I took Netflix for granted
No, this is not a UX-related article or anything scientific. It is just my two cents about this VOD application.
I am no loyal worshipper of Netflix or anything close to that, but I have been experiencing this app for a while now. The more I dig into it, it brings me to the realization of how this app has set the standard on my watching experience and changed my streaming behavior. I wasn’t aware of it at first, because I have been taking this app for granted. I feel like Netflix is just doing things that should be done — it is nothing special nor mind-blowing witchcraft. I know, I was wrong.
We know that Netflix has a lot of cool features, but some of those have particularly amazed me.
First, the “continue-to-watch” feature. Netflix let us close a video and start back again at the exact same time where we leave it. Even better, they move the seconds back a bit and give us time to recall the story before continuing to watch. Do you remember your watching experience before this feature existed? I can recall mine. I had to write down the exact minute and second so I can continue where I left. Otherwise, I will just watch that video from the start. Not every app has this feature by now, so it has been very helpful to experience the “continue-to-watch” feature on Netflix.
Second, the “move forward-or-back for 10 seconds” feature. A lot of apps have this feature already, such as Youtube, Vlive, and even illegal content sharing website like Fmovies. To tell you the truth, I just know that Youtube can do this stuff three days ago from my co-workers. You can double-tap on the right side of the screen to move forward and on the left side to move back. Youtube doesn’t have the “10-sec” symbol so I don’t know about that this whole time (this is your homework, Google!). Anyhow, Netflix has been very helpful by providing us with a clear interface on how to use the feature. So, yeah, another round of claps for Netflix from me.
Third, the “smart download” feature. This one is very useful for a commuter like me. The signal on the train can be very annoying sometimes. Netflix gives me the privilege to download all the contents I want to watch later and watch it without any buffering. On top of it, they geared it up with other cool features like “video expiration date” and “auto-download”. If a video has been in the tab for too long and not being watched at all, it will be expired. It helps me to select which video I should delete to save storage. It will also auto-download the newest episode of the series I currently watch, thus I will not miss any updates about my favorite series. I think this auto-download is better than giving a push-notification for new episodes because — admit it — push notifs are bothersome.
Fourth, the “account sharing” feature. Subscribing to Netflix service is a difficult commitment for a first-jobber like me because it is quite expensive, around 100k a month. For people who don’t have that much free time to binge on Netflix, it can be quite burdensome. It is natural to question the value; is it worth to subscribe to a VOD app while not knowing exactly when I can use it? Netflix escalated this issue and came up with the sharing account feature. It is where you can subscribe with multiple people while still having your own account, so other people in your subscription will not ruin your recommendation page. The price also decreases much lower, down to 40k a month. To make it even cheaper, you can also sign up for a single-watcher package and use it together with your friends if you can endure the messy recommendation and its inability to watch simultaneously.
Fifth, the honorable mentions for Netflix content algorithm. I have no understanding of codes, so I will just praise on how Netflix can recommend me contents and divide them into different sections. Take a look at your homepage, there will be a trending section, top picks, new releases, popular, binge-worthy, award-winning — so comprehensive and very complete. They also have the “previews”, where I can peek a bit of the currently hot films or series available on Netflix. It comes in a portrait mode, like the Instagram stories, so I experience no hassle to rotate my phone and such.
Actually, I have a little recommendation for Netflix. I think it will be very cool if Netflix can have the feature of “user preference” that is not solely based on what users are watching, but also “users particular liking”. I take an example from taste.io, a website that let you know film recommendations based on preference. The first step is to rate the films that you have watched and told them how the film is according to these variables: theme, pace, plot, rewatch-ability, and people to watch with. The more you rate the films on the website, the richer your recommendation will be. It will also calculate your stance on film taste, such as your liking to happy or grim films, simple or complex, calm or intense, and modest or cynical. This liking feature will not only be seen as cool by the users but also beneficial for Netflix in deciding what kind of content they will produce next since they also have the Netflix originals.
Lastly, I just want to say that Netflix is such a blessing for us because they realize what users really need when we ourselves didn’t know what we need. You surely set a new standard, guys.
