# Is Amazon Prime worth it just for streaming **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 26, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045 "2016-11-26T15:21:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LiveFree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@LiveFree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveFree)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/1 "2016-11-26T15:21:43Z")
Thinking about getting Amazon Prime. Is it worth it for the streaming of tv shows and movies. No smart tv, but do have a Roku 3. I think that I see that they charge you for some shows/movies/documentaries. I would use the free shipping part of it, but I’d probably be buying more than normal (being that it’s free shipping). ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/2 "2016-11-26T16:25:43Z")
We have it mainly for shipping (3 orders a week is not unusual) but the streaming access is a nice perk. Do the math: will you rent $99 worth of stuff in a year? Close? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/3 "2016-11-26T16:26:30Z")
I’m not impressed by the streaming selection, it is inferior to both netflix and hulu. If you share the account, it is only $50 per person. The biggest benefit is the free shipping. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/4 "2016-11-26T18:37:12Z")
There is free streaming music and free digital storage too…does that help? ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/5 "2016-11-26T18:45:41Z")
Yes, it’s cheaper than Netflix. You can also get add on channels like Stars and Showtime. And even if you only order two or three items in a year, that still gives you way more bang for your buck than what you’re paying for Netflix. Also, I n never ordered a lot of things on Amazon before I got Prime. Now that I have it, I order all sorts of things that I would have normally bought at the brick and mortar stores. Batteries, T shirts, shaving blades, etc… ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/6 "2016-11-26T19:04:16Z")
I got it for streaming and so far I’ve watched three or four foreign and obscure movies. I was very disappointed. Free shipping is nice but I don’t think it’s worth $99 a year. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/7 "2016-11-26T20:42:02Z")
I’ve found _ **very** _ little I want to watch that comes free with a prime subscription. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/8 "2016-11-26T21:55:27Z")
If you live in the boonies and have limited access to brick and mortar stores, the free shipping is well worth the cost. I would not buy a prime account just for their TV/movie offerings, though: it’s a nice bonus, but Prime’s not worth it if you’re not buying from them regularly. ---
**Author:** ![kbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/9 "2016-11-26T22:40:43Z")
It’s more or less worth it just for the shipping but I’ve also enjoyed some of their original programming such as Ripper Street, Outlander, Bosch, Alpha House. I tried to like Transparent but most of the characters were really vile. The pickings are slim tho. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/10 "2016-11-26T22:58:04Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I would not buy a prime account just for their TV/movie offerings, though: it’s a nice bonus, but Prime’s not worth it if you’re not buying from them regularly. Absolutely. Free two-day shipping is the primary draw for me, as I shop at Amazon semi-regularly ( often for books, shockingly enough 😃 ). The streaming services aren’t _worthless_, but they really aren’t worth it in isolation. ---
**Author:** ![pidgeon92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/50afbb/32.png) [@pidgeon92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pidgeon92)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/11 "2016-11-26T23:09:53Z")
I use it mostly for free shipping, but they do have a couple of shows I really like that aren’t available streaming elsewhere, like Transparent and Catastrophe. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/12 "2016-11-26T23:36:12Z")
I have both Netflix and Amazon Prime. There’s not much overlap, and between the two I can always find a good show to watch. Until streaming came along, I had pretty much stopped watching TV altogether, I just can’t stand the repetitiveness of the ads. I now quite often enjoy an ad-free binge-watch session of a new series that I haven’t come across before. I do still have cable TV, but only because it’s barely more expensive than just internet, I’d sooner cut the cord than dump either Netflix or Prime now. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2016, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/13 "2016-11-26T23:47:44Z")
> [@LiveFree](#): > > No smart tv, but do have a Roku 3. I think that I see that they charge you for some shows/movies/documentaries. You may be confusing Amazon Prime with Amazon Video. Amazon has lots of movies and TV shows available to buy or rent, but only some of them are available to watch free for those who have Amazon Prime. What kind of a viewer are you? If you’re the kind who frequently says, “I want to watch [some specific show or movie]—let’s see if it’s available on Prime,” you’ll be frequently disappointed. If you’re the kind who says, “I want to watch something but I’m not sure what—let me browse and see what’s available,” Prime might be worth it for you. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/14 "2016-11-27T03:28:24Z")
The streaming is meh but Prime gets you into the Pantry and with free shipping some of the stuff there can be terrific. Unless you live in Western PA or Western-most NY in which case avoid Prime at all costs. I work at one of their shipping centers 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/15 "2016-11-27T08:05:03Z")
We’ve got Prime. Its streaming strength, for us, lies in those TV shows which aren’t available here otherwise (Acorn TV, for example, is their offshoot for British and Canadian shows). Every so often they’ll have a binge-worthy series like Netflix, or the first couple of seasons of a particular show for free where you have to pay to see the next season. We’re not fans of that, although we shelled out the $ to watch Season 4 of Orphan Black. The free shipping is nice particularly around the holidays. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/16 "2016-11-27T09:04:32Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Yes, it’s cheaper than Netflix. Not really. As a _monthly fee_ it’s cheaper than Netflix, but I tried exploring the streaming options while I had a one month Prime free trial. I found that every time I found a movie I wanted to stream- something that I could not get on Netflix or Hulu- I would end up having to pay to “rent” a stream. $99/12months _seems_ comparable to Netflix until you then have to pay $2.99 every time you actually want to watch something! I’d say streaming is a “nice perk” _if_ you do enough shopping every year to get your money’s worth on free shipping. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/17 "2016-11-27T14:35:59Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > The streaming is meh but Prime gets you into the Pantry and with free shipping some of the stuff there can be terrific. > > Unless you live in Western PA or Western-most NY in which case avoid Prime at all costs. > I work at one of their shipping centers 😃 So… what’s the deal with Western PA and NY? ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/18 "2016-11-27T14:45:32Z")
> [@Athena](#): > > So… what’s the deal with Western PA and NY? Our center services those areas so almost every Prime purchase comes through our warehouse ---- more work. 😉 The way their network works, a variety of places fill your order and seal the boxes and send them to us. We break all that down and form pallets for the individual post offices. The USPS does the actual delivery. Right now we process about 150k boxes on the average day and they are saying this season we’ll have multiple days over 250k or even more. And we don’t get everything - it depends in part on just where your order/box is filled. But we move tons of deliveries every day. Once I get fired (everyone gets fired from here sooner or later - at 2 years I’m senior to 99% of the building) I may do a “ask the” thread. But since they will fire people for talking about the company on the internet (I am not kidding - they have people troll searches looking for it) that will have to wait. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/19 "2016-11-27T15:03:14Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > The streaming is meh but Prime gets you into the Pantry and with free shipping some of the stuff there can be terrific. > > Unless you live in Western PA or Western-most NY in which case avoid Prime at all costs. > I work at one of their shipping centers 😃 I always inspect the box, looking for specks of cigar ash.😃 ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2016, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045/20 "2016-11-27T16:40:10Z")
Prime is worth it to me. I like the free delivery thing and I really like being able to stream music. I mostly listen to blues music and I won’t live long enough to listen to all that’s available. I don’t watch many movies but I like quite a few of the series stuff they offer. But I’m an elderly recluse. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-amazon-prime-worth-it-just-for-streaming/773045.md?page=2)