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Extending a feature previously available on its Kindle Fire tablets, Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) is now allowing Prime streaming video users to download movies and TV shows onto devices running iOS or Google's version of Android, and thus watch them offline in locations where Internet service is slow, non-existent, or expensive (planes, buses, remote areas, etc.).
- One catch: Due to licensing issues, the feature isn't available for all titles on Amazon's Instant Video streaming service. Amazon says "thousands" of titles are currently supported, and that users will generally have 15-30 days to watch them after downloading.
- Download support serves as a differentiator relative to Netlfix (NASDAQ:NFLX), which has previously said it doesn't plan to offer the feature. Today's move comes ahead of a Japanese service launch.
- Amazon hasn't disclosed how much it's spending on Instant Video, which (like Amazon's music streaming and cloud storage services) aims to keep users signed up for Prime. Bernstein estimated last year Amazon would spend over $2.5B in 2015 on streaming license rights and original content.