Dolby video and audio technologies are currently available in an ad-free plan.
Amazon has officially confirmed that the standard subscription to Prime Video does not include Dolby Vision and Atmos. On January 29, the company launched advertising on the service – you can get rid of it for $2.99/month (these funds also pay for the support of surround sound technology and video playback with extended dynamic range (HDR) – otherwise the function will not be available).
The company did not explain the reasons for the removal, but since Dolby charges licensing fees for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, Android Authority speculates that Amazon may want to avoid paying at a lower subscription level. Instead, the company can promote HDR10+ as an open and free standard.
Amazon Prime Video was originally available as part of the overall Amazon Prime subscription ($15 per month or $139 per year in the US). Currently, the company also offers a separate subscription to the streaming service — for $8.99 per month in the US, so we can talk about a 28% price increase.
Netflix and Disney+ have previously launched ad-supported plans, and now Apple TV+ remains the only major streaming platform using a pure subscription model.
By the way, because of the launch of the ad, Amazon has already received a class action lawsuit for $5 million, in which it is claimed that the company violated the terms of the contract and consumer protection laws. Now Prime Video has more than 100 million subscribers.
