Amazon Intros $0.99 TV Show Purchases

Not to be outdone by Apple, Amazon began offering US$0.99 TV show purchases only hours after Apple’s introduction of $0.99 TV show rentals. Where Apple’s low cost rentals are limited to the just announced second generation Apple TV, Amazon’s cheap show purchases are available on any Amazon Video on Demand-compatible devices, including TiVo and Roku.

Apple announced $0.99 TV show rentals along with the second generation Apple TV during its September 1 media event. The new Apple TV is substantially smaller than the first generation model, and doesn’t include a built-in hard drive since it’s designed to be a content streaming device.

“This tiny, silent box costing just $99 lets users watch thousands of HD movies and TV shows, and makes all of their music, photos and videos effortlessly available on their home entertainment system,” said Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

Apple TV offers additional features, such as the ability to wirelessly stream video from other devices like the iPad and iPhone, Netflix streaming, and the ability to stream video, music and photos from local computers. Amazon’s new TV show purchase price point, however, may be just enough to keep some customers from buying into Apple’s latest home entertainment appliance.

[Thanks to TechCrunch for the heads up.]