With content from Sony Pictures and Warner Bros., Amazon.com has debuted its subscription video-streaming service in a bid to compete with Netflix, the Los Angeles Times Company Town blog reports.

Details of the service can be seen today when users go to Amazon’s home page (see below).

Amazon has also signed up 13 independent providers ranging from the BBC to PBS, the LA Times story notes, and is offering TV shows such as "Bonanza" and "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood."

Nevertheless, Amazon is only offering a fraction of the content available on Netflix, which has deals with TV producers and every major film studio, the story notes.

But Amazon is in talks with every Hollywood studio and is looking to add to its content selection, the article points out.

Furthermore, TVWeek notes that consumers can get the Netflix streaming service from the Wi, X-Box 360  and Playstation 3 game consoles, while Amazon currently only has a deal with the X-Box 360.

Here’s the letter from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos on the company’s home page today, Feb. 23, 2011:

Dear Customers,

Millions of people are already Amazon Prime members and enjoy unlimited free two-day shipping. Today, we’re excited to add a brand new benefit to Amazon Prime: unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of 5,000 movies and TV shows. Prime will continue to be $79 per year – this new benefit is being added at no additional cost.

You can instantly stream the movies and TV shows on your PC, Mac or any of nearly 200 models of Internet connected TVs, Blu-ray players and set-top boxes.

You’ll find movies like "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" trilogy, "Amadeus,"  "Syriana" and "Chariots of Fire," documentaries like "Food, Inc.,"  "March of the Penguins" and "Ken Burns’ National Parks," TV series such as "Doctor Who," " Farscape," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "Fawlty Towers" and "The BBC Office," and kids shows like "Arthur," "Caillou,"  "Super Why!" and "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood."

If you are already a paid Prime member, you can start watching now. If not, join the millions of people who area already members. Start your one month free trial of Amazon Prime now and begin enjoying the benefits of free two-day shipping and unlimited instant streaming of movies and TV shows today.

Happy viewing,

Jeff Bezos

Founder, Amazon.com