Changes are coming to the 180 million Americans who are signed up for Amazon Prime.
The service is revamping its Prime Video membership, turning into the base subscription and Prime Ultra, which offers better resolution and no ads.
Adding Prime Ultra
Prime Video Ultra is currently only for U.S. residents. Before Ultra, regular Prime members could stream movies and TV shows in 1080p HD or 4K/UHD.
If you wanted an ad-free experience, then there was an extra monthly fee.
However, now the basic Prime Video package only offers 1080p streaming, while the 4K/UHD option is being bundled with no ads and is being turned into Prime Video Ultra.
Extra Perks for Ultra
These are not the only perks of Ultra.
Amazon is including an increased download capacity for offline viewing (from 25 to 100), support for Dolby Atmos audio and Dolby Vision picture, and increased concurrent streams from one account (from three to five).
The monthly price will go from $2.99/month to $4.99/month. The changes will go into effect on April 10th.
Dolby Vision for Prime Video
While it may seem like all bad news, there are still some additions to basic Prime members’ subscriptions.
They will have access to Dolby Vision support, along with an increase in concurrent streams for a single account, from three to four. Customers will also still have access to Amazon MGM Studios-produced originals and more, such as exclusive live sports and licensed films and shows.
As for the change from 4K to 1080p, it shouldn’t affect too many users, since 4K often requires a larger bandwidth or larger screen to properly stream the resolution.
However, if you use Prime Video for your home theater, it may be worth upgrading to Ultra.
Streaming Tiers Trend
Streaming platforms have increasingly started implementing premium video subscriptions into their offerings, separating 4K video and premium audio from basic subscriptions.
The accompanying price hike for Prime Video Ultra, it reflects a broader trend of streaming platforms looking to monetize their offerings in any way possible.
It is important to note that Prime Video still offers a basic tier for subscribers, and with new additions to that tier, it may soothe some of the anger about losing out on 4K streaming and an ad-free experience.