True to its word, Amazon has made good on an earlier promise (or threat, depending on your point of view) not to sell Apple TV. In what will be widely regarded as an aggressive marketing move, the online retailer has cut out Apple TV like a cancer. The block on sales comes just as Apple launches its latest streaming device, and the sanctions also affect Google's Chromecast.
Previous links to such product now 404, but there are still a few accessories scattered through the store. But the ban does feel like a case of Amazon cutting off its nose to spite its face. While it does means that Amazon is able to take steps to fight the competition, it does so at the cost of hurting its customers.
If you're thinking about picking up an Apple TV, you're going to have to hit and Apple store or some other alternative. Of course Amazon is not admitting that the move has been done to help promote sales of its own Fire TV, instead citing customer confusion over potential compatibility issues some device may (or may not) have with Prime Video.
It's important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion.
Of course, critics of the sale ban might suggest that Amazon could just do something to help improve compatibility by producing apps Prime apps for other device. Maybe that would be too simple...
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