Amazon is turning off Instant Video for Google TV, still not available for Android TV
A bit of sad news has come in today for all of you holdouts who are still using Google TV: Amazon’s Instant Video app will stop working on September 14.
Amazon has sent users of its Instant Video app on the Google TV this notice, as reported by Android Police, and is directing these customers to use alternative streaming platforms, including Roku, Fire TV, iOS, or Android phones and tablets. The bigger issue for me, though, is Amazon’s refusal to offer support for Android TV, which is the successor to Google TV. This is because Amazon refuses to put the Instant Video app in the Play Store – and it’s pulling the app that Google TV relied on. It’s one thing to stop offering something on an older platform due to compatibility or security concerns; it’s another to simply refuse to offer something through literally all app stores except Google’s.
Some of you might remember how excited I was last year when I was able to score a brand new Google TV box for less than a Chromecast. I’ve only had that device for about a sixteen months now – it’s a shame to see Amazon drop the ball so soon after people like me acquired it.
And let’s not forget those who bought a TV with Google TV built-in. Most people hold on to their TVs for years, or even decades (if they last that long!). This means that people who bought an expensive television and were promised certain features will no longer to be to take advantage of those features, all due to Amazon refusing to play nice with Google.
That’s not right. In fact, I’d wager that Amazon’s refusal to allow its Instant Video app in the Play Store is very Apple-esque, and it’s not very pretty.
And as an added slap in the face, Amazon won’t even allow users to cast video content to the Chromecast. Sigh.
Oh, well. I guess my Google TV box will go into a closet and collect dust. And I’ll re-evaluate how much a Prime subscription is really worth to me, when Amazon won’t even let me watch content on the devices I want to use.
[Android Police]
