If you’ve recently signed up for Amazon Prime or are considering it, you might be wondering about its video benefits. You remember hearing about a service called Amazon Instant Video in the past, and now you’re trying to figure out how it all fits together with your Prime membership. It’s a common point of confusion, and getting a clear answer can help you make the most of your subscription.
What Happened to Amazon Instant Video?
Let’s clear up the history first. Amazon Instant Video was the original name for Amazon’s digital video store, where you could rent or buy movies and TV shows. Alongside this, Amazon offered a separate subscription service called Prime Instant Video, which was the library of movies and TV shows included for free with a Prime membership. To simplify things, Amazon eventually dropped the “Instant” and now calls its overall video service Amazon Video. The free content you get with your Prime subscription is known as Prime Video.
What Your Prime Membership Gets You Today
So, to answer the main question directly: Yes, your Amazon Prime membership absolutely includes access to a massive library of streaming video. This is the service now officially called Prime Video. It’s a core benefit of your subscription, giving you unlimited streaming of thousands of popular movies, hit TV shows, and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Boys. There are no additional fees to watch this included content.
Navigating the Broader Amazon Video World
It’s helpful to know that the Amazon Video app or website is like a large shopping mall. Inside it, Prime Video is your all-access pass to one big, free section. However, you’ll also see other “stores” within the same platform. You can still rent or buy new release movies that aren’t included with Prime, and you can subscribe to other channels like Max or Paramount+.
The key is to look for the Prime logo on a title’s details page. This confirms it’s part of your subscription and ready to watch at no extra cost.
In short, not only does Amazon Prime include the successor to Instant Video, but it has grown into a major streaming platform in its own right. Your membership gives you a fantastic value, combining fast shipping with a vast and ever-changing library of entertainment.
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