LoveFilm gears up for Kindle Fire/HD shipments by linking Amazon account logins

UK movie and TV-streaming service LoveFilm has announced that when you go to log-in to the Amazon-owned streaming service through the Web, PS3, Xbox, iPad or Samsung/Sony connected TV, you’ll now have an option to sign in with your Amazon account.

It seems that it’s providing this option ONLY if you have used the app on a Kindle Fire or Kindle Fire HD, which you likely won’t have yet as they only rolled out on pre-order in the UK and Europe last month. If you’re not bothering with the Kindle, you’re kindly asked to continue using in with your existing LoveFilm account .

If you’re an existing customer who link ups their Amazon and LoveFilm accounts, you’ll notice a few changes in the My Account section of the website. For example, you can use payment methods and addresses from your Amazon Wallet and Address book.

If you don’t have a Kindle, but want to link up your Amazon account, it seems you will be able to soon. The sign-in screen will indicate when it’s being offered to all.

So why, if the Kindle Fire/HD isn’t on sale yet, is it offering this? Well, it seems that if you bought one in the States and brought it to the UK, this is for you. Which is nice of them.

Amazon acquired LoveFilm in January last year, though the company has been operating since 2002 – originally as a DVD mailout service similar to Netflix. It’s now moving more towards the streaming realm.

While it is largely a UK-centric company, it has started operating in other European countries, serving Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. It announced a partnership with BBC Worldwide earlier this year, and subsequently brought the BBC’s content to Germany.

LoveFilm saw a couple of key senior departures earlier this year, shortly after Netflix had launched in the UK. We speculated as to how long the LoveFilm brand would be maintained, and whether Amazon would be gradually positioning itself as the main name behind the service. Certainly, it’s more than plausible that with the imminent arrival of the Kindle/HD in the UK and Europe, Amazon could look to push its own brand to the forefront.