(Image Source: Gaming Union )

BY SCOTT MALONE

ANCHOR NEVILLE MILLER

Netflix has long been a big player in the streaming video market, but an announcement Wednesday could lead to some serious competition. KNTV has the story.

“This morning a new app popped up on the Apple App Store. Amazon streaming on demand for your iPad. You can now rent or buy movies on your iPad. Amazon Prime members get access to free movies as well.”

A recent Consumer Reports survey says users have one issue with Netflix: the movie selection. WISC says that’s an area Amazon could take advantage of.

“For a better selection, those surveyed preferred pay-per-view services that charged for each title. The best of the bunch? Vudu, iTunes, and Amazon Instant Video.”

Amazon might have a broader selection, but the app is not without its flaws. A blogger for GeekWire says the app is not nearly as convenient for some users.

“For people who don’t subscribe to Amazon Prime, the experience will be more complicated. Amazon doesn’t offer the ability to pay inside the app to purchase or rent movies or television shows. Users will need to do that separately from a web browser on the iPad or a computer.”

A blogger for CNET agrees. He says Amazon is missing a key user-friendly feature that might hurt its popularity in the long run.

“You can see which videos are in your Watchlist and of course play the ones you’ve already bought … But to find a specific title, you have to return to the online store … having to jump between the app and the store to get the content is a clumsy process.”

Despite the flaws, a writer for Gizmodo believes Amazon has positioned itself to be a top online video provider in the near future.

“The fact that Amazon’s Instant Video service … is just thrown in as an add-on to the already wonderful Amazon Prime is a little astonishing … And now, with iPad compatibility that some of us thought would never get here, it’s gotten dangerously close to being the best streaming deal around.”

The app’s release caps off a busy week for Amazon. The company unveiled a licensing deal with Warner Bros., following similar deals with MGM and Paramount, to expand its Instant Video library.