I will take my entertainment to go, please.
Amazon Prime Video app has won the metadata game for customers like me who take their entertainment on-the-go, mainly on their smartphones or tablets. The Netflix stories feature might have changed my opinion, especially considering the content available on Netflix.
Literally, the biggest fight my husband and I have and on a daily basis is about what to watch. We do not pay for cable services and hence, we rely on various streaming services for our entertainment. I realized the value of having content offline when I found myself wanting more distraction than music alone could not provide. For example, I complete my cardio workout of the day while watching one or maybe more episodes of my favorite series. There could be many other instances in which this app experience provides value. So the question remains: how do I decide what to watch?
Ease of Navigation
The landing page experience for both the apps is pretty much the same. You have categories at the top from where you can select the type of content you’re in the mood for. One thing I do like about the Prime video app is that it shows me ‘Included with Prime’ tag at the beginning of every category. As a Prime member, I want to see what’s included with my subscription. It saves me a click to go to the ‘Included with Prime’ tab.
Alternatively, I also like the fact Netflix has created a separate tab for ‘Downloads’ section and it’s accessible from everywhere. You have to click on the three lines on the left corner on the Prime video app to navigate to ‘Downloads’. And if your phone is big, reaching that top left corner with your thumb is quite a feat!
Winner: Netflix
Content Ratings
The description provided on both the apps is similar but what separates them is the rating system. The content on Prime Video is rated in the same way as a product review on Amazon. It shows the number of reviews and a point system based on stars. It also showcases the IMDB rating. Netflix, on the other hand, has no rating that could help me decide if the content is going to be good or not. I have to leave the Netflix app to get that data. What can I say? I like how quantifiable the rating on Amazon is.
Winner: Prime Video, clearly.
Language
There is great content out there in many languages but when I’m on the go I am looking for content in languages I understand. Unless I google that information, there is no way for me to know from the description. Prime Video is killing it in this department. This is listed right there on the page under Audio. When Netflix is adding content from different countries, this makes a difference. I either have to watch some parts of it or leave the app to google that information. None of these experiences are ideal for me.
Winner: Prime Video
Discovery of New Content
Both of these apps are similar in this context: Netflix with it’s ‘More like this’ feature and Prime Video with it’s ‘Customers also watched this’ feature. Although, I have found that Prime Video suggests non-prime content for prime members sometimes which is not ideal. Netflix does not have this problem.
Netflix also allows me to give a thumbs up or down based on what I like which, in turn, is used to provide content which I might like. I have not tested how effective this feature is but if the algorithm works then the content will be more customized and targeted.
Winner: Netflix, by a margin
Trailers
None of the above matters when you could simply watch a trailer in the app itself. You understand the content, the language and can determine if you like it enough to watch it. Prime Video has been providing ‘Watch Trailer’ feature for a while now. Netflix also has trailers but not for a lot of them. I would almost always have to leave the app to watch the trailer.
Netflix has changed their game on this.
Snapchatification of Netflix
Netflix has introduced the Previews feature (or stories) which are 30-second video previews on their mobile apps. It is specifically designed to make it easier for users to decide what to watch. They are similar to Snapchat or Instagram stories. This feature was already available on their web and TV apps. It has dialogue which helps me understand the language. It lets me see the cast in action and gives me enough of a glimpse to make a decision. It has led to me spending less time browsing.
The best thing about this feature — the video previews are vertical. No more flipping the phone in order to watch the trailer! It is so much in sync with the mobile experience that users are accustomed to. When Instagram introduced stories mimicking Snapchat, no one thought that Netflix would follow this trend too.
Winner
Prime Video was first to introduce the download feature and 10-second rewind / fast forward video playback. I loved the app experience from Prime Video and, as I mentioned above, I still love the metadata that it provides. But I think Netflix has a unique way of figuring out what their customers want even before they realize it. They are revolutionizing the app usage and thinking of innovative ways of incorporating the mobile experience as a whole. Prime Video has fabulous original content but lacks the volume at which Netflix is producing its original content. I do not want to venture away from Netflix and that’s the point, right?
Netflix has won this battle.
Other Considerations
I started watching Netflix because it housed some of my favorite shows. I see that Netflix is losing many shows because everyone wants to provide streaming services now. I wish they would simply give Netflix all the content to host. Ridiculous, I know. Anyway, the content has found it’s home at Hulu. Although the premium Hulu subscription is $9.99, I will not pay for the service because it does not provide the volume and variety of content that Netflix provides and none of it is available offline. Youtube Red has download feature but I am not really looking for the kind of shows it has.
I am also venturing into the world of podcasts but I don’t think they will replace Netflix or Prime Video anytime soon.
