Amazon Follows Through: Drops Apple TV, Chromecast

Hot Hardware notes that Amazon has stopped selling two pieces of hardware -- Apple TV and Google's Chromecast -- that compete with Amazon's own streaming business. (They promised to drop them a while back; not everyone though they actually would.) From the article: While some have likened this move to being anti-competitive, it's hard to grasp whether the legal system would agree. Amazon's defense is that since these devices don't support Prime Video, it doesn't want to sell products to its customers and have them assume that they will."

Comments

Don't or Won't support Prime Video?

[Anonymous Coward]

Amazon's defense is that since these devices don't support Prime Video, it doesn't want to sell products to its customers and have them assume that they will.

Never mind the fact that Amazon seems to intentionally not be developing for either device, when smaller streaming services support Apple TV and the Chromecast API is open?

Re:Don't or Won't support Prime Video?

[93 Escort Wagon]

This is all on Amazon - they just are hoping people won't notice.

There's an Amazon Video app on both my phone and iPad. I can watch Prime video there, although I rarely do since Prime Video largely sucks (most of what is there is obviously intended to drive the purchase of other Amazon video - it's all about "the first one is free").

Meanwhile, my Apple TV has had Netflix, Hulu, HBO, etc. for years.

Re:Don't or Won't support Prime Video?

[ArmoredDragon]

Actually PBS asserts copyright on everything it owns, and they make a LOT of money off of DVD and streaming licenses. Don't assume that nonprofit means that its owners don't make a profit.

anti-competitive

[phantomfive]

If you want an anti-trust lawsuit, usually you need political connections, and better political connections than your opponent. And Amazon keeps up on their payments, to both parties.

Re:Must I Subscribe to Amazon Prime?

[Ol Olsoc]

What if I buy a Prime-capable device, but I'm not a Prime customers. Won't I be confused?

Too late.

Kind of circular reasoning

[tylersoze]

Since of course the reason those devices don't support Prime Video is that Amazon decided not to provide Prime Video on those devices, unlike say Netflix, Hulu, and every other streaming provider under the sun.

Failures of Capitalism #20896733190411 in a series

[Required Snark]

For the same reason that the Samsung TVs only plays content from Samsung affiliated organizations, and Sony TVs only shows Sony created content, and you can't cook a microwave dinner in a Sanyo microwave unless it is from an affiliate so it will not heat something from Stoffer's or Lean Cuisine, and Apple and Android phones can't call each other, and the Chevron gas nozzle won't fit the Ford gas tank.

That's what anti-competitive capitalists really lust after, total lock in and unlimited profit with crappy products. None of this level playing field and competing on price and service. And to a great extent their wishes have been granted. Look at the entire US banking and Wall Street economic sector, pharmaceuticals, telcos, agribusiness, brewing (the two biggest brewing groups in the world want to merge), ad nauseam.

Amazon doesn't own the internet, no more then ABC owns the broadcast bandwidth that they use. Broadcast TV providers are allowed to use a common resource when they follow the rules, pay their taxes and fees, and engage in honest business. So why the hell is Amazon, or any of these other scum sucking pigs, allowed to have their walled garden carved out of the open common resource that is the internet?

It's just more of the DMCA crap, or the upcoming TPP. Corrupt insiders are writing the rules so that they have permanent control, no competition, no oversight and guaranteed high profit margins. The game is rigged, and the less you have the more they have. Out of your pocket, into theirs.