Amazon Instant Video

Amazon allegedly confirms that Instant Video is hitting Apple TV before year-end

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Online retail giant Amazon is bringing its Instant Video service to the new Apple TV after all. As a quick refresher, Amazon recently pulled both Google’s Chromecast HDMI dongle and Apple’s Apple TV from sale because the two set-top boxes, in Amazon's own words, don’t “interact well” with its video subscription service. Confirmation of a tvOS version of Instant Video was inadvertently leaked by Amazon itself in response to a question on Twitter.

The app should hit the Apple TV App Store by the end of the year.

Amazon Video app updated to allow offline playback for Prime movies and TV shows

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 1, 2015

Amazon Video received a fairly significant update today, which brings a compelling new feature to its video streaming app—offline viewing for Prime movies and TV shows. In version version 3.2 of the app, users can now download videos for offline viewing, which means that you can queue up TV shows and movies for watching when you're low on signal, using airplane mode, or for the purpose of saving on mobile data usage.

The addition of offline viewing may not seem like a huge deal to some, but it could signal a change for mainstream video streaming apps in general, which for the most part, have only been capable off online viewing.

Amazon Instant Video updated with support for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Amazon updated its Instant Video streaming app today, bringing it to version 2.9.5. As the build number indicates, it's a fairly small update, but it should make users happy with its improved support for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

This means that streaming videos should look better on the larger, higher resolution displays of Apple's newer handsets, as should the app's menu system. You can now see more content in a single glance, making navigation easier.

4K movies and TV shows arrive to Prime subscribers via Amazon Instant Video

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 9, 2014

Joining Netflix which offers 4K (or Ultra HD) video and video sharing websites like Google's YouTube and Vimeo that offer streaming in 4K resolution, Amazon on Tuesday said its Prime subscribers can stream select television shows and movies in the high-quality 4K picture resolution.

These Ultra HD movies and TV shows are accessible through the Amazon Instant Video app on compatible Ultra HD smart TVs, including models from LG, Samsung and Sony, with more added next year.

The online retail giant did not say when Prime customers can expect to stream 4K content through mobile Instant Video apps.

Amazon updates Instant Video for iOS 8 and iPhone 6, improves playback experience

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 7, 2014

The online retail giant Amazon on Tuesday refreshed its Instant Video iOS client for the iPhone and iPad with iOS 8 compatibility and native support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus display sizes.

Aside from these compatibility fixes, the release adds a pair of enhancements aimed at improving your video-watching experience.

The latest version 2.9 is available free of charge in the App Store, arriving a month following version 2.8 which brought us a brand new search history feature and quick resume capability.

Amazon Instant Video app gets new search history and quick resume features

Cody Lee ∙ August 9, 2014

Amazon posted a nice little update for its Instant Video app this weekend, bringing the client to version 2.8. The update includes a couple of new features and bug fixes that make searching for and watching content in the application much more enjoyable.

One of the new features has to do with video playback, and it enables you to quickly resume videos you've recently started from the app's home screen. You can also now quickly find content you've previously searched for with the new search history feature...

Amazon announces it’s passed Apple and Hulu in streaming video usage

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Following the unveiling of its new Fire TV box last week, Amazon announced today that video streams on Instant Video nearly tripled over the past year. And according to a report from tracking firm Qwilt, the e-commerce giant has surpassed Apple and Hulu in streaming video usage.

The report doesn't mention how traffic for Apple and Hulu is being tracked, but it does show that Amazon experienced a 94% traffic volume increase of streaming video users in the last 12 months. In fact, in March, Amazon's Instant Video service was only topped by Netflix and YouTube...

Amazon Instant Video gets overhauled with iOS 7 styling

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 7, 2014

Amazon on Monday issued a new version of its Instant Video for iOS app. Available free in the App Store, the new Amazon Instant Video version 2.5 now finally features a brand new user interface on the iPhone and iPad which honors Apple's human interface guidelines for iOS 7 development.

Released initially for the iPad in August 2012 and later updated with iPhone UI, the app picked up support for background AirPlay wireless streaming to the Apple TV back in September 2013.

If you live in the Amazon cloud, Instant Video for iOS is your gateway to the world of Hollywood entertainment available on Amazon's video service. Today's facelift arrives after the online retail giant announced (and started selling on the same day) its own set-top box last week, the $99 Fire TV that does voice and runs games.

Read on to learn more...