Last month, Amazon Prime Video started running in-stream ads in several regions, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Those who don’t want to see ads must pay $3 a month above the subscription price. While the development didn’t even sink in for all users, the platform has decided to lock the high-fidelity video and sound experiences behind a paywall.
Viewers Must Pay More For Viewing Content In Dolby Vision And Dolby Atmos
Prime Video has confirmed (to The Verge) that Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos capabilities are locked to the ad-free option for relevant titles in the latest development. This came to light after 4KFilme noticed that their Sony and LG smart TVs played content in HDR10 and Dolby Digital 5.1 instead of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
Better Viewing Formats Are A Part Of The Ad-Free Tier Now
Going forward, users who wish to view supported movies or TV shows in the aforementioned formats must upgrade to the ad-free tier that costs $3 per month. Are there two sides to this coin? Yes, there are. Even though Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos provide a more immersive experience by enhancing the video and audio quality, not everyone can tell the difference.
Hence, many users might not notice that their movie or web series is playing in HDR10 or Dolby Digital 5.1. However, some users are particular about such things and have spent a fortune buying a smart TV that can handle such formats. For them, it’s a big letdown that the regular subscription tier with ads won’t let them stream in the best possible quality anymore.
How Does This Affect The Indian Users?
While ads in the regular tier and the $3 ad-free tier aren’t coming to India for now, sooner or later, they could. Whether it’s Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, or Netflix, OTT services’ subscription fees are much less in India than overseas. As most platforms are in a race to maximize their profits, there’s a good chance that Amazon can introduce the new strategy in India very soon.
The pricing will likely remain similar. However, introducing ads in several tiers, like Disney+ Hotstar already does, could be the way forward for Amazon Prime and Netflix.
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