When it comes to the best streaming services, Netflix has for a long time been my number 1, but quietly Prime Video has emerged with some essential viewing that has changed my mind.
It may not have the sheer number of new titles each month as Netflix but Prime Video's focus on quality (in two meanings of the word) over quantity has won me round. Of course, Netflix is still often the place to watch some of my favourite movies, but Prime Video's hit rate is in my opinion, much higher. Here are 3 reasons why I think it's now the better option.
1. Choice cuts
I feel like I've pretty much exhausted many of the classics on Netflix, while many of the newer originals are fairly formulaic.
Perhaps that's a bit harsh on the big N, it has produced some fantastic shows and even Oscar-winning movies like All Quiet On the Western Front and Marriage Story, but I feel like a big proportion of releases now are either trashy reality TV (which has a place) or identikit teenage dramas.
In recent years Prime Video has had exclusive access to some of the best films released. Current best picture winner Everything, Everywhere, All at Once is only streaming on Prime Video for example, as is The Whale - the movie that won Brendan Fraser an Oscar and Triangle of Sadness (another Oscar nominee). Some movies are even making the switch from Netflix to Amazon, with the beautiful The Peanut Butter Falcon now instead on Prime Video.
When it comes to series, I'd have to give the edge to Netflix still (providing they don't cancel my favourites), but Amazon has been going big in this area recently. Spy thriller Citadel is one of the biggest budget TV shows ever made while there are also blockbuster fantasy series like Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and The Wheel of Time. The Marvelous Mrs Maisel and The Boys are fantastic but my favourite Prime Video exclusive is US Office creator Greg Daniels' Upload.
2. Pricing and Perks
In simple terms, Prime Video is better value, whether you plump for it as part of an Amazon Prime delivery package or just as a standalone service.
A standard Prime subscription (with Prime delivery) will set you back £8.99/$14.99 a month while Netflix's standard (ad-free) package is £10.99/$15.49. If you're looking for the basic options for both services, Netflix's ad-supported plan costs £4.99/$6.99 a month while Prime Video on its own (without any ads) comes in at £5.99/ $8.99 a month. A pound/couple of dollars a month is a small price to pay to get rid of adverts.
Netflix did have a basic non-HD plan, coming in at $8.99/£6.99 monthly but has now been cancelled (like so many Netflix shows).
Also in Amazon's favour is the fact that the standard Netflix plan will only offer up to 1080p streaming. If you have one of the best TVs you'll have to upgrade to Netflix Premium (£15.99/ $19.99) to make the most of your setup. Prime Video offers 4K resolution at no extra price.
At the end of the day, if you're after ad-free 4K streaming, you could be paying more than double on Netflix.
3. Off the wall stories
As a younger service, I feel like Prime Video is still in its experimental phase. Netflix has gone too mainstream now. Prime Video has a massive selection of titles that have much quirkier, less commercial premises.
Licorice Pizza is a unique must-watch directed by Paul Thomas Anderson that features the tensest scene I can remember in any movie, while Guns Akimbo has a truly unhinged premise. Daniel Radcliffe wakes up in his dressing gown and slippers with a pair of guns bolted to his hands, how could you not want to check that out?
If you're after something a bit out-there Prime Video is a wonderful world of weird.
