Amazon confirmed this week that it will not charge Prime members for Ultra HD content.
Earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show, Amazon announced it would make Ultra HD content available this year. The company sent us this statement from Michael Paull, VP of Amazon Digital Video:
“We want to be the best entertainment destination for customers. We’re confident that offering Ultra HD content, whether it’s a TV series or a film, will help create the ultimate viewing experience and can’t wait to start making it available this year. We’ve already announced that the Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek To Cheek LIVE! concert will be available in the premium resolution as well as Amazon Original Series including Transparent, Alpha House and the upcoming Mozart in the Jungle series, and we’re excited to unveil even more titles that Prime members and customers can watch in Ultra HD later this year and into next year. Amazon Prime members will have access to a great selection of Ultra HD content on Prime Instant Video at no additional cost.”
“Customers are excited about the future of 4K and the next evolution of high resolution video. We’re working with consumer electronics leaders and Hollywood studios to make that a reality,” said Bill Carr, Vice President of Digital Video and Music for Amazon in January. “There are a number of elements that need to work together to create a true 4K experience for customers—you need great content and compatible devices but you also need a service that can deliver that content to your devices so that it plays beautifully—we’re excited about making that a reality.”
At the time, Amazon had announced partnerships with Samsung, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, and others to offer 4K Ultra HD content.
Rival Netflix also announced this year that its originals would all be available in 4K. It has since made Breaking Bad available in Ultra HD as well.
Beyond its contribution to Ultra HD content, Amazon’s news represents part of its strategy to give Prime members more and more features. At some point, it’s going to be hard for many consumers to justify not becoming a member.
This week, Amazon also announced its first set of pilots for 2015.
Image: Amazon, YouTube