This is why Prime users are furious: Amazon secretly removes some of its top features!

Prime users are expressing their frustration as Amazon quietly eliminates yet another video feature, leaving subscribers of the low-cost Prime version without a familiar benefit. Find out more!

Since February 5, 2024, Amazon Prime Video has introduced ads into its streaming service, a change that can only be avoided by opting for an additional subscription featuring the "ad-free" option. However, users have discovered that beyond the ad-free experience, there's another distinction affecting the standard subscription: the loss of Dolby Atmos and Dolby Sensation, high-quality features now exclusive to paying customers with the ad-free subscription.

Furthermore, there has been a significant reduction in quality for ad-financed subscribers, even though Amazon has not communicated these changes explicitly. Prime-exclusive content, available to ad-financed subscribers, is now capped at a maximum resolution of 4K, with HDR10 and Dolby Digital 5.1 capabilities removed.

Also, rumor has it that Amazon has silently removed the "Watch Party" feature from the lower-cost subscription tier. This popular feature allowed users to stream movies and series together with friends, irrespective of their location.

The removal of the "Watch Party" feature marks another setback for users of the ad-financed Prime subscription, raising concerns about the diminishing value of the service. With Amazon's decision to restrict Dolby Atmos and Dolby Sensation features to the ad-free subscription tier, it appears the company is driving a wedge between the two subscription models, favoring those who opt for the pricier ad-free experience.

For an ad-free streaming experience on Prime Video, users in The United States now need to pay an additional monthly fee of $2.99. This is on top of the existing options of either the $14.99 monthly charge for a comprehensive Prime membership or the $8.99 standalone fee for Prime Video.

The introduction of ads, coupled with the removal of Dolby Atmos, Dolby Sensation, and the "Watch Party" feature, has left many questioning the value of their subscription. As reported in a recent Variety article, a mere 15% of Prime members express an inclination to cancel their subscription if ads were introduced on Prime Video. Conversely, only 9% indicate a willingness to pay a monthly fee of $2.99 to enjoy an ad-free experience. The majority, constituting 76%, would either continue using the service at the same frequency, use it less, or are already non-users.

Yet, according to Statista, 83% of Americans hold at least one streaming service subscription, and a sense of subscription fatigue is beginning to set in. As reported in a separate Wall Street Journal article, the average American household boasted over 4 streaming service subscriptions in 2023. Alternatively, additional sources suggest that 86% of Americans are subscribed to more than one streaming service.