphone and previously introduced an ad-free Prime Music service and an experimental service allowing users to add products to their Amazon shopping basket without leaving Twitter.
Download Amazon Instant Video free in the App Store.
The universal app requires iOS 7.0 or later.