Kindle News: Amazon makes deal with Epix, adding thousands to Prime Instant Video

Amazon has made a multiyear-licensing agreement with EPIX, adding thousands of movies to its Prime Instant Video service

As many know, Amazon Prime is a program that allows unlimited viewing of "Prime"-labeled video,  included in the yearly cost for free 2-day shipping on Amazon's directly-sold products

  In essence, Netflix lost exclusive rights to stream such movies as "The Avengers," "The Hunger Games" and "Mission: Impossible" now that Amazon has those rights also.

  The Los Angeles Times article by Dawn C. Chmielewski reports that Netflix's stock dropped 7% in midday trading on this news (east coast) and it dropped as much as 11% a couple of hours later.

  This deal added movies from Paramount Pictures, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to Amazon's Prime.

Other sources point out, though, that EPIX's movies are a small portion of Netflix's videobase.  They "account for just a fraction (mid-single-digits) of the viewing in Netflix households, wrote Vasily Karasyov of Susquehanna Financial Group."   Reuters' Alistair Barr adds that Netflix spokesman Joris Evers said that Epix accounts for about 5 percent of Netflix's viewing hours.

  The Netflix stock may be weaker now, Janney Capital Markets analyst Tony Wible says, because it's less likely that Amazon will acquire Netflix.  Found that an interesting take.

  Amazon VP of music and music Bill Carr said that the company is ""investing hundreds of millions of dollars to expand the Prime Instant Video library" -- a larger number than I'd expect.

While Prime is $79/year ($6.58/mo. equivalent) for the free 2-day shipping of Amazon products (no minimum purchase), it also allows members to borrow a Kindle book (offered for lending by publishers and authors) once per calendar month) in addition to streaming from a collection of something like 25,000 movies and tv shows at no additional cost.

Bloomberg's Edmund Lee and Sarah Frier add that the agreement with Epix lasts three years but they say the source, "familiar with the transaction" asked not to be identified as "the terms aren't public."  Odd bit of info to release and then request no sourcing info.  "Cat Griffin, an Amazon spokeswoman, declined to comment.

Not earthshaking news, but it adds more to what many perceive as Amazon's strength - its ecosystem.  A wealth of free streaming video for Prime shipping members and its 145,000 titles in its Kindle Owners' Lending Library

The main Amazon page now includes the announcement of the additional 2,000 movies coming to Prime Instant this year, citing especially "Thor, Iron Man 2, and Captain America: The First Avenger, plus recent hits such as Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Warrior, Super 8, True Grit, and Rango."


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Kindle News: Office Suite Pro 6 app: $0.99 thru' June 17. Prime Instant Video gets hundreds more from MGM.

Office Suite Professional 6 app for the KindleFire, normally $14.99, is $0.99 until end of day June 17.

The Office Suite Professional 6 customer reviews are mostly enthusiastic. Some low '1'-votes were given because of updates that appear to cost extra.  However, as a commenter points out based on the company's Facebook page, updates to this app are free for registered users, so do register right away after downloading the app.  I grabbed this one when it was free for one day many moons ago, and the updates never cost me anything.

The "Most helpful" review so far (by K. Tevald) includes these statements:

' The word processor is,for me,the most outstanding portion of the software. The text editing and alignment. options are easy to use and translate perfectly when opened in MS Office Blue. The indentation and margin options available in OfficeSuite pro are second to none and adding pictures and media into the .docs is as easy as can be.
...
Until this I was using QuickOffice Pro. QuickOffice Pro does not offer anywhere near as useful a word processor, and it often loses formatting when importing and exporting to and from MS Word. QuickOffice Pro does not compare to this in any way. '

Amazon announces a licensing agreement with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studies.
Business Wire posting: As a result of the licensing agreement with MGM, Amazon is "adding hundreds of classic movies and hit TV episodes throughout 2012 to the Prime Instant Video catalog. Prime Instant Video now features more than 18,000 movies and TV episodes to instantly stream and enjoy at no additional cost."

These include "favorites like The Silence of the Lambs, Dances with Wolves, Rain Man and The Terminator, as well as fan-favorite TV series like Stargate."

  To start watching Prime Instant Video, visit amzn.to/primeinstantvideo.

  To find out what devices are compatible with Prime Instant Video, see amzn.to/watch-anywhere.

  Customers who are not already Prime members can enjoy a free one month trial of Prime. (Link: amzn.to/primevideos )

I'll add here a reminder that there's always the Kindle Daily Deal that changes each night at about midnight. (Link: amzn.to/kdailydeal )

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Current Kindle Models for reference, plus free-ebook search links

US: Kindle Fire  7" tablet - $199 Kindle NoTouch ("Kindle") - $79/$109 Kindle Touch, WiFi - $99/$139 Kindle Touch, 3G/WiFi - $149/$189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189, Free, slow web Kindle DX - $379, Free, slow web

UK: Kindle Basic, NoTouch - £89 Kindle Touch WiFi, UK - £109 Kindle Touch 3G/WiFi, UK - £169 Kindle Keyboard 3G, UK - £149   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

OTHER International Kindle NoTouch Basic - $109 Kindle Touch WiFi - $139 Kindle Touch 3G/WiFi - $189 Kindle Keybd 3G - $189   Keybd: w/ Free, slow 3G WEB

Check often: Temporarily-free recently published Kindle books
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.  Liked-books under $1
UK-Only: recently published free books, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.

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Amazon Prime adds PBS day-after-broadcast videos + FoxTV shows. Two unusual memories of Steve Jobs. Kindle Daily Deal 10/19

Amazon adds NEW content to PRIME from PBS and others.

 There's an announcement on the main store page today, which I'll quote here, in part.

' ... We have more good news for Amazon Prime members – Prime Instant Video is growing again.  We've now licensed TV programs from PBS including day-after broadcast shows like Frontline and NOVA, more than 1,000 episodes of shows like Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, and popular Ken Burns documentaries The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, and, for a limited time, the first episode of Prohibition.  PBS joins recently announced FOX television shows 24, Arrested Development, The X-Files, Ally McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and The Wonder Years. '

  They'll be adding Malcolm in the Middle, King of the Hill, and episodes from Julia Child's classic cooking series, The French Chef, and will continue to add new Prime Instant Video titles.  Prime membership remains $79 a year and includes free two-day shipping on "millions of items" (almost anything that's shipped from their own warehouses).

  Basically, all these added videos will be streamable at no added cost for those on a Prime membership.  The Amazon Fire will be one way to view them on an affordable portable device.



Kindle Daily Deal (Often U.S. only, unfortunately) (The Daily Deal link above changes at MIDNIGHT each day.
      Click it to see what the daily deal book is, at any time.)
Death and the Lit Chick (A St. Just Mystery), by G.M. Malliet, 17 customer reviews, 4.3 stars
    Daily Deal until the end of Wednesday 10/19:
      Tuesday's Price: $9.19
      Wednesday's Discount: $7.20
      Wednesday's Daily Deal Price: $1.99 (78% off)

The Amazon editor who wrote this did an especially good job:
  "A sure-fire hit for old-school mystery fans, Death and the Lit Chick tracks Detective Chief Inspector St. Just's flustering murder investigation in a castle full of cagey mystery connoisseurs who live and breathe malicious murder and artful alibis."

  From a review: "...We are treated to an old-fashioned Agatha Christie-style mystery in which all the suspects are gathered under one roof.  Lots of humor and a bit of "guess who this writer is" make this one a good choice for readers who enjoy intelligent cozies and traditional mysteries. --School Library Journal


BOOKENDS: TWO ESPECIALLY INTERESTING MEMORIES OF STEVE JOBS
With the book on Steve Jobs by Isaacson generating much interest, with articles that don't indicate an unnaturally hagiographic focus for a very complex man, I enjoyed reading today a set of memories in two parts by international photographer, Jeffrey Aaronson, who was assigned by Newsweek to photograph young Jobs when they were both 29 and Jobs was not generally keen to be photographed.

Part 1 (Link: bit.ly/sj-1 ) and Part 2 (Link: bit.ly/sj-2 ), by Becky Green Aaronson.

  The other was a short piece by Christopher Hynes, who recounts a sweetly ironic moment a couple of months ago (Link: bit.ly/sj-3 ), and commenters to the article hope that staff is able to find the family who had no idea who it was that did them that small favor.


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Temporarily-free books - Non-classics USA: by:    Publication Date   Late-listed    Bestselling   High-ratings UK: PubDate   Popular What is 3G? and "WiFi"?       Battery Care Highly-rated under $1,  Newest: $1-$2, $2-$3

Most Popular Free K-Books U.S. & Int'l (NOT UK):    Top 100 free UK-Only:    Top 100 free USEFUL for your Kindle (U.S. only, currently):   99c Notepad 1.1,   99c Calculator,   99c Calendar,   99c Converter

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Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!