Amazon now offers over 100K streaming videos for rent; Prime library still lags

Amazon announced today that its Instant Video selection now offers customers more than 100,000 movies and TV shows available for purchase or rental on an à la carte basis (ranging from $0.99 to $14.99 on average).

This shouldn’t be confused with Amazon’s Prime video Library, which is similar in scope to Netflix’s Watch Instantly service.

Amazon Prime, which costs $79 a year, gives customers access to a library of over 9,000 streaming videos as well as free or discounted shipping rates on all items purchased through the company’s website.

Customers might be confused by the lack of distinction between Amazon’s Instant Video selection and its Prime streaming video library — especially after the company closed deals with both CBS and NBCUniversal for content streaming rights — but perhaps that’s Amazon’s plan. Amazon could intentionally be blurring the lines between its services in order to get more people signed up for Prime membership. Or, as All Things Digital points out, the lack of distinction could be due to Amazon’s impending launch of its tablet computer.