Digital Guru: Netflix
PICK FROM AN EXTENSIVE CATALOGUE OF FILM AND TV.
THE LOCAL VIDEO store was once an iconic destination. Filled with an exciting mix of new releases and timeless classics, it’s an industry that thrived across Australia, especially during the 1990s. But it was the rise of the Internet that saw video stores gradually fall into almost complete non-existence. The concept of video streaming has been around for many years, growing in popularity thanks to amateur platforms such as YouTube. And yet the ability to watch premium content on-demand and on-the-go has really only come into its own over the last five years. Netflix has been described by many as the king of video streaming, launching its on-demand streaming service in the US in 2007, before (finally) expanding to Australian shores in 2015. With a catalogue housing over 2,000 TV shows and movies, the platform now has over 11 million users in Australia alone. In this guide we’ll run you through the steps to setting up an account before looking at the different features available on both desktop and mobile.
THE BASICS
GETTING STARTED. From your browser visit www.netflix.com/au/ (or download and open the Netflix app on your smartphone or compatible device) and follow the prompts. Netflix will present you with a series of subscription plans to choose from (more on this below) before asking you to register with an email address and password. While every new user gets a 30-day trial, Netflix will ask for payment details at the start. But don’t worry, you’ll only be charged at the end of your trial – you can cancel before the 30 days is up and not pay a cent.
CONTENT. Netflix offers many hours of content across a range of genres and categories. Starting with its back catalogue, the platform has licensing agreements for films and television series both young and old. For example, in TV you’ll find popular shows like
Mad Men, The Bodyguard and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, alongside notable films such as The Hunger Games, Wolf of Wall Street, plus the entire Harry Potter series. It’s important to note that while new content is regularly added to the service, some shows and films are occasionally removed due to expiring license agreements. In more recent years Netflix has also heavily invested in the production of original content, resulting in shows such as prison drama Orange is the New Black, crime documentary series Making of a Murderer and thriller film Bird Box.
PLANS. During registration you’ll be asked to choose a subscription plan. The cheapest offering for $9.99 per month gives you unlimited standard definition streaming plus downloads to one device. Stepping up to a standard subscription ($13.99 per month) unlocks multi-device streaming – letting you watch and download high definition content on two devices at any one time. Going one further, families might want to consider Netflix’s premium plan ($17.99 per month) which increases the device limit to four.
BROWSE. Once you’re all set up, it’s time to begin watching. On the home page you’ll find new and trending programs from the Netflix catalogue. As you watch more and more, Netflix will also offer up suggestions using your viewing history. At the top of the interface are three tabs – Movies, TV Shows and Recently Added – useful when browsing for content. Each title also has a percent match score indicating how likely you are to enjoy a show based on past viewing. If a particular program catches your eye, hover over it with your mouse to play its trailer and click again to begin streaming.
STEP IT UP A LEVEL
SEARCH. If you know the show or film you’re looking for, then direct your attention to the search bar at the top of the Netflix interface. In addition to searching by title or genre, you can also enter the name of an actor or actress to see shows they’re featured in. If the title you’re looking for isn’t available, Netflix will suggest similar programs from its catalogue.
MY LIST. Keep track of shows you’re keen to watch by adding them to your personal watch list. While browsing the Netflix catalogue, hover over a program’s title to see a small plus icon appear – click it and the show will be added to your watch list. You can access a chronological list of saved programs by clicking My List at the top of the Netflix interface.
DOWNLOADS. A feature seen as essential by many is the ability to download shows and films for offline playback. Available for Apple, Android and Windows 10 users via the Netflix app, you can download content to your device to avoid consuming precious data while
ON THE HOME PAGE YOU’LL FIND NEW AND TRENDING PROGRAMS FROM THE NETFLIX CATALOGUE. AS YOU WATCH MORE AND MORE, NETFLIX WILL ALSO OFFER UP SUGGESTIONS USING YOUR VIEWING HISTORY.
on-the-go. Note that this feature is only available for select shows and films (as indicated by the download icon displayed next a program’s description). From the downloads tab you can also enable Smart Downloads to automatically download the next episode of shows you’re currently watching.
CATEGORIES. Werewolf horror movies, romantic christmas films, British movies based on books – these are just some of the thousand-plus content categories on Netflix. While you can find them using the search tool, you can also browse a complete list on websites such as this one: www.whats-on-netflix.com/ library/categories/.
PLAYBACK QUALITY. High definition streaming may be great for watching over Wi-Fi, but that might not be the case when relying on your phone’s 4G. In settings you can adjust the streaming quality for both scenarios. PROFILES. Everyone has an opinion on what shows are worth watching. With Netflix, each member of the family can have a personalised viewing experience by setting up their own unique profile. To add a new user, click your profile icon in the top right corner of any page and select Manage Profiles. Every plan allows for a total of five users, each with a different watch list and recommendations. You can even specify a maturity level to restrict the types of programs a person can watch.
ADVANCED
BIG SCREEN STREAMING. Don’t fret if your TV lacks smarts – there’s plenty of ways to get Netflix on your TV that don’t require physically connecting your computer to the TV. A Google Chromecast (for around $60) plugs into your TV’s HDMI port and lets you wirelessly beam content from the Netflix app on your smartphone. Alternatively, an Apple TV set top box ($200+) comes equipped with a dedicated Netflix app.
ULTRAHD. Available exclusively to those on a premium plan is the ability to watch select shows and films in UltraHD. A step up from high definition, UltraHD 4K streaming takes your viewing experience to the next level. Note that to take advantage of this feature you’ll need a compatible 4K television or device. A fast internet connection of at least 25 megabytes per second is also strongly recommended.
KIDS. For those readers with children, you’ll be happy to know that Netflix has an option to set up a profile in kid mode. This child-friendly version of Netflix offers a simpler layout, with content limited to shows and films that are appropriate for kids 12 and under. To turn it on, just tick the box displayed on the edit profile screen.
VIEWING ACTIVITY. If you’re content suggestions feel off, you may want to check that no one else has been watching shows using your profile. You can see and edit your viewing activity from the settings screen, accessed by hovering over your profile icon and clicking Account.
SKIP. There’s nothing better than a classic show opener, but hearing it again and again can quickly turn what was once a catchy tune into an incredibly painful sequence of notes and melodies. Luckily Netflix gives you the power to bypass show openers in one click – just choose the Skip Intro option which appears at the start of a program’s theme. You can also do the same for shows that play a recap at the beginning of every episode.
SHARING. Share your love, sadness or shock for a program with friends. From the Netflix app on your smartphone tap the share icon on a title to reveal options for sending via SMS, WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. You can even add it to your Instagram Story.