If you’re just getting started with Netflix, here are 8 tips for making the most of a Netflix streaming subscription:

If you’re just getting started with Netflix, here are 8 tips for making the most of a Netflix streaming subscription:

1- Choose the right subscription plan:

It offers three types of subscription plans; Basic, Standard or Premium.

The Basic subscription plan is perfect for mobile-only users especially for people with a limited data plan, because movies will stream in SD and not HD.

The Standard or Premium plan work perfectly on multiple devices (for a single user or multiple users) whereby you can watch a movie or TV show at the same time, on different devices in different locations.

2- Create Multiple Users:

If you are not the only one at home using Netflix, then make sure to create multiple users before you watch any movie. Netflix, and similar streaming platforms, work on a recommendation engine. The more you watch, the more will Netflix recommend shows that you might like. Your favorite shows will also be neatly displayed on the home screen under “shows you watch”.

If everyone in the family is watching under the default user, then your favorite shows will be mixed with the ones your family members have picked and Netflix will start recommending shows that will be tailored for all the members and not just for you.

3- Parental Control:

Netflix contains content for all ages. So, if you have kids, you surely need to turn the parental control setting on. This can be done from the website and it will automatically apply to all the devices you use.

You must create a user for your kids, as there’s a huge variety of animated movies and series that are tailor-made for your little ones.

I would also recommend the family movies section, it has a wide selection of films for parents and kids to enjoy together.

4- Watching on a big screen:

If you have any of these devices (Apple TV, PS4, Xbox, Amazon Fire Stick, Google Chromecast…), then you can enjoy watching Netflix on your big screen.

My favorite is the Apple TV because the interface is slick, and the new Apple remote control experience is fully optimized to get all the features out of the app with a few swipes and minimal effort. It is far better than controlling it with your console controller.

5- Mobile Data:

If you are watching movies on your mobile, then make sure you are always connected to WIFI for if there’s a streaming movie, it will drain your data plan and it will cause additional unwanted charges.

6- Internet Connection:

If your internet connection is anything less than 2Mbps then Netflix will NOT work properly but if you are on a +2Mbps connection, like most of the Lebanese, then here are a few tips to better optimize your experience:

Take your time to choose the movie and check the reviews on IMDB before watching. You don’t want to start a movie and then drop off 15 minutes later. It’s a waste of time and data consumption. The movie usually starts the first couple of minutes with a low quality pixelated video. But, you don’t have to worry about that as it will adjust automatically to enhance the quality. Avoid constantly skipping through the movie as it will increase the data consumption taking more time to reload the video with every leap.

Average data usage: Low-Medium (0.3–0.7GB per Hour), High (up to 7GB per Hour).

7- Watchouts:

One of the disadvantages of Netflix is that you cannot watch the currently running season of your favorite series; it will only be released after all the episodes have been aired. On the other hand Netflix has lots of original content that is not found elsewhere, noting that not all content is available in Lebanon due to legal rights.

Remember, ONLY the first month is free of charge by default but it will renew automatically by the end of the month cycle.

8- Alternatives to Netflix:

Hulu: My personal favorite; a similar service to Netflix with an even better option whereby you may watch your favorite shows directly on the next day after the episode has been aired on TV. Unfortunately, this service is only available in the US.

Amazon Prime: Its library is not as rich as the others but it does include some original content like “The Man in The High Castle”.

Finally, here’s a useful link to easily browse all the Netflix content by genre.

Happy streaming!

The post 8 Things to Consider Before Signing up to Netflix appeared first on Techie Dad - Creative Technologist.

Few weeks ago, Netflix became available in most countries. This news was welcomed by every movie buff and TV series lover out there. People can now stream their favorite content anytime and anywhere at a small subscription fee without being restricted by proxies and having to go through the hassle of VPNs.

The beauty of Netflix and similar services such as Hulu, which is my personal favorite, is that unlike popular belief, you don’t need a super duper internet connection for it to work, but rather with a minimum of +2Mbps will allow you to stream and enjoy HD movies. Of course the connection should be stable and you should not be running other online services at the same time. It is actually faster and more cost effective to stream a video than to buy and download the HD version. Streaming in general is optimized to consume the video at less bandwidth vs the full HD download, and people will finally and gradually move away from the habit of storing movies that they will never watch again on infinite number of hard drives, when they realize that these same movies can always be found online anytime, anywhere.

Unfortunately, not everyone is thrilled about the news. The media industry is rather worried about Netflix’s sudden availability as if they never expected it to operate outside the US. Most local TV stations over the past decade missed every opportunity to ride the wave and embark on the technological journey of the internet. Instead of leading the online revolution and creating monetizable local platforms, they followed in the traditional shadows of regional cable giants feeding on their leftover content and providing local users with a second-hand service, by broadcasting older reruns and many times already watched content (on other online platforms). Their market share is mainly producing low budget dramas and game shows for their local audiences while fighting each other over the primetime evening news.

Local TVs are not being able to properly monetize their content especially now with advertisers shifting much of their budget to online platforms. One of the main reasons is that for the past years, they have been giving away all their content for free, they have poured everything on Youtube, and made people believe that content is not something worth paying for. Now, they are desperately looking for a way out because people can no longer wait for content to be aired in their country many days and sometimes months later. People eagerly look for fresh content to be consumed as soon as they find it wherever and whenever they are on any available platform. With the variety of connected devices, people can consume content from their mobiles, desktops, and mostly from their connected TVs (via smartTVs, Apple TVs, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire Stick and similar devices). Today the connected TV screen is regaining its online viewing marketshare and competing with mobile devices because the large screen viewing experience is still unbeatable when it comes to watching long hours of media, especially when watching with family and friends.

Unlike what it seems, local TV stations are not the biggest losers, but rather the giant middlemen (i.e cables) that are fighting battles on various fronts: The content front with local channels, the distribution front with Telecom operators and IP TV providers, and finally the online front with international players like Netflix and Hulu, without forgetting the growing custom content that commercial brands are creating for their online platforms.

The opportunity is still there (at least for the time being) and local TV stations can still make it after all, but this cannot happen with the current mindsets and business models. Drastic change must happen in order to evolve and adapt to the current needs and opportunities. They need to dare to invest in new ideas, work on innovative programming, and most important create engaging interactive local and cultural content. TV stations need to realize that the size of an audience is not bound by the geographical boundaries of the country, but rather starts locally moving to the diaspora community in order reach regional and international audiences.

The post Will Netflix kill the local TV station? appeared first on Techie Dad - Creative Technologist.