Crazy Theory: Amazon Video is coming to Nvidia Shield

by Wiidesire

I just found something very interesting on the German site of Nvidia Shield on Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/NVIDIASHIELDDeutschland/videos/286118175060421/?comment_id=286138091725096

To make it short, 2 people complain that Amazon Video is still not available on Shield even though it is working on Android TV already (Sony).

The employee answers that "they are continuously working on bringing the best and most famous Apps to Shield TV". Then someone else says (paraphrased) "doesn't Amazon prevent a release?"

Employee then answers " A little more patience :) ".

Now here is my crazy theory:

Since early this month Nvidia is claiming that the 3.2 update will "come towards the end of this month" or sometimes "end of this month".

Now how would they know this date so precisely so much days in advance? Either the certification process (including finding bugs) is already finished or very near completion or they are simply guessing which is a bad business move, because many people get pissed if a business doesn't hold their timelines.

After the whole getting Sony's Amazon Video APK working on other Android TV devices and then days later Amazon blocks the workaround story, it's pretty clear that Sony paid money to get an exclusive Android TV release.

When did these Sony Android TVs come out? End of Februar 2015 or early March depending on the market.

If Sony bought exclusive rights for 16 months (1 1/3 years), it would end exactly at the end of June 2016.

tl;dr:

Nvidia Shield Facebook Employee says "a little more patience" for Amazon Video App and Sony's exclusive rights could end End of June, coincidentally exactly when the 3.2 update is announced for.

chowder007

It is very likely that Android as a whole will be getting it with Google announcing the changes to the way payouts are handled in the store. According to Amazon that issue was the sole hold up.

kawshik201

Philips TV's also have Amazon Instant Video in their Android TV sets in UK and Germany. Philips showed it in February. Amazon provides Instant VIdeo app directly to the manufacturers if they sign a deal with them and agree that they won't take any streaming revenue . Video show Amazon VIdeo on Philips Android TV:

https://youtu.be/_XwCxzaDWeQ?t=6m36s

bintasaurus

Oh please be true..then I can get rid of these fire TVs I use ONLY for Prime.

PourJarsInReservoirs

This could finally sway me to becoming a Prime subscriber. Amazon's stingy licensing of their software to prop up their devices is a boneheaded policy.

Bigsam411

I already love my Shield. With this I will have easier access to more content and this will make me very happy.

getcashmoney

I want to believe.

trinipirate

Hopefully...I have had prime for a year now and probably streamed something only 5 times. Would love to use it more but I refuse to use multiple devices in my living room.

joe603

FYI you can view Amazon in 1080p with 5.1 just use the Chrome browser and signin to Amazon Prime via "Desktop Mode" that will have to do until a Native app becomes available better and easier than the XDA method imo

FFevo

Now here is my crazy theory: Since early this month Nvidia is claiming that the 3.2 update will "come towards the end of this month" or sometimes "end of this month". Now how would they know this date so precisely so much days in advance? Either the certification process (including finding bugs) is already finished or very near completion or they are simply guessing which is a bad business move, because many people get pissed if a business doesn't hold their timelines.

No. no no no no. You don't understand software development, please stop wildly speculating. Companies alway set a date for a release. You have to. Then you pick a date prior to that at which time all development stops and through testing begins. This leaves you time to fix bugs that weren't discovered when the new features we being implemented.

Beyond that everything else you've pointed out is just trying to make something out of nothing. Who makes a 16 month contract? Regardless it doesn't matter because Sony doesn't even have exclusivity on Android TV. So all you really have is an Nvidia employee saying something vague, that was hopefully correctly translated into English. Maybe it's coming to all Android TV devices, maybe Nvidia signed a contract, maybe the employee is trolling or simply has no idea what they are taking about.