Amazon has announced that it’s renaming Lovefilm Instant and giving Amazon Prime customers free on-demand movies from February 26 onwards.
That’s great news for existing subscribers to Amazon’s guaranteed one-day delivery service, but what does it mean for Lovefilm subscribers? How much will everything cost?
We’ve totalled up the costs and compared the value of getting Lovefilm Instant – or Prime Instant Video as it’s soon to be called – alongside Amazon Prime, which will give you access to the same on-demand content.
What’s happening to my Lovefilm subscription?
Short answer: Nothing much. You’ll still pay £5.99/month to get access to the same TV shows and movies you love. The only difference is that Lovefilm Instant will be called Prime Instant Video. That’s it.
The DVD-based Lovefilm by post option will retain the Lovefilm name and branding.
What’s happening to my Amazon Prime subscription?
If you’ve already paying for Amazon Prime, you’re basically being given a year of Lovefilm Instant/Prime Instant Video for free.
From February 26 onwards, the basic price of Amazon Prime – normally £49/year – will be climbing up to £79/year.
As part of the deal you get access to over 500,000 Kindle titles, as well as the free one-day delivery as standard.
Lovefilm Instant/Prime Instant Video vs Amazon Prime: What will it cost me?
While this seems like a big leap on paper, when you add the total annual cost of Prime Instant Video (£71.88) and the current price of Amazon Prime (£49), £79/year is actually a bargain compared to £120.88/year.
In other words, £79/year breaks down to £6.58/month compared to Prime Instant Video on it’s own for £5.99/month. For 59p more, you’re getting a top quality on-demand service with exclusive content and a premium delivery service bundled in.
However you cut it, let’s compare the offerings and see what you get for your money:
| Prime Instant Video (formerly Lovefilm Instant) – £5.99/month | Amazon Prime (with Prime Instant Video) – £79/year |
|---|---|
| 15,000 popular movies and TV episodes | 15,000 popular movies and TV episodes |
| Exclusive content including Amazon Studios pilots and shows | Exclusive content including Amazon Studios pilots and shows |
| Amazon Prime free one-day delivery | |
| Over 500,000 Kindle titles to borrow free |
While Amazon Prime obviously works out as a great value for money offer, when you break it down, you’ll still need to stump up £79 all at once. For some this won’t be as convenient as just paying £5.99 every month.
The real question is, how much do you value the power of Amazon Prime? If you don’t spend a lot of money shopping online then you might be better off paying £5.99/month and sticking with the on-demand service.
Do you have a Kindle or read a lot of ebooks? Again, if you prefer your books that are of the battery-free paper variety then this isn’t much of a sell for you either. Alternatively, even if you don’t have a Kindle you can still access these titles on your iPad or Android tablet through the various Kindle apps.
The Prime Instant Video mobile apps are also worth considering. While there’s an iPad app for Lovefilm Instant available now, the only Android devices you can get Lovefilm on right now are the Kindle ones. Owners of Google Nexus 7s and Galaxy Note 10.1s might not be as enthusiastic.
Amazon Prime and Prime Instant Video: Sign up now, save £££
One final point. Amazon Prime with Prime Instant Video launches on February 26. Any early adopters who want to make sure they get this service at the current £49/year price can sign up anytime between now and the 26th. Once Prime Instant Video launches you’ll benefit from free access to Prime Instant Video without having to pay the new rate.
This is equivalent to paying £4.08/month. When your year is up, you’ll renew for the new £79/year rate, but in those first 12 months, you will have saved £30. Which you can spend on Amazon stuff right?
If you’re sold on the idea of getting on-demand movies combined with express delivery on online Amazon purchases AND saving thirty quid, you’ve got five days to put your money where your mouth is.
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