Look no further for the largest selection of television shows and movies available
Netflix has become a household name all over the world, and for good reason. Many a meme has been made, and millennials have coined the phrase "Netflix and chill" to describe what a lot of couples see as the perfect date. Netflix is one of the largest internet companies in the world.
Not only is it home to thousands of television shows and feature films uploaded per year, but it has seen major success in its branch for original content as well. Original series like Stranger Things, Black Mirror, House of Cards, and Orange is the New Black have won numerous awards including BAFTAS, Screen Actor's Guild awards, and Emmys. Netflix has content in every genre that you can think of, and a variety of content for children as well.
Chill with Netflix's huge catalogue
Award winning streaming service has something for everyone
Making a Netflix account is simple. Start by choosing the plan you want from the three available: basic, standard, and premium. Each of the plans has their own advantages, the biggest being the number of screens available to be watched at the same time per plan. With the basic membership you can only have one, standard comes with two, and premium, six. Basic does not come with an HD option which can be frustrating since Netflix auto-adjusts resolution depending on the device that you're watching on and your internet speed.
With all three plans, you can watch on TV, phone, tablet, and computer; all the titles on the platform are available to you. A topic of discussion recently has been the pricing per plan. In the last few years with the increase in Netflix originals, prices for the plans have increased. Fortunately, if you have never had Netflix before, the service does offer a 30-day free trial. Even after continuing with a plan, you can cancel anytime without any fees.
After you've created your account, you have a huge selection of titles to choose from. Start by choosing either the television shows or movies tab, and then tap on the genre drop-down menu. Television shows have 22 genres and movies have 20, all in alphabetical order and ranging from anime to documentaries, to mysteries and stand-up comedy and thrillers.
Tap on a title and you'll see a brief synopsis, along with the names of the director and cast, rating, and run time. A cool feature that Netflix has is that it remembers what you watch. If you're unsure about watching something new, it gives you a rating of whether or not the title will be a good match. From here, you can add to 'My List' to watch later, rate the title after you've finished it, and even download it for offline viewing!
To download, just tap the arrow icon and a progress wheel will let you know how far along the download is. Then, from the options menu at the top left, tap 'My Downloads' for easy access. To remove items from your downloads, just press and hold the thumbnail. If you'd like to skip the guesswork of finding a show and hoping that it's available for download, there's a spot for all of the applicable titles in the left hand menu.
Strangely enough, 'My List' isn't available in any menu. To access it, you'll just have to scroll down the page until the sliding menu appears. Fortunately, it's usually the third or fourth menu from the top.
Another handy function is the ability to cast from the Android device to a smart TV or console.
Does Netflix have a good interface?
The user interface of this video streaming application remains exemplary in terms of organization, with its vast library neatly segmented into multiple thumbnails. Users can swiftly navigate to desired content via a search box or delve into personalized recommendations. These suggestions are refined based on individual viewing habits, encouraging exploration within an extensive catalog of diverse offerings.
The design of Netflix for Android specifically highlights Netflix Originals, with their prominent thumbnails readily available for users. The platform's algorithm curates carousels featuring trending TV shows and films, tailoring the display to mirror the viewer's historical preferences and tastes.
An important aspect of Netflix's offering is its multilingual subtitle support, which broadens the accessibility of its content to a global audience. Whether it's a European drama or an Asian series, viewers can enjoy a plethora of international content complete with appropriate subtitles. Moreover, documentaries are thoughtfully organized, categorized by various topics of interest, making it easier for enthusiasts to find content that resonates with their curiosity.
Don’t miss Netflix Games!
Branching beyond streaming, Netflix now caters to the gaming community. Netflix Games represents the platform’s stride into the digital gaming world, offering a rich selection of games across various genres. With a focus on high-quality visuals, audio, and narrative, these games are designed to provide an engaging and immersive experience.
For subscribers, a significant advantage is the absence of in-app purchases, additional fees, or advertisements. Gaming becomes a seamless extension of the Netflix experience, devoid of any hidden costs.
The gaming content is language-inclusive, automatically syncing with your preferred language set in your Netflix profile. Should your chosen language not be supported, the games default to English, ensuring uninterrupted gameplay.
A key benefit is the ability to play across multiple mobile devices on the same account. Should you encounter device limitations, Netflix facilitates easy management by prompting options to sign out or deactivate other devices, conveniently freeing up slots for gaming.
Acknowledging the importance of child safety, Netflix has taken careful measures to ensure that gaming content adheres to parental controls. Games are not accessible via kids' profiles, and the same PIN set for profile access is required for logging into gaming, offering peace of mind to parents, guardians, and caregivers about the content their children can access.
Where can you run this program?
Netflix is available on a wide variety of devices and platforms including PC web browsers and apps on Android and iOS mobile phones and tablets, smart televisions, Blu-Ray players, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and the Wii U.
Is there a better alternative?
Whether these alternatives are better depends on the user. There are many other popular streaming platforms like Hulu and HBO Now, and they all have their advantages. Netflix, Hulu, and HBO Now all have platform-specific titles, e.g. you can only watch Game of Thrones on HBO Go. Hulu has a larger variety of television shows; they are usually added to the service immediately after airing live.
HBO Go has a number of movies, which are more critically acclaimed than the other two media-services providers. The one thing that Netflix has that keeps it at the top is the fact that it has no commercials. Just this feature alone is critical to many viewers. Netflix also adds full seasons of television shows in one sweep, so that you can binge on your favorite series.
Our take
Netflix is a media giant, and it does not look like the platform will be slowing down any time soon. It boasts a ton of heavy-hitting original content, and prices at the moment are not too steep. This platform will always be a household name.
Should you download it?
Yes. Go download Netflix for all of your devices. In terms of the original content, pricing, and ability to download offline content, the service can do no wrong. Playback speeds on Android are decent, and the download speed does need a little work, at about two minutes per episode and five minutes per movie on average.
The only area that needs to change is Netflix's tendency to remove and cancel incredibly popular shows after only a season or two. Shows usually do very well and it always comes as a shock to audiences - remember Sense8? Die-hard fans of the show petitioned and eventually, the show added a farewell episode of sorts. Not only does Netflix cancel these shows, but they usually do not offer an explanation as to why. This is the only downfall to the service. With all that aside, Netflix is a great app to have, and the pros far outweigh the cons.
