[andyk]

I noticed today that Amazon Prime Video Canada has a new sub-channel. PBS Masterpiece. Launched a few weeks ago 6.99 per month for Prime members. Free 1 month trial.
PBS Masterpiece Available in Canada via Amazon Prime Video

While searching for details, I also noticed an ad from KCTS saying they are now streaming in Canada for PBS members.
Now Streaming in Canada!

 

[Dr.Dave]

CORUS ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES BLACK FRIDAY AND CYBER MONDAY DEAL: 50% DISCOUNT ON 3 MONTHS OF PREMIUM ENTERTAINMENT ON STACKTV AND NICK+

Starting today and continuing through November 30, get a Black Friday and Cyber Monday limited-time deal on STACKTV and Nick+, available to Amazon Prime members through Prime Video Channels. Eligible customers who sign up during this time will receive 50 percent off the monthly subscription price for three months (cancel anytime).

• STACKTV reduced price of $6.49 per month (plus any applicable taxes) for three months.
• Nick+ reduced price of $2.99 per month (plus any applicable taxes) for three months.

Following the first three-months, TV lovers’ subscriptions will automatically renew (unless cancelled) at the then current regular price; STACKTV subscription for $12.99 per month and Nick+ subscription for $5.99 per month.

 

[Dr.Dave]

STACKTV DELIVERS PREMIUM HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING TIED UP WITH A BOW

 

[Mystic]

I'm already with Amazon Prime and I've been getting ads for the last month about a 50% off promotion to various "Prime Channels" such as StackTV, Nick+, Starz, BritBox, etc... So I decided to look into going into full cord-cutter mode and pick up a few of these channel packages.

StackTV was the first one I had in mind, since it appears to have 12 live specialty channels available, plus a catalog with hundreds of Corus shows. Looks very promising, and $6.49 for 3 months and $12.99 after seems pretty fair, especially for all the catalog content. However when I hovered over a few program descriptions, most had warnings "Leaving StackTV on Jul 1" or "June 24" or another date. So I clicked a few programs and noticed that it wasn't the shows disappearing but actual entire seasons were being removed, and those with seasons still available to watch only had 1 or 2 episodes available out of the 20-30 episodes and the rest said "This video is currently unavailable ".

This wasn't for only a handful of shows either, I would say about 90% of the content that I clicked on was either leaving StackTV in the coming days, or it only had the most recent aired episode available, and had placeholders for the previous seasons stating they were either unavailable, or sent me a link to another streaming service to continue watching the other seasons!

What I would like to know is, what is the point of offering a service that looks amazing but once you're in you find out that it's just a facade and it doesn't really exist? Or perhaps it's just me misunderstanding the concept of StackTV? If I didn't know any better I would think this service was being run by a cable company.

Anyone else have any info on this? And is it worth signing up? Perhaps this content is only unavailable since I'm not subscribed, but then why would some stuff say it was?

 

[Dr.Dave]

STACKTV is a little different than most streaming services, in that you are getting the same Corus channels that you could get on cable TV, with the same restrictions that the U.S. studios place on the On-Demand library.

Originally, studios only offered the last few episodes for On-Demand. Several years ago Global started negotiating for "full season stacking rights" where it could get them. These rights typically expire a month or two after the season ends, which is why you'll see a lot of seasons disappear soon. The Blacklist is an example of a series that only offers the last few episodes, while Bull allows the entire current season. Canadian series like Private Eyes allow all seasons and Mary Kills People is still available for streaming years after it ended. See www.globaltv.com/shows/ for examples of Latest Episodes, Stream Full Season, or Stream Full Series.

and had placeholders for the previous seasons stating they were either unavailable, or sent me a link to another streaming service to continue watching the other seasons!

That must be an Amazon thing. Corus removes old episodes from its own streaming services and On-Demand library once the episode has expired.

 

[Mystic]

I guess I'm expecting too much from a streaming service. Though 12 live channels for $12 still isn't that bad, and if the unavailable content wasn't visible, I probably would have never known in the first place. But being forced to sign up to 3 or more streaming services to watch various episodes from a series, and still not seeing every episode.

I knew something like this was bound to happen when streaming services started popping up everywhere. Back when Netflix was the only game in town, and had pretty much everything, it made sense to cut the cord and save a bundle. While it still has a good selection of content, now much of it's library has been split up to about a dozen streaming services, which would cost more than a cable subscription now.

When I first watched Prime Video, I could select anything and it would play. Now half the content isn't available unless you're in the US, and a large chunk is rental or buy content, and recently I'm seeing a lot of content that requires an add on service, such as StackTV, or Starz. And looking through those libraries I find many movies and shows that are leaving shortly, so I might be signing up for a service to watch a show that might be gone in a week.

 

[17671]

so we have amazon prime for our family and my dad really wanted to watch a movie he found, and was not sure how to use this service since he is a senior citizen after all and not so tech savvy. He clicked on something and it subscribed him to some stack tv channel, I think it was Super channel or something anyways He didn't bother to tell me cus he didn't think anything of it at the time. 2 months later I see a service on my account, thankfully the first month was free due to a promotion, so I think I got a partial charge or something. Either way they make amazon prime look like it has so much content, when in reality the stuff thats included in prime is only 50% of the stuff you see, if u want the rest, you have to pay to add these so called "channels" which significantly increases your monthly fees, the point of amazon prime for most poeple is to cut the cord and save money, but it looks like were going backwards and now paying almost what we were on conventional linear television. I dunno, about others but this is my perspective of amazon prime channels and how I feel about them.

 

[gzink]

Agree. Noticing it more and more. Pay sucker! Not this guy.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I’ve noticed that Stack & River are almost the same thing with the same channel line up. I’d try River out but they need to add CTV,CBC & City Tv along with at least one set of US networks and a few more specialty channels like Discovery, Science channel, ID, American Heroes ect first. I don’t see why they couldn’t swing that into a $25/$30 month package.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mystic]

So in the end I signed up to Britbox, but not through Amazon, but rather directly from their BBC/ITV app. Same summer promotion of 3 months for $4.50 (Then $8.99/month), first week free, and two months free with the 1 year subscription. Full series included on most shows, and most of the classic Britcoms that I enjoyed growing up are all here. So it was a good choice for me.

Right now Amazon is offering 1 month free trial on their channels. So if anyone missed out on the 3 month 50% off sale, you can still get a deal with the first month free.

 

[David1953]

I notice that AMC+ is now available as one of the Amazon Prime Video channels, and includes content from AMC, Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC, as well as early access to some AMC programming, for $8.99 a month plus tax. (Also available as an Apple TV channel). Since I already subscribe to Shudder, I may drop the Shudder subscription and “update” it to this package. (

More details here. AMC+ | FAQs

 

[Peppermint P]

I notice that AMC+ is now available as one of the Amazon Prime Video channels, and includes content from AMC, Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC, as well as early access to some AMC programming, for $8.99 a month plus tax. (Also available as an Apple TV channel). Since I already subscribe to Shudder, I may drop the Shudder subscription and “update” it to this package. (

More details here. AMC+ | FAQs

I noticed this addition a few days ago on Amazon Prime. The best part of this new service is a 30 day free trial period. There are a few series that I have been interested in on Sundance Now, but the free trial is only 7 days. I also noticed on the AMC+/FAQs page shown above , the AMC+ trial is only 7 days . (I assume this refers to the US service, and the 30 day trial period in Canada may only be for the first few months.)

 

[ExDilbert]

I might subscribe but AMC+ is more like AMC Lite in Canada. There is a lot of good stuff there but Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and some other AMC shows appear to be missing. They appear to be available on Netflix.

 

[David1953]

Apparently, the channel carries the complete lineup from the Shudder, Sundance Now, and IFC Films Unlimited channels, with “the best“ content from AMC. In my case, I think that paying an extra $3 over what I’m paying for Shudder right now is worth it.

Obviously, the content in the USA is better, also carrying the content of BBC America, which isn’t available here in any form. US subscribers also pay $8.99, but in US dollars.

 

[ExDilbert]

A lot of BBC and BBC America shows are spread around various CTV specialty stations and streaming services. Orphan Black, for example, is now available on CTV.ca or Crave.

 

[Dr.Dave]

Note that I moved the AMC+ discussion to this thread from Amazon Prime Video.

BBC content is also available on BBC First (rebranded from HiFi) that basically took over from BBC Canada and on CBC Gem.

In the U.S., a lot of AMC original content is pre-released on AMC+. I'll make a point of posting AMC+ info in the AMC thread now that AMC+ is available to Canadians.

 

[Phils]

I subscribe to Sundance Now. I had previously taken advantage of a CAD$0.99 per month promo. The regular annual subscription rate is CAD$59.99 but I was offered a half off deal. However, there was a currency screw-up at their end where they offered me a rate of renewal at that price error.CAD$23.94. They also committed to allowing one

Overall, it's a good service and I've watched some excellent content but there are only so many hours in the day.

 

[jeffaustin90]

Are new episodes of The Walking Dead going to be available weekly for Prime subscribers? I know that you have access to the AMC stuff if you subscribe to AMC+ through the Prime Channels, but I know for a fact I haven't ordered any channels from Prime but I'm watching the season 11 premiere right now on Prime. It didn't even give me a "subscribe to AMC+ to watch" option, it just said Watch.

So is this going to be a weekly thing?

 

[David1953]

That’s interesting. I have mainly been watching The Walking Dead for now on Netflix, and hadn’t even tried to see whether it’s available on regular Amazon Prime. I know that “Fear the Walking Dead” is available on Amazon Prime, but I thought that “The Walking Dead” was only available by getting AMC+. I plan to add AMC+ as soon as my current month of Shudder expires.

 

[rob50312]

AMC plus only includes the top 20 from shudder,Sundance and IHC.Not the full programming from those services.