There are several forms of entertainment, with the main goal behind it to extend joy and laughter to the viewers. Man’s common forms of entertainment have evolved with time, with some outcast and the others still in use today. 

The Center stage of Movie Streaming Content

In modern times, technology is at the center of the entertainment industry, presenting the world with social media, online video games, movie streaming, etc. There are a number of video streaming platforms available to choose from today, with Netflix, Hulu, and HBO bossing the center stage, providing top notch movie streaming content. 

Netflix originally began renting DVDs to customers until 2015, when the online presence was set up, allowing people to watch any movie in the catalogue at their own convenience. Its reach has spread further, now available in over 200 countries across the globe.

The Numbers till now and Promise of what’s to come

Statistics show that there are 73.08  million paid streaming subscribers in the US in 2020. The number of active users has grown steadily over the past few years, with the biggest spike coming in 2020 following the national lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This led to the pause of the production of several anticipated movies and series, as many of them are  set to premiere across several months in 2021. With the country slipping into another lockdown following its ease a few months ago, fans are more than expectant of the release of their favorite series and movies to while away time.

Tips to Make the Best out of your Subscription 

The Netflix platform comes in-built with several features designed for the user’s comfort, but are also targeted at maximizing profit. For some, several of these features are unnecessary, so below are some tricks to ensure that you enjoy your subscription to the fullest, ensuring a smooth experience.

1. Download

Some people do not know that you can download a movie from Netflix. If you ever find yourself with access to unlimited data, downloading an entire season of your favorite show might not be a bad idea, allowing you to enjoy it later in your home and at your own convenience.

2. VPN

Netflix offers a wide range of content, available across several countries. However, there are some which are restricted to a particular region or country based on several reasons. It is however unfair that people should be denied access to a movie or series based on their location. 

Luckily, there is a solution to this – installing a VPN. Popular shows like “Friends” and “Doctor Who” are not on US Netflix but available in the United Kingdom. Viewers can access it easily by connecting to a UK server location on your VPN. You will appear to be viewing from the UK. 

3. Personalized Profile

There are 5 different subscription packages available to choose from on Netflix, with the price of each differing based on the features. The basic plan is the cheapest, which allows only one profile to be created. 

If you do not intend to share the login details of the account with anyone else, the basic plan would be enough. If you however happen to want to share with family or friends, it would not be wise to pay for one profile subscription as Netflix’s algorithm would not know the specific genre of content to recommend based on what has been previously watched. 

With bigger accounts, each person will have their own profile, and the progress made on a profile will be easily tracked and saved. It is also important to note that your subscription package can be changed at any time.

4. Custom Search

If you’re looking for new movies to watch, but you don’t want to feel like you’ve wasted data on an “uninteresting” movie, Netflix has the option for users to search for only movies and series that have won major awards like Oscars and Emmys. This category only consists of the best of the best, so you can check it out and select from any one of the available.

5. Add Extensions

If by chance you’ve successfully exhausted all the movies and series available in the Awards category, it is possible to add extensions of services like Rotten tomatoes and IMDb ratings to Netflix. 

This automatically adds the rating of the content and displays it over the cover picture when highlighted, so you can skip over it if the rating is not high enough to your taste. Bearing in mind that this is only applicable to those using browsers like Google Chrome and Opera mini. 

For those using the Netflix app, or a smart TV to watch, you would have to manually search for the rating of the movie or series.

6. End Buffering

Buffering is a major irritation for bingers everywhere, as it usually happens at important points during the stream, reducing the overall effect of buildups and intrigue. 

There are several ways to deal with buffering, the first of which is only available on Computers. Shift+Alt opens a hidden menu which has some tips to fix your buffering problems. 

The next solution is to lower your video quality. Sometimes, the Netflix server is not overloaded, the user’s network is probably too slow to process that many megabytes of visual information all at once. 

Other times, it is the device that is unable to process such high video quality in real-time, causing it to buffer. Lowering the video quality fixes these problems.

If you are sure your device and network connection are capable of handling high-quality video content, and you insist on watching movies of high quality, you might have to resort to watching at odd hours of the day. 

Probably at the wee hours of the night, when many people are not on the Netflix server, enabling it the capacity to effectively display your content

Conclusion

Netflix has relieved its subscribers from the stress of queuing at cinemas to get movie tickets, offering a wide range of content to choose from. With 2021 promising to be a year filled with several blockbuster movies, you must make the most of your subscription benefits at the best possible cost.