Amazon Prime Video Review
8,500+ movies, 1,600+ TV shows and access to free games for NZ$8 a month
Updated 20 September 2021
Amazon Prime Video: Our Verdict
- Overall: Amazon Prime Video offers excellent value for money with its huge content library, perks and ease of use. No streaming service offers a wider movie selection.
- Low price and additional perks: there is a free trial for 7 days, then subscriptions cost NZ$8 per month, and users get access to 8,500 movies, 1,600+ TV shows. There are a bunch of perks and features to improve the user experience as well, meaning it's more than just TV shows and movies. Through prime gaming you’ll get access to free games and game add-ons, one twitch channel subscription per month and many podcasts on amazon music.
- Subscribers can download content and watch it offline (which is perfect for long journeys or where internet won't be reliable)
- Subscribers can select a range of video quality levels to suit their internet speed and/or storage space; Amazon calls their quality levels Good, Better and Best. If you have a slow connection and playback is sluggish or you get some buffering, choose a lower video quality.
- If you decide to take a break, you can suspend your subscription for as long as you want.
- Individualised viewing experience. You can create 6 individual profiles (for adults or kids) on a single account, each getting their own individual recommendations and preferences. You can also set parental controls.
- Access to further information during playback. Most films and TV shows have a feature called X-Ray, which shows trivia about the feature, the names and bios of the actors in each scene and details about the music that is being played.
- Price Advantage: At half the price of Netflix with twice the number of movies, it's an affordable all-in-one streaming service that won't disappoint.
- Drawbacks: Amazon Prime Video's original TV series don't have the name recognition of Netflix's catalogue - there are no House of Cards, Black Mirror, Master of None and Orange is the New Black. Instead, there is a focus on movies and network-produced TV shows, although this has been changing recently and they are producing more original content of high quality.
- For the latest sign-up offers, including discounted subscriptions, visit the Amazon Prime Video website.
Detailed Review
This full review covers the four main benefits of being an Amazon customer, including Video, Gaming, Music and Photo Storage. These are detailed in the following sections:
This full review covers the four main benefits of being an Amazon customer, including Video, Gaming, Music and Photo Storage. These are detailed in the following sections:
Table 1: Streaming Services and Monthly Cost Comparison
Source: Data correct as at 6 September 2021 per JustWatch.com
Amazon Prime Video - What We Like
What matters most is the content, i.e. what you can watch, and what the quality is. We explain this in detail below, but for an up-to-date list of what's available right now in New Zealand, visit this site.
The Content: Quantity and Highlights
Prime Video has around 8,500 movies and 1,600+ TV shows to watch on demand. This is huge, and more than twice the movies offered by Netflix.
The Picture and Sound quality
You can watch anything, anywhere at anytime
The Content: Quantity and Highlights
Prime Video has around 8,500 movies and 1,600+ TV shows to watch on demand. This is huge, and more than twice the movies offered by Netflix.
The Picture and Sound quality
- Amazon is committed to producing its own content and buying international content with excellent picture and sound quality. This means quality is guaranteed from the start, and older TV shows are often enhanced digitally.
- The flat subscription comes with the best quality streaming as standard, whereas other streaming services have restricted HD and similar to premium-level customers.
- The interface is friendly and works well on tablets, phones, computers and smart TVs. There are great features like X-Ray which provides interesting insight into the feature you're watching and "Watch party" which allows users to host and/or attend viewing parties of a show or film and chat while watching.
You can watch anything, anywhere at anytime
- Amazon Prime Video runs on apps for all types of smart devices and desktops. TVs or Blu-ray players, ROKUs or other media players bought in the last few years should also have the Amazon Prime Video app pre-installed.
- Prime lets you download up to 25 items at once per account (so you could have, for example, a maximum of 13 items on your phone and 12 on your tablet).
- 'Items' are the same as episodes or movies, you can download 25 movies or 25 episodes of a TV show, or a bit of both. But if you have two profiles linked to one account, you can download up to 50 items.
- Some content is not allowed to be downloaded due to licencing agreements with the producers an individual item. If you can see the option to 'download', then it's available. Otherwise you will need to stream it while online.
Amazon Prime Video - What We Don't Like
Content changes per country: If you're on holiday overseas, you may not have access to the TV shows or movies you planned to watch due to licencing restrictions. This is the same for all streaming platforms, content differs depending on your location, it could be viewed as a positive too because you have all this content to discover when you’re abroad, but it’s not great if you’re halfway through watching a TV series that is not available in your new location.
Additional Features offered to all Amazon Prime Video Subscribers
Note: In other countries, “Amazon Prime” comprises many services like Kindle books, free shipping for your Amazon shopping, unlimited cloud storage, a subscription to Unlimited Music, etc. However, because Amazon’s presence in New Zealand is more limited, the benefits from a Prime subscription are fewer than in other places. There are still interesting features, which we highlight below:
1. Amazon Games
Included with your Prime Video subscription you get access to Prime Gaming, which gives you the following benefits:
- Free PC games for you to play online or download and keep forever. There are usually about 5+ games per month that you can download.
- “Loot” you can claim every month on various games. You can level up with characters, skins, boosts, upgrades and more. You just need to link your game account after claiming and your loot will be waiting for you in-game.
- One free Twitch channel subscription every month to support your favourite streamers. You first need to have created a Twitch account and link it to your Prime Gaming account. Twitch is a platform similar to Youtube aimed mostly at gamers who stream themselves playing and commenting on games, but there are also a few channels dedicated to music, politics, fitness, etc.
2. Amazon Music
Amazon Music is available to all Amazon customers (non Prime Video subscribers as well). The benefits include:
- Access to hundreds of podcasts, with an interface similar to Spotify
- Please note you probably won’t be able to listen to music, their music library contains about 75 million songs, but to be able to listen to those you will need a subscription to Amazon Music Unlimited, that is charged separately (this is included with Prime in other countries but not in New Zealand).
3. Amazon Photos & Cloud Drive
Amazon Photos is available to all Amazon customers (non Prime Video subscribers as well), The benefits include:
- Up to 5 GB of photo and video storage.
- Similar to Dropbox, Amazon Photos / Amazon Cloud Drive lets you access your photos and videos anywhere - desktop, mobile, and tablet.
Amazon Prime Video Frequently Asked Questions
How does Amazon Prime Video compare to Netflix and Disney+?
Netflix arguably has better content that seems more relevant - more original series, more documentaries and notable international productions. The content is fresher and of a higher budget overall. But it costs almost twice as much, and shows like The Grand Tour may make Amazon Prime Video worthwhile outright.
Disney+ by comparison has fewer TV Shows and Films than either Amazon Prime Video or Netflix but these are getting a lot of attention. They have the whole catalogues of Marvel, Star Wars and Disney, as well as documentaries from National Geographic, big blockbuster films and content from Hulu and American networks.
Disney+ by comparison has fewer TV Shows and Films than either Amazon Prime Video or Netflix but these are getting a lot of attention. They have the whole catalogues of Marvel, Star Wars and Disney, as well as documentaries from National Geographic, big blockbuster films and content from Hulu and American networks.
How much does Amazon Prime Video cost?
Amazon Prime Video is charged at NZ$8.00 per month.
What methods of payment does Amazon Prime Video accept?
Amazon accepts both debit and credit card payments from Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
Is Amazon Prime Video worth the cost?
This depends on how much you use it - if you subscribe but only watch a movie every week, then probably not. But if you 'binge' watch some TV shows, regularly watch movies and use the other features such gaming and listen to podcasts, then the monthly fee can be more than justified. Quite simply, it comes down to how much you will use it. A free or discounted trial can help to evaluate the content and how it works in with your lifestyle.
How do I share an Amazon Prime Video account with other people?
You can set up to 6 different profiles on Amazon Prime Video with one single account. Each user gets a personalised experience, with their own watchlist, recommendations and rating filters.
How can I cancel Amazon Prime Video?
You can cancel by logging in to your Amazon Prime Video account, and navigating to 'Manage Membership', and selecting ' End membership' (if you are a paid subscriber) or 'Do not continue' (if you are in the trial period). Once you confirm, you will not be charged or have your subscription renewed.
Amazon Prime Video New Zealand - 5 Must-Know Facts
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Reduce 'endless scrolling' by shortlisting TV shows and movies to your watchlistLogging in and seeing thousands of entertaining options can be overwhelming, and it's easy to spend relaxation time scrolling through all the options. Decision paralysis and streaming services go hand-in-hand. To avoid this, start saving shows you want to watch in your favourites section and try to bring the list down by watching things, not adding to the list.
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Make the most of additional Amazon PerksMany Prime Video subscribers might not know that they have access to free games through Prime Gaming. Also, all Amazon customers have access to 5 GB of storage on Amazon Photos and can listen to many podcasts for free on Amazon Music.
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Download the best video quality you canNew Zealand broadband may not be the world's fastest, but making sure your video downloads at a high-quality setting makes all the difference when you come to watch it. You will need to override standard settings which show per device, and select either 'good', 'better' or 'best' (see how the options appear here).
The quality level for 'good' can vary and lead to disappointment and frustration after you have already waited for the download. It will use up more storage space but lead to a better experience overall. |
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Understand settings, accounts and filtersIf you like romantic comedies and sitcoms, and someone else in your house likes foreign movies and crime dramas, you can set up an individual profile for each user. Amazon allows you to create up to 6 separate profiles (the default primary profile plus up to five additional profiles, which can be either adult or Kid's profiles) within Prime Video on a single Amazon account.
Adult filters keep everything safe Amazon offers a one-click feature in the 'Settings' menu to set up a four-digit PIN to access anything that isn't suitable for kids. |
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Use 'X-Ray' to enhance your viewing experienceAmazon Prime Video offers a feature called X-Ray, activated by clicking on your screen, which displays actor biographies, movie or TV show trivia and other information as you watch the show. You can find out information about the cast, writers, director and location.
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Do you have an experience with Amazon Prime, or tips you'd like to share? Contact our research team right now with your comments.
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