Bogleheads.org

by LH » Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:15 am

If you like movies, tv shows, amazon prime is pretty cool, lots of movies are free to watch anytime. I am not a big movie fan really, but have been waching several. Also, your deliveries show up quick (which is cooler than I thought). and you get to read free books (only on a kindle though I think, not on an ipad with kindle on it?)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/prime/signup/v ... ads.org-20

One boglehead has a couple listed.

by **rj49** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:32 am

They're not free. You pay $80 a year for a limited selection, poorly organized, with screen ads to get you to rent paid movies. The free books are also limited in choice, full of self-published garbage books and things I can download for free from the public library, and the quick, free fast shipping encourages a lot of impulse and unnecessary buying (not very 'cool' to me) and sitting at home all day waiting for UPS deliveries, which is why Amazon is so eager to get people to sign up for it and to get you locked into their ecosystem, and why they sell things like the Kindle Fire at cost or below. You can get a better, ad-free movie selection through Netflix, a better book selection from your public library, and the same free shipping by simply waiting until you have $25 in purchases. To me it's like the cheap index funds and ETFs from Schwab and Fido--they can afford to undercut Vanguard, because they know they'll make up the difference in other areas.

by **nisiprius** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:14 am

Oh, I've been dithering on this. My wife and I bought the (old) Kindle Fires back in May. (My personal overall satisfaction with mine: as an eBook reader, B+. As a tablet, C-). My wife opted for Amazon Prime. I have such an allergy to any kind of continuing expense that I decided not to.

Amazon is pretty clever. $80 a year isn't too bad. (I recently canceled my lowest-tier $4.99/month Netflix subscription because I wasn't using even one a month...). I agree that the selection of "free with Prime" book loans and movies is puzzling. The great thing about the Kindle when they introduced it was that to my mind Amazon had broken through THE great problem with ebooks previously, title availability. For the first time, you could count on usually being able just to buy the book you wanted, then buy it, rather than look through a list of books for titles you might want.

Amazon Prime puts you back in the world of "picking from a restricted list."

The Kindle Owner's Lending Library has some overlap with the equally peculiar selection of so-called "library" books available through the local library system and a rather mysterious entity called "Overdrive." The electronic books available literally through my local library are not only a strangely and peculiarly limited subset, but also are perpetually "out," so that most of the time I need to place a hold and wait. But I was pleased to find that I was able to sign up for a library card at a nearby big-city library even though I don't reside there, and they "own" far more "copies," and I can get them instantly more often than not.

I'm open-minded about the value of Prime. The other weird aspect to it is that their free Super Saver shipping is usually much faster than advertised, meaning that the value of "free" 2-day shipping is lower than you'd expect--besides being an unneeded extravagance that might be addictive.

I have not yet tried to rent videos and watch them on my Kindle Fire. My plan is to "pretend" I have Prime and watch them freely for a year--freely as in "as often as I feel like"--and find out how often I really do it, and then make a cold, calculating cost decision.

by LH » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:31 am

Heh, well I agree with the not free certainly, sorry for the semantic error : )

It's 25 dollars for the first year total.

Have you actually tried it? Seems almost visceral.

I just watched goodfellas, as well as Logan's run, half an episode of battle star galactica, which I will try again, also we were soldiers once and young.

I am getting a lot of use out of it. Yeah the kindle hd fire is at cost, it's a great deal. its not like buying an iPhone with a 2 year service contract. It's just at cost.......... Buy it, no contract, at cost, period.

Don't want ads, pay 15 dollars once, you don't have the ads. It's like an iPhone, the iPhone "free" apps are not free, you have to have bought the iPhone, sure. To use the phone, you have to pay. Break a kindle fire hd, buy another, at cost period, barring warranty.... Try that with an iPhone.....

I got it for 25 dollars for the first year, 25 dollars well spent, very happy with it, I think it's cool.

How much does Netflix cost a year? Maybe that is better, I haven't tried it.

I think amazons ecosystem is great, kudos to bezos, he has earned his money

by LH » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:38 am

nisiprius wrote:
Amazon Prime puts you back in the world of "picking from a restricted list."

The Kindle Owner's Lending Library has some overlap with the equally peculiar selection of so-called "library" books available through the local library system and a rather mysterious entity called "Overdrive." The electronic books available literally through my local library are not only a strangely and peculiarly limited subset, but also are perpetually "out," so that most of the time I need to place a hold and wait. But I was pleased to find that I was able to sign up for a library card at a nearby big-city library even though I don't reside there, and they "own" far more "copies," and I can get them instantly more often than not.

I'm open-minded about the value of Prime. The other weird aspect to it is that their free Super Saver shipping is usually much faster than advertised, meaning that the value of "free" 2-day shipping is lower than you'd expect--besides being an unneeded extravagance that might be addictive.

I have not yet tried to rent videos and watch them on my Kindle Fire. My plan is to "pretend" I have Prime and watch them freely for a year--freely as in "as often as I feel like"--and find out how often I really do it, and then make a cold, calculating cost decision.

Yeah, I dunno about the restricted thing, you can still buy whatever u want. It's just that a surprising number of things I buy, are included, like pipers books, etc.

I should have mention, I have a ps3, and watch amazon prime hd on a 65 inch tv. So, yeah, I would not be watching all that on a kindle, probably near nothing' except when traveling.

Anyway, I am like u guys, I was like heck with that, not worth the money, Cept now I tried it, it is worth money

Can say same if I bought a boat or Lexus sure..... I was just surprised at how much I like it.

The fire hd may end up pissing me off, dunno yet, Christmas present for kids I have setup a bit. I did pay the 15 to it have the overt ads.

by LH » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:43 am

Nice tip about he library signing up at the bigger one.

I tried it a bit, couldn't really get anywhere quick.

Also, why would one sit at home for ups delivery?

by **englishgirl** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:21 am

I really really enjoyed Prime for about 4 months, and thought it was the best thing ever. Then I got tired of the video selection, tired of the book selection and realized I was spending MORE on stuff just because I didn't have to think about shipping. So, I haven't renewed for my second year. So far I don't miss it.

by **NAVigator** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:55 am

I used Netflix for years. I am not at all interested in TV shows since I haven't owned a TV for about 20 years now. I enjoy streaming in movies to my computer. I switched to Prime about 6 months ago and am disappointed with the selection of movies and the cumbersome user interface to select them. I enjoy the free shipping which I have used numerous times. I recouped the cost easily in 2 or 3 months. It works for me.

Jerry

by **ginyah** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:57 am

OP- if your wife bought Prime she can give it to you free. My daughter buys Prime and lists me and her sister on her membership. We both get Prime for 'free'. So instead of $80/yr. it costs c.$26/person. I think it is a great deal but maybe that is because I buy a lot on Amazon. And by the by my UPS man leaves my purchases on my porch so I never have to wait at home for deliveries. Just my experience.

by **fandango** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:01 am

We have been Prime members for two years.

What I like:
- Free movies. Not some of the latest movies but pretty good. For example, I just completed the "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" trilogy.
- Free books. I usually find a good one once per month. This probably pays for Prime.
- Two day shipping. All Prime shipping is expedited to two days. Great for last minute shopping/gifts.
- Special handling. I have received two slightly damaged items over the last couple of years. I've been told to "just keep the item, we'll send you a new one in two days". So, I've avoided having to mail back a damaged item. Not officially part of Prime, but I know my membership has influenced the way complaints are handled.

What I don't like:
- The free books and free movies are not organized too well on the Amazon web site. But, with a little effort, I have found suitable choices.

I live in the outlying region of Atlanta. I do a lot of Internet shopping. I always go to Amazon first for price and Prime shipping.

by **ObliviousInvestor** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:35 am

nisiprius wrote:I'm open-minded about the value of Prime. The other weird aspect to it is that their free Super Saver shipping is usually much faster than advertised, meaning that the value of "free" 2-day shipping is lower than you'd expect--besides being an unneeded extravagance that might be addictive.

Interestingly, at least here in St. Louis, the free 2-day shipping is faster than advertised as well. As often as not, things show up the next day. We've even had one instance where the item showed up on the same day it was purchased.

by **bertilak** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 9:52 am

I used to share my son's Prime account. Paid him $20 per year. That was certainly worth it just for the shipping.

Then my son convinced me to buy a Kindle since Target had a promotion where they gave you a $40 gift certificate. We spent that within the hour at their grocery section.

Note when you are a sharing another's account, only the primary member is a full member so things like free Kindle books and streaming are not available to the secondary member. This meant my $20 per year went up to $80! Fortunately, a year's membership was a Christmas present from my son.

I soon learned that I didn't like the selection or pricing of Kindle books. Some of them cost even MORE than the physical book! The formatting is atrocious: Fixed line wrap doesn't match the screen/font size combinations available on the Kindle; there is no color (the newer color versions of Kindle don't have the same crispness as the B&W); images are often too small to see clearly, especially important for charts and graphs. I tried a few books but never finished reading most of them and when the battery ran down I never bothered to plug it back in.

Their streaming us useless to me with my low speed DSL Internet connection. Their movie selection process is about useless.

So, now that Christmas is rolling around again I am wondering if/how to tell my son not to sign me up again. I don't want him to pay four times as much for the only aspect I find useful -- the shipping.

by **nisiprius** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:09 am

bertilak wrote:The formatting is atrocious.

It is variable, but I agree. It is very disturbing that publishers seem to pay no attention at all to "proofreading" the Kindle edition. There are several aspects that bother me. First, something like 1/4 of the big-deal-big-price-name-publishers' books won't let you change the typeface! For example, one of Jeff Shaara's books allowed you to change the typeface in every part of the book except the main text! I assume this is a technical glitch. Second, I've found by some cautious experimentation that if you just upload as Word and press the button, every image comes out like c**p--it's too small to see on the screen inline, but when you enlarge it you just get empty magnification. The maps in Shaara's books are a case in point. Now, this is just sheer laziness or careless on someone's part, because if you just edit the HTML produced by Word, you can substitute an image of any desired size or resolution, and if you do this you can then expand them on the Kindle--you still have to scroll around but you can any part of the image sharp and clear.

by **NoVa Lurker** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:41 am

We had Amazon Mom, and we bought Amazon Prime when it ran out. At first, it was worth it just for the discounted diapers and wipes. Once you factored in the "Subscribe and Save" discounts, there was nowhere cheaper.

Since then, the prices have gone up a bit and the discounts have gone down, so that buying on Amazon is now about even with Costco. Still, we are happier getting boxes sent to our house than braving the crowds for diapers.

I agree with everyone's criticisms that (1) 2-day shipping really isn't of much benefit compared with the regular $25 minimum free shipping, and (2) the free TV and movie interface is terrible (even on the computer, much less trying to do it on our Roku). We don't have a kindle, just the kindle apps for i-products, so we don't get free ebooks.

The benefits of Prime continue to change. Selection for movies and TV has broadened and improved. Meanwhile, free shipping has actually gotten worse, since many smaller items have become "Add-on Items" for which you need to buy $25 of stuff before it ships for free anyway, and the Subscribe and Save discounts have been cut way back.

Overall, Amazon Prime is still worth it for us, but it might not be if we didn't have small kids. Our Prime will be up in April; we'll likely renew for next year, but it's not 100%.

by **sscritic** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:46 am

bertilak wrote:I used to share my son's Prime account. Paid him $20 per year. That was certainly worth it just for the shipping.

I share my daughter's, and if she even hinted that I should pay her she would lose $1 million in inheritance.

I spend hundreds every month taking her family out to dinner, it's what grandpas do, and the least I can get in return is a shared Prime account.

by **porcupine** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 10:59 am

sscritic wrote:
bertilak wrote:I used to share my son's Prime account. Paid him $20 per year. That was certainly worth it just for the shipping.

I share my daughter's, and if she even hinted that I should pay her she would lose $1 million in inheritance.
[...]

Does the corollary work, i.e., if I (sign up for Amazon Prime then) add you to my Prime account, will I get a share of that inheritance? ;-)

- Porcupine

by **bertilak** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:06 am

porcupine wrote:
sscritic wrote:
bertilak wrote:I used to share my son's Prime account. Paid him $20 per year. That was certainly worth it just for the shipping.

I share my daughter's, and if she even hinted that I should pay her she would lose $1 million in inheritance.
[...]

Does the corollary work, i.e., if I (sign up for Amazon Prime then) add you to my Prime account, will I get a share of that inheritance?

- Porcupine

Hey! Butt out. He was talking to me! :happy

by **dhodson** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:21 am

ive had it for about 3 years. I like it. I dont use any of the books or videos though, its all about the free 2 day shipping.

I buy so many things that i used to go to the mall for that im sure i save money. I appreciate the convenience. Ive also been happy with their return policy.

by **porcupine** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:21 am

bertilak wrote:
porcupine wrote:Does the corollary work, i.e., if I (sign up for Amazon Prime then) add you to my Prime account, will I get a share of that inheritance?

- Porcupine

Hey! Butt out. He was talking to me!

How 'bout 50-50?

- Porcupine

by **bungalow10** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:37 am

I've had Prime for a year and like it. I share my membership with four other people (I pay all of it, they just get the free Prime shipping).

The move/TV selection isn't great, but we do find some stuff on there. I do like the Kindle Lending Library - there are some good books in there, you just have to be willing to spend a few minutes looking.

I love Kindle books. For those of you complaining about formatting, leave a review. That's what they are for. I haven't had any formatting issues, but I usually read reviews prior to borrowing/purchasing, and generally stick to the bigger publishers. I admit there are lots of crap Kindle books out there that are self-published, but I haven't had any issues finding big publishers' books for the Kindle. Sometimes the prices are higher, but I usually wait until they go on sale, I rarely pay more than $2-4 for an ebook, if I pay for them at all.

by **PaddyMac** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:27 pm

We love Prime for the free shipping. Don't have time to watch movies and already have a DVR full of stuff to watch, so haven't even tried to download one yet. I was disappointed that the free Kindle book a month did not apply to an iPad running Kindle, as I did see a lot of good books in their lending library. Might even be worth picking up a lowest-cost kindle just to get free books.

by **bottlecap** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:38 pm

The "free" movies are a huge disappointment. We cancelled our membership when we tried to find something to watch. Yuck, we'll just order our stuff earlier.

JT

by **snyder66** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:44 pm

I really wish there was a better option than Netflix. Was hoping that Prime would be it. Netflix is OK, the selection could be better. Itunes is way overpriced.

by **ObliviousInvestor** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:51 pm

bottlecap wrote:The "free" movies are a huge disappointment.

I agree. The movies are definitely not a reason to get a prime membership. In my experience they're juuuust barely better than the netflix streaming movie options, which is to say, abysmal.

by **ejvyas** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 12:56 pm

My library is cheaper with the books + movies option :-)

by **kenyan** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:07 pm

NoVa Lurker wrote:We had Amazon Mom, and we bought Amazon Prime when it ran out. At first, it was worth it just for the discounted diapers and wipes. Once you factored in the "Subscribe and Save" discounts, there was nowhere cheaper.

Since then, the prices have gone up a bit and the discounts have gone down, so that buying on Amazon is now about even with Costco. Still, we are happier getting boxes sent to our house than braving the crowds for diapers.

I agree with everyone's criticisms that (1) 2-day shipping really isn't of much benefit compared with the regular $25 minimum free shipping, and (2) the free TV and movie interface is terrible (even on the computer, much less trying to do it on our Roku). We don't have a kindle, just the kindle apps for i-products, so we don't get free ebooks.

The benefits of Prime continue to change. Selection for movies and TV has broadened and improved. Meanwhile, free shipping has actually gotten worse, since many smaller items have become "Add-on Items" for which you need to buy $25 of stuff before it ships for free anyway, and the Subscribe and Save discounts have been cut way back.

Overall, Amazon Prime is still worth it for us, but it might not be if we didn't have small kids. Our Prime will be up in April; we'll likely renew for next year, but it's not 100%.

This is somewhat similar to our experience, particularly starting with Amazon Mom and continuing from there. I don't mind the movie interface as much as others, though I watch on an iPad; perhaps the app does a better job. I think the selection is pretty good, and there is always the option to pay for the non-free stuff, which is particularly a boon with TV shows. There is a ton to watch, as long as you don't go in needing to see a specific movie/show.

I agree that the little changes have lessened the value a bit. Subscribe&Save no longer letting you get Prime shipping, which changed perhaps a year ago, was a disappointing change, as were the reduction in discounts. My wife does also have a Kindle that she uses to read a free book per month.

Overall, I'm a big fan, and won't mind paying that $79 to renew in a month or so. Getting a Roku for the wife next week, so we'll be getting even more use out of Prime, I imagine.

by **Bungo** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:23 pm

dhodson wrote:ive had it for about 3 years. I like it. I dont use any of the books or videos though, its all about the free 2 day shipping.

Same here. I've used Amazon Prime almost since they launched the feature (around 2007, I think). I like being able to get free 2 day shipping even on dinky purchases, and occasionally the $3.99 overnight shipping has come in handy as well. I share it with two family members and find it to be a good value for the shipping alone. I don't care about e-books, and my movie viewing is still old-school Netflix DVDs because of the selection.

by **telemark** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 1:35 pm

rj49 wrote: sitting at home all day waiting for UPS deliveries

This is always a problem for me since I work during UPS delivery hours, and the sender usually requires a signature. Best thing I've found is to go to the web site after I have the tracking number and change the delivery to hold for pickup. This usually works for FedEx also.

by **Default User BR** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:38 pm

telemark wrote:
rj49 wrote:This is always a problem for me since I work during UPS delivery hours, and the sender usually requires a signature.

I have received lots of stuff from Amazon, but none required a signature.

Brian

by **bungalow10** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 2:49 pm

Default User BR wrote:
telemark wrote:
rj49 wrote:This is always a problem for me since I work during UPS delivery hours, and the sender usually requires a signature.

I have received lots of stuff from Amazon, but none required a signature.

+1

We get multiple shipments a week some weeks and I've never needed to sign, not even for electronics.

by **ObliviousInvestor** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:09 pm

Default User BR wrote:
telemark wrote:
rj49 wrote:This is always a problem for me since I work during UPS delivery hours, and the sender usually requires a signature.

I have received lots of stuff from Amazon, but none required a signature.

Amazon always requires a signature here -- even for very small purchases. I think it has to do with location (i.e., an apartment building, the door to which is directly on the sidewalk, such that anybody walking by could pick up the package).

Edited to add: Just found the following on one of Amazon's help pages:

Amazon.com wrote:"Most of our carriers make three attempts to deliver a package. Packages that contain more than $1300 of merchandise will always require a signature; otherwise, it is generally up to the driver's discretion to determine whether a signature is required. A shipper may require a signature if the package is delivered to an apartment, condominium, or business complex, or if the driver feels there isnt a safe place to leave the package at the delivery address. If the driver feels it is best to obtain a signature and no one is present to accept the delivery after three attempts, the package will be returned to us."

by **PreemieNurse** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:35 pm

We have Amazon prime and it's easily paid for itself. We don't use it for the free media though, just for the free 2 day shipping. We live about 30 minutes outside of the nearest big city and buy a lot of specialty health and hobby items that can't easily be picked up at Target or a grocery store. Since almost everything ships free, we spend less money since we're not buying stuff we don't really need to get our purchase total up to $25 to qualify for free shipping otherwise. It saves me time, gas money, and wear and tear on my car having to physically go out to the store and buy it.

We get Amazon deliveries several times a week and they always just leave it on our porch, no signature required if we're not home. I guess I can see where this would be more of a problem if you live in an apartment.

by **telemark** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:50 pm

ObliviousInvestor wrote:Edited to add: Just found the following on one of Amazon's help pages:
Amazon.com wrote:"Most of our carriers make three attempts to deliver a package. Packages that contain more than $1300 of merchandise will always require a signature; otherwise, it is generally up to the driver's discretion to determine whether a signature is required. A shipper may require a signature if the package is delivered to an apartment, condominium, or business complex, or if the driver feels there isnt a safe place to leave the package at the delivery address. If the driver feels it is best to obtain a signature and no one is present to accept the delivery after three attempts, the package will be returned to us."

That makes sense. I just saw the check mark on the "Signature required" box and assumed it was the sender's decision. And I live in a condominium, which is another problem for deliveries, since you need a key to get in the front door. UPS has one, but they can't always remember where they left it.

by **Sunny Sarkar** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 3:58 pm

I'm trying it right now as a possible Netflix replacement, but chances are very low I'll keep it beyond the trial period because: (1) didn't like the movie selection, (2) neither did daughter, (3) thoroughly confused about the free book/library stuff, and (4) like nisiprius, I'm allergic to recurring expenses.

by **Toons** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 4:15 pm

I figure I have saved way more than 79.00 just in fuel and "time", by shopping Prime from the lazyboy.
Regarding video viewing selection for Prime, I just noticed there are 12,123 different choices available.
Thinking way back in time it sure beats the "3-channels" available to me on the TV when I was a kid.
I can always find something to watch 8-)

by **bungalow10** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 4:19 pm

Toons wrote:I figure I have saved way more than 79.00 just in fuel and "time", by shopping Prime from the lazyboy.
Regarding video viewing selection for Prime, I just noticed there are 12,123 different choices available.
Thinking way back in time it sure beats the "3-channels" available to me on the TV when I was a kid.
I can always find something to watch

It was worth not having to shop on Black Friday. And the ability to price shop from the computer is also great.

by **Toons** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 4:24 pm

bungalow10 wrote:
Toons wrote:I figure I have saved way more than 79.00 just in fuel and "time", by shopping Prime from the lazyboy.
Regarding video viewing selection for Prime, I just noticed there are 12,123 different choices available.
Thinking way back in time it sure beats the "3-channels" available to me on the TV when I was a kid.
I can always find something to watch

It was worth not having to shop on Black Friday. And the ability to price shop from the computer is also great.

Agree completely. I shop Walmart and Amazon (side by side) on the computer.The are both competing against one another for our hard earned money
and the lowering prices at both sites reflect it. :happy

by **JupiterJones** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 4:28 pm

NAVigator wrote:I used Netflix for years. I am not at all interested in TV shows since I haven't owned a TV for about 20 years now.

I gotta tell you, you're missing out. I've noticed that TV has gotten good over the past 20 years.

Sure, there's still plenty of crappy TV out there. Heck, it's mostly crap. But there have been shows over the past 10 years or so that reached a level of quality that blows the majority of movies out of the water. Dexter, Mad Men, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Downton Abbey, Freaks & Geeks, Firefly, the West Wing... the list goes on.

JJ

by **poundwise** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 7:35 pm

The original post appears to have an affiliate link in it. Probably not intentional, but that can't be kosher on bogleheads, can it?

by **Sidney** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:27 pm

I have never waited more than three days for anything in stock that is shipped with the "free shipping for over $XX" -- it probably has to do with how close the major distribution center is. The only faster shipping I've ever experienced was Newegg - ordered at 4:00 one afternoon and delivered next day.

I think a lot of the distribution centers are in NJ and DE which are not far from where we live.

by **steadyeddy** » Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:49 pm

Amazon gave me a free Prime membership for a year and it helped me justify purchasing too many little things. Now they regularly contact me to renew my membership for half price, but I've concluded they should be paying me to introduce that sort of temptation into my life!

by **LazyNihilist** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 2:50 am

I have Amazon Prime and Netflix. Netflix beats Amazon on the video collection hands down. And netflix has a good suggestion system. The only problem with netflix is using Silverlight instead of Flash.
The primary value of Prime to me is the 2 day shipping.

by **praxis** » Tue Dec 11, 2012 5:36 pm

LazyNihilist wrote:I have Amazon Prime and Netflix. Netflix beats Amazon on the video collection hands down. And netflix has a good suggestion system.

For my family, Netflix beats Amazon Prime's video collection. Most of the movies we want to watch with our Prime subscription cost from $1.99 to $9.99 each! I do not find their selection system as user-friendly as Netflix. Because many of our Netflix selections are DVD-only, we retain a 1-at-a-time mail order DVD subscription with our instant streaming option with them. Amazon has a pretty crummy movie selection included for free, but we allowed our 1 month free trial to fold into a 1 year subscription for $79. If they don't improve the choices and selection system, we will drop it.

What we have found in the process is our enjoyment of British TV mystery series like Midsomer Murders, Poirot & other Agatha Cristie-based shows, MI5, Foyle's War, Downtown Abbey, Merlin, Morse, Marple, Sherlock, etc. We were exposed through our BBC cable channel and found whole series with these subscriptions. They are free with Netflix but cost with Amazon. Netflix does meter out the number of shows available for streaming. That's why we set up our queue with DVD-only shows. We get one about every 3 days.

I have never watched much TV. Our viewing is limited to some sports, some news and a movie during dinner together once in a while. To try to sit through a typical conventional TV show without tivo or a recorder is intolerable with the 50/50 split of show-to-commercial ration. I am not motivated to set up my system to record and skip the loud commercials so I can watch this week's episode of something.

by **bUU** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 6:17 am

Free two-day shipping. $80 a year? Fantastic value, given how much we buy from Amazon.com.

Oh, they offer movies too? I didn't notice. (Seriously, I did, but we need closed captions and online we just don't get them, so it is like they don't have movies, to us.)

by **TomatoTomahto** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 7:35 am

bicker wrote:Free two-day shipping. $80 a year? Fantastic value, given how much we buy from Amazon.com.

Oh, they offer movies too? I didn't notice. (Seriously, I did, but we need closed captions and online we just don't get them, so it is like they don't have movies, to us.)

We're almost inaugural members, and this year we finally got a Roku and got some videos (decided to see what the fuss about Breaking Bad was and wound up watching all preceding seasons).

Amazon is our first stop when we shop, so we're far ahead on the shipping. We seldom have much time for videos, but now that the NHL season is going down the flusher...

by **bungalow10** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 7:37 am

praxis wrote:What we have found in the process is our enjoyment of British TV mystery series like Midsomer Murders, Poirot & other Agatha Cristie-based shows, MI5, Foyle's War, Downtown Abbey, Merlin, Morse, Marple, Sherlock, etc. We were exposed through our BBC cable channel and found whole series with these subscriptions. They are free with Netflix but cost with Amazon. Netflix does meter out the number of shows available for streaming. That's why we set up our queue with DVD-only shows. We get one about every 3 days.

I didn't check all your shows, but Sherlock, MI-5 and Downton Abbey are free on Amazon with Prime. Other ones may be as well.

We have both Netflix and Amazon Prime and I find their offerings to be almost identical.

by **praxis** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 11:53 am

bungalow10 wrote:
praxis wrote:What we have found in the process is our enjoyment of British TV mystery series like Midsomer Murders, Poirot & other Agatha Cristie-based shows, MI5, Foyle's War, Downtown Abbey, Merlin, Morse, Marple, Sherlock, etc. We were exposed through our BBC cable channel and found whole series with these subscriptions. They are free with Netflix but cost with Amazon. Netflix does meter out the number of shows available for streaming. That's why we set up our queue with DVD-only shows. We get one about every 3 days.

I didn't check all your shows, but Sherlock, MI-5 and Downton Abbey are free on Amazon with Prime. Other ones may be as well.

We have both Netflix and Amazon Prime and I find their offerings to be almost identical.

Correct, bungalow10
The shows you checked are free on Amazon. I subscribed originally to get some of the others on my list, like Midsomer and Poirot. What happened was that after we watched a few of each series for free with the trial, we found that to watch more in those series, we needed to pay for each viewing. By that time our trial had ended and we paid for a year's subscription. I am determined to explore the value in this membership, though, and although I haven't found an item that qualifies for free shipping yet (I buy used audio and paper books mostly) I will keep working the movie lists. I have found many top 10 movie lists on line and scanned the best movie threads here too. I have a long queue with both providers because I have watched so few movies in my pre-retirement life.
Thank you for your help.
praxis

by **Alex Frakt** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:28 pm

I use Prime for the free shipping. It really has changed how I shop. If I need something other than groceries, I try to get it online. No added costs for driving to the store, no added costs from impulse buys at said store, and no buying stuff I really don't need to get to the $25 minimum order for free shipping.

by **sscritic** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:36 pm

bicker wrote:Free two-day shipping. $80 a year? Fantastic value, given how much we buy from Amazon.com.

I have never paid for shipping from Amazon, and I never paid them $80 a year. I can't find anywhere on their website where they require you to pay $80 a year for free shipping. I like my "free" shipping to be free, not to cost $80. But then, free to me might not mean the same as free to you.

by **bUU** » Wed Dec 12, 2012 12:38 pm

I meant free TWO DAY shipping. Sorry for the confusion.

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