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This week in streaming: Amazon offers downloads, Hulu launches ad-free service

News in the video-streaming world this week: Hulu has introduced an ad-free version of its subscription service for $4 extra a month as competition for streaming customers heats up. Meanwhile, Amazon announced that Prime subscribers will be able to download some shows to watch offline.

Hulu service with ads costs $8, while the ad-free version costs $12. Customers were asking for an ad-free option, the company said.

As for Amazon, subscribers of its $99 annual Prime membership program will now be able download shows like Downton Abbey and The Good Wife, HBO shows including Girls and Veep, and movies including The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Previously, that capability was available only on Amazon's own Fire devices. The download option isn't available for the entire Prime Instant Video however; just certain titles.

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Netflix and Hulu offer streaming content only.

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Netflix is the largest streaming service, with 65.6 million subscribers worldwide. Hulu has about 9 million and Amazon doesn't disclose the number of Prime subscribers it has.

The Associated Press