Amazon Prime Video launches in Australia, in a manner of speaking
UPDATE: Nov. 18, 2016, 4:05 p.m. AEDT An Amazon spokesperson told Mashable it has not launched Prime Video in Australia. Those who have signed up for the service in Australia have done so with a U.S. or UK Prime membership.
Amazon has entered the video on demand (VOD) arms race in Australia, but the web giant hasn't made much of a fuss about it.
Amazon Prime Video was quietly launched to Australian users, ahead of the launch of The Grand Tour -- featuring Top Gear defectors Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond. We're sure "Holdenman3000" would be pleased.
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But "launched" might be too strong of a word, because the service isn't available to those Down Under in the traditional, all-encompassing sense.
The folks over at EFTM caught wind of the fact that that VOD service was accessing to Australian addresses on Thursday.
So Australians can swing over to the Amazon website and sign up for Prime. You'll get access to the library of once-untouchable movies and TV shows.
The only thing is, some titles work, others don't.
Take Amazon Original Series The Man in the High Castle -- streams fine Down Under.
But then you'll run into the geo-blocked message (which many Australians are familiar with) when you try other original series, such as Transparent and Red Oaks.
It's the same with some other movies and TV series on the service. Boo hiss.
It appears like opening an Amazon Prime account from Australia activates an "away from home" mode, giving you a selection of titles watchable from abroad.
While you can flick through what's available on the service, for some titles it's a case of "look, but not touch."
According to Amazon, it's not made the foray Down Under with its Prime Video service.
"We have not launched Amazon Prime in Australia," an Amazon spokesperson told Mashable via email.
"The service some Australians have signed-up for is the US or UK Prime Membership, which provides free, fast shipping within the US or UK, as well as access to some Amazon Originals, such as The Grand Tour, where we have the global rights."
Better than nothing, we guess?
Topics Prime Video
