Netflix Won't Provide Offline Viewing While Amazon Reaffirms Download Support

The two streaming services have revealed opposing views on offline viewing support. 

According to a report from TechRadar, Netflix has no plans to ever support an offline viewing option. Meanwhile, Amazon has reiterated its commitment to providing an offline viewing feature for its Prime Instant Video platform. 

In an interview with TechRadar, Cliff Edwards, Netflix's director of corporate communications and technology, revealed that the company sees offline viewing as a "short term fix for a bigger problem." The problem in question involves Wi-Fi speeds and availability, and Edwards believes that both will improve greatly in the next few years, making an offline viewing feature irrelevant. With that in mind, Netflix has no intention to ever offer such an option.

On the other hand, Amazon has announced a completely different strategy. Rather than waiting for Wi-Fi quality to improve, the company has reaffirmed its commitment to providing Prime Instant Video customers with an offline viewing option. In a statement released to the press, Michael Paull, Amazon Digital Video's Vice President said, "We want our customers to be able to watch their digital videos on all devices, anywhere they are—that's why Prime Instant Video is the only U.S. video subscription service that enables offline viewing—on a plane, in a car, anywhere you want to go. Offline viewing is already available on Fire tablets and we'll continue to roll out this functionality to other devices in the future."

An Amazon Prime membership currently costs $99 per year, and includes free 2-day shipping, Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, Prime Photos, the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, and more. A monthly Netflix subscription currently starts at $7.99 for SD streaming, $8.99 for HD streaming, and $11.99 for Ultra HD streaming. Both services are available on a variety of smart TVs and media players, including the Fire TV, Fire TV Stick, and Roku 3.

Sources: TechRadar, Amazon