Options for high definition (HD) versus standard definition (SD) video vary, based both on device support and licensing considerations. But user reviews are decidedly mixed on how well it works. Apple also sells a $39 dock-to-HDMI connector that, in theory, lets you watch iTunes video on a big screen without having to invest in an Apple TV. To play videos from Apple’s iTunes store, you need an iOS device–an iPhone, an iPod Touch, an iPad, an Apple TV, or a computer running iTunes. But even without a Nexus Q, you might be able to watch Google Play content on an HDTV if you have a device equipped with an HDMI output. This holds true even for the Nexus Q, which requires an Android device to serve as its remote control. Amazon Instant Video is available on an impressive number of devices besides the Kindle (including computers, smartphones, tablets, set-top boxes, game consoles, and TVs) but you need either a desktop-grade browser or an Android device to watch Google Play videos. Amazon Service Available on More Devicesĭevice support is a big differentiator. Even if a device doesn’t support streaming of Amazon content, Amazon’s download technology usually lets you start watching it within a few minutes, as it continues to download. Both Amazon Instant Video and Google Play, by contrast, can start streaming purchased or rented content on compatible devices immediately. More significantly, though you can instantly stream iTunes purchases to Apple TV, the iTunes store does not support instant streaming of content to iOS devices–iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touch players–which means that you have to download the (purchased or rented) content first. For example, my TiVo DVR, which offers access to Amazon Instant Video, can’t stream Amazon Instant Prime content. Not all devices that support Amazon Instant Video also support Prime Instant Video, however. Google Play, for example, offers a free song every day (presumably to attract you to the store).Īmazon Prime members can stream thousands of movies and TV shows to a computer, a Kindle Fire, an XBox 360, or another supported device free of charge: I used the service on a Kindle Fire to watch the 1954 version of Sabrina, which costs $2.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy on Google Play and on iTunes. Nevertheless, I found considerable variation in the pricing of older movies, TV shows, and music. In the music markets, current albums go for $10.99 apiece and singles for $1.29 apiece.
Prices for current releases were the same at all three services: You can rent movies in standard definition for $3.99 each or in high definition for $4.99 each, or you can purchase them for $14.99 (standard def) or $19.99 (high def).
Publicly, Google says only that it has “millions” of songs and “thousands” of movies and TV shows. Google is far less specific about the size of its catalog, but it clearly trails the other two.
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