Prime Video, Four Years Later

A while back, I wrote a post about my relationship with Amazon's Prime Video. It's a service that I get as a free perk of my Amazon Prime subscription, but I didn't use it much. My main frustration was with the interface. It felt jumbled up, messy, and hard to navigate. I knew there was some good stuff there, but it was just too much of a hassle to find. Well, four years have passed, and it's time to see how much has changed.

The Interface: What Amazon Fixed

After avoiding the service for so long, I decided to give it a fresh look, and I was immediately surprised. The cluttered, confusing layout is much improved and has been replaced with a sleeker, more organized design. The navigation is more intuitive, with clear categories for movies, TV shows, and sports.

The biggest improvement, however, is how clear it is to tell what's included with Prime and what's not. The service used to mix everything together, but now, a yellow shopping bag icon clearly marks content you have to rent or buy. This simple change is a huge win for anyone who wants to avoid wasting time digging through the library.

The Interface: What's Changed

While the old problems have been addressed, the service has a new wrinkle: ads. Like many other streamers, Prime Video now includes commercials on its standard plan. To remove the ads, you have to pay a separate fee. I won't be considering this option, but others might.

The Content: Giving It a Fresh Look

With the interface no longer the barrier it was, I've decided to give Prime Video a proper shot and explore its content. I've heard there's a lot of great stuff on the service that I've missed.

Current Shows I've Heard About

There are several current shows I've heard may be interesting. The first is Reacher, a very popular series that recently aired its third season. I've also heard great things about The Boys, a superhero series that just finished its fourth season. Other titles on my list include the crime thrillers Cross and The Consultant, as well as the spy drama Butterfly.

Looking at the Back Catalog

Beyond the new series, I'm excited to finally look at some of the older content I've missed over the years. My Streaming Life has always been about getting the most value for my money, and with these changes, I'm hopeful that Prime Video will become a more regular part of my viewing habits.