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As the leading video streaming service in the world, Netflix has everything to lose. The company is investing heavily in original content in order to keep its large subscriber base and is borrowing billions to keep its productions running. That means that the company is actually investing more than it is making right now. That is a good deal for customers because it means they get more out of Netflix than they collectively pay for.
Netflix has the highest customer satisfaction rating of all of the video streaming services in the United States. The approval of the system’s current customers shows that this is a good video streaming service to pick.
Netflix overview
Netflix created the concept of video streaming services. The business originally started as a DVD by mail service and switched to video streaming once Broadband made internet speeds fast enough for constant streaming.
As well as proving video streaming technology, Netflix originated the idea of a video club membership. Rather than renting videos individually, members pay a monthly subscription and get access to the entire video library for on-demand viewing. There are no limits on viewing hours, so the holder of a Netflix account can binge-watch box set TV shows and movies constantly.
Netflix is the industry leader, being the largest video streaming service in the United States. The service when international and is available for subscription in every country of the world except for China, North Korea, Syria, and the Crimea. A member in one country can get access to the service when traveling abroad while in a location where Netflix operates. The website address for the service is the same all over the world: netflix.com. When a user logs in, the system detects where the member is and then adjusts the video library for the location.
There are now many rival services to Netflix, including Hulu, which is the second-largest video streaming service in the United States. Hulu is owned by Disney, which has also started up Disney+. Other rivals are Peacock, a new service run by NBC, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime Video.
Of those rivals, only Amazon Prime Video competes with Netflix internationally. The greater competition has driven Netflix to develop its own original content, prioritizing quality in its TV series and movies in the hope of winning Oscars and Emmys. Other innovations in the service include the ability to download content to watch in locations with no internet connections.
Netflix is based in Los Gatos, California, but the company also runs production centers in Albuquerque, New Mexico, New York, the UK, and Spain for the creation of its original programming.
Netflix content
Netflix gives access to more than 5,000 videos. More than half of these are Netflix Originals. Examples of famous TV series that are available on Netflix include:
- Stranger Things
- Bojack Horseman
- Trump: An American Dream
- The Crown
- Black Mirror
- The Office
- Space Force
- Orange Is The New Black
- Hollywood
- Tiger King
Movies developed by Netflix include:
- Marriage Story
- The Wrong Missy
- The Irishman
- Lost Bullet
Netflix has a co-production deal with Marvel, which has created Netflix Originals based on Marvel characters. These include:
- Luke Cage
- Jessica Jones
- Iron Fist
Children’s entertainment
Every account gets one default profile plus one Kid’s profile. The Kid’s profile filters out content that isn’t appropriate for children. There is plenty of children’s entertainment to choose from including animation and movies. Netflix Originals in this category include:
- Troll Hunters: Tales of Arcadia
- Dragons: Race To the Edge
- Alexa and Katie
- A Series of Unfortunate Events
Movies for children on Netflix include:
- The Willoughbys
- Gnome Alone
- Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back
- Tall Girl
Sports content
Netflix has almost no sports content. There are no sports events on the video streaming service. There are a number of videos themed around sports and also documentaries based on sports personalities.
Music streaming
Netflix does not include a music streaming service. The videos contained in the Netflix library include musicals and documentaries about famous musicians. America’s Got Talent is shown on Netflix UK as each episode airs on NBC in the United States.
Netflix UX
The Netflix library is organized into categories. These are arranged on the default home page of each user.
Profiles
Each user account gets a profile and viewing history gets fed into an algorithm that alters the categories shown on that profile’s home screen.
Each Netflix account can have up to five profiles. A profile gives each member sharing an account privacy and it also enables content to be tailored differently per viewer. The account owner can set restrictions on each profile, such as the age of each user. A profile can be locked with a PIN.
Simultaneous streams
Despite the availability of five profiles, the number of simultaneous streams is limited by the account level. A Basic plan can only stream to one device at a device. The Standard plan gets two simultaneous streams and the Premium plan includes four.
Video categories
Tailored categories include Trending Now, Continue Watching, Top 10, and Popular on Netflix.
The home screen contains bands of icons for videos. Each icon is the title of the video and they are arranged in lines under a category heading. The lines are wider than the screen and so the user needs to scroll to the left and to the right to see all videos in the display.
There are hundreds of categories on Netflix and only a few are selected for the user’s home page. Category examples include Sci-fi, Real-life Docuseries, Dramas, Crime, US Comedies, Art House Movies, and so on. The Netflix algorithm selects the best movies and TV shows to display in prioritized categories on the home screen. However, the user gets access to more comprehensive lists through the search facility.
The environment contains a large headline area that plays through a featured video. The sound of this video cuts out as the user scrolls down the screen. When the user hovers the mouse over a video icon, that image expands, revealing a few details about the video and a down arrow.
Details screen
Clicking on the down arrow gets a larger panel with more details. The viewer can switch between tabs showing an overview, a list of episodes, details of the video, or a list of similar content. The viewer gets access to the video by clicking on a Play button in the Overview tab.
Video downloads
Netflix can be accessed through a browser but users of Windows computers and laptops and also mobile devices can use an app instead. This app has an extra function that allows the user to download videos to watch offline.
The Netflix app can be installed on many devices but downloads can only be stored on the number of devices equal to the number of allowed simultaneous streams. So, the Standard plan gives the right to download videos onto two devices. Each device can hold up to 100 downloaded videos at a time.
Netflix quality
There are three Netflix plans and each has a different streaming quality. The videos on Netflix are of different ages and different qualities. The Basic plan steams in Standard Definition (SD). Higher-quality videos are available to users of this plan, but the quality is reduced for transmission. The lower quality of the transmission is ideal for those who live in rural areas that don’t have very good internet connections and for those who are on metered internet plans. The lower quality is also better for those who access the Netflix service on mobile devices.
The Standard plan of Netflix gets High Definition (HD) quality videos and the Premium plan gets 4K Ultra HD (4K UHD). However, videos don’t get upgraded, so if a Premium plan member accesses an SD video, it is streamed in SD.
Netflix platforms
Netflix can be received by a range of devices.
Internet service
Netflix videos are transmitted over the internet so all customers need internet service. The higher the quality of video included in the user’s plan, the better the internet service needs to be.
Smart TVs
Smart TVs can connect to the internet and they are able to receive Netflix streams without the need for any streaming device. The smart TVs that are compatible with Netflix are:
- Samsung smart TVs
- Vizio smart TVs
- LG smart TVs
Streaming devices
The following streaming devices are compatible with Netflix:
- Roku
- Amazon Fire TV devices
- Apple TV
- Android TV boxes
- Blu-ray players
Computers and mobile devices
The Netflix service can be played on computers and mobile devices and sent from them onto a TV screen by using Google Chromecast. To do this you will need:
- A computer with a web browser
- The Netflix app for Windows
- The Netflix app for iOS to receive the service on iPhones and iPads
- The Netflix app for Android devices, which should also work on Kindle
Game consoles
Game consoles can be used as streaming devices for Netflix. The streaming service will work through:
- Xbox
- PlayStation
- Nintendo
Netflix price
Netflix is available for a 30-day free trial. The user needs to choose a plan and sign up for it, giving payment card details. The first month of that plan is free. The prices of the three plans are $8.99 per month for the Basic plan, $12.99 for the Standard plan, and $15.99 per month for the Premium plan.
Netflix reviews from customers
The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) published the ACSI Telecommunications Report every year. The 2018 to 2019 report is the latest installment available. The report includes customer opinions on the major video streaming services operating in the United States. Each service is ranked with a satisfaction rating, which is a score out of one hundred.
In the latest report, Netflix got a rating of 78 in 2018 and 79 in 2019, which was the top score in both years. The average rating for all video streaming services examined in the study was 75 in 2018 and 76 in 2019.
