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Amazon planning ad-free video download service
Advertising Age is reporting that Amazon is close to launching an ad-free video download service, side-stepping Apple and Microsoft on the music front in hopes of snagging a chunk of the video market while the going's still good. It seems they weren't always so focused on video though, initially planning on a music service before deciding it wasn't worth the effort to take on Apple's mighty iTunes empire -- Microsoft apparently disagrees. Exact details on Amazon's proposed video service -- currently dubbed Amazon Digital Video (or Amazon DV) -- are understandably a bit sketchy, but it appears that it'll let users either download individual movies / TV shows for a yet-to-be-determined price or subscribe to a Netflix-type rental model. More details should be emerging soon enough -- if Ad Age is right, the service is gonna launch in mid-August.[Thanks, Chris]
Amazon drops music store plans, will launch movie service
Amazon.com has held a place in my heart for a long time. They were the first e-retailer (do people even use that term anymore?) that I used back when they sold books (and nothing else). We all know that Amazon excels at selling stuff online so it seems like a no brainer that they would, sooner or later, compete with the iTunes Music Store.Well, it looks like Amazon is giving Apple the music space and instead focusing on video. That's right, Amazon has reportedly axed their idea of launching a music store and will now focus on selling video online via Amazon DV (that's 'Digital Video' to you). You will need to download a client in order to purchase or rent movies from Amazon (here's hoping there is a Mac client) and pricing is not yet known. I suppose we'll have to wait until mid-August to see if this dog will hunt.Now, I wonder what Steve will be announcing in terms of movies in August. This space is getting interesting, folks.
