Amazon Prime Video has rolled out a new feature that tackles a problem that general viewing audiences have had long before the advent of streaming services. This solution, which the company has already deployed on select streaming content, is part of an internal initiative to improve accessibility.
Amazon Prime Video is Amazon's streaming platform, which hosts a wide range of Amazon Original content created by Amazon Studios and MGM holdings, in addition to content from other production companies and facilitating live events, video rental services, and more. The platform boasts over 200 million users and constantly adds high-profile content to its offerings, such as the Spider-Man Noir live-action series currently in development at the platform’s associate studio.
In a blog post released by Amazon, the company announced their new AI-powered feature descriptively called Dialogue Boost, which uses artificial intelligence technology to analyze media, identify points in the media where dialogue might be difficult to hear over the sound of other sounds, and then boost the dialogue volume to accommodate. Amazon has been known to use many different methods to entice users to its streaming platform, such as having the cloud service Amazon Luna give Prime subscribers free games monthly to get more people signed up. However, this feature, which directly addresses a quality of life issue that almost everyone sufferers from, might be one of their best moves yet, especially for subscriber retention.
“At Prime Video, we are committed to building an inclusive, equitable, and enjoyable streaming experience for all our customers," said the Vice President of Technology at Prime Video and Amazon Studios, Raf Soltanovich. "Our library of captioned and audio-described content continues to grow, and by leveraging our technological capabilities to create industry-first innovations like Dialogue Boost, we are taking another step to create a more accessible streaming experience.” A strong focus on stress-free accessibility could be a major factor in securing some external content for the platform, such as the proposed deal between Warner Bros. Discovery and Amazon for Prime Video to collaborate on and host DC animated content.
This innovative new solution will be especially effective in genres that feature a lot of loud sound or sustained effects, such as action, adventure, and, more specifically, fantasy, a genre that Amazon already invested heavily in, as The Rings of Power had already cost the company more than $700 million before it even premiered. With the strong competition ramping up in this genre specifically and streaming as a whole, it will be interesting to see how effective this tool will be in helping Amazon Prime Video push forward in the market.
Source: Amazon