Amazon on Tuesday announced free movie streaming for Amazon Prime members, who currently pay $79 a year for unlimited free two-day shipping.
Starting today, Prime members can instantly stream for free around 5,000 of the 90,000 movies and TV shows already available for a fee on Amazon Instant Video.
The Prime-eligible selection is rather limited, however. The newest movie releases are "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" and "Feed the Fish," which normally cost $3.99 to rent for 48 hours on Amazon Instant Video. Eligible TV shows include MTV's "Skins," "Doctor Who," and "Top Gear," which normally cost $0.99 to buy. But you'll still pay non-membership prices for access to more popular shows like "Glee" and "Gossip Girl."
Furthermore Amazon Student members, who also receive the same shipping benefits as Amazon Prime members, must upgrade their accounts for $79 to access the free instant streaming benefit.
And it's probably too early to cancel your Netflix account. Starting at $96/year for the streaming plan, Netflix claims to have more than 28,000 titles available on multiple platforms; Amazon's Prime videos can only be streamed to your PC.
Amazon Prime has "millions" of members, the company said. "Adding unlimited instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows at no additional cost is a great way to give members even more value for their $79 annual Amazon Prime membership," Robbie Schwietzer, vice president of Amazon Prime, said in the statement.
In January, Amazon acquired "Europe's Netflix," LoveFilm International Limited. A week later a rumor about Amazon Prime's free video streaming surfaced.
Amazon is offering a one-month free trial to Amazon Prime.