Six months after it was first announced at WWDC 2017 and years after the company should have shipped it, Amazon Prime Video for Apple TV is finally available for download. And here's everything you need to know about it.
What's new with Amazon Prime Video?
Well, the first and biggest news is that Amazon Prime Video is finally available on Apple TV. With your Prime membership, you can access and watch all of the movies and TV shows Amazon has to offer.
See what's new on Amazon Prime Video this month!
What is Amazon Prime Video?
Amazon Video is the company's video streaming app. With it, you can rent, buy, or watch Prime content. It is available on a plethora of devices, including smart TVs, Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, game consoles, Android devices, and iOS devices.
If you have a Prime account, you can stream some content for free as part of your subscription. You can also rent or buy movies from Amazon and watch them from the app or on Amazon.com directly.
How do I get Amazon Video on Apple TV?
If you update Amazon prime video for your iPhone or iPad, it should automatically download to your Apple TV.
If, for whatever reason, it doesn't work, you can also:
- Pick up your Siri Remote, hold down the Siri button, and say "Amazon Prime Video App Store" and you should go right to it.
- Go to the App Store on your Apple TV and browse around or search for the new Amazon Prime Video app.
How do I sign up for Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is actually part of Amazon Prime. If you already have a subscription to Amazon Prime, you already have a subscription to Amazon Video.
If you don't already have a Prime subscription, you can sign up today if you live in one of the 200 supported countries. Most regions offer a 30-day free trial so you can test the waters before you jump in.
How to sign up for Amazon Prime
What can I watch on Amazon Prime Video?
Oh, a lot. In March of 2016, Variety reported that Amazon has more than 18,000 movies and nearly 2,000 TV shows. Content covers all manner of categories, including comedies, drama, action, sci-fi, fantasy, kids, and more. Not only can you watch a lot of free content with your Prime subscription, but you can also rent or buy movies and TV shows, expanding your available content even more.
The Amazon Video app is updated regularly, and as you watch or save content in your watchlist, recommendations are catered to your favorite types of movies and TV shows.
Are there any premium channels?
There are. Currently, you can subscribe to a number of channels, like HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, and Stars, and then access content from your subscriptions in the Amazon Video app. It's about more than just the major premium channels. You can subscribe to smaller channels, like Cheddar, MUBI, Outside TV, Shudder, and more.
There are even channels specifically for watching concerts, like Qello, and having karaoke fun, like Stingray. After you've signed up, visit the Channels section on Amazon to see the type of content you can add.
How do I rent or buy videos with Amazon Prime Video?
If you find a movie or TV show that you want to watch, but it's not available to watch with Prime, you can rent or buy it. Rentals are available for 30 days after you first rent them, but expire 48 hours after you've started watching them.
You'll have to rent or buy videos from Amazon.com, but you can add them to your watch list, and then watch them in the Prime Video app after you've made your payment.
Once rented or purchased, videos show up in the Library section of the Amazon Video app. Hit the play button to start watching. If you've rented and watched a movie, it will disappear after 48 hours - 30 days if you've never watched it.
Any questions?
Do you have any questions about Amazon Video and how to watch it on Apple TV? Put them in the comments and we'll help you out.
