Netflix allows users to stream a huge number of films and series at any time. We explain how it all works in our practical tip. We also introduce you to the various subscription models.
How does streaming work on Netflix?
Once you have signed up for Netflix, you can use the streaming service at any time on any internet-enabled device with a browser or a corresponding app. Depending on your subscription, you can use up to four devices simultaneously.
- According to Netflix, an internet connection with a speed of 3–5 Mbit per second is required to watch videos in HD without any problems. For SD, a connection of 1 Mbit is sufficient; 4K and Ultra HD, on the other hand, require at least 15 Mbit/s.
- Tip: Find out how fast your connection is.
- You can use the service either on your video game console, PC, notebook, or tablet at netflix.com or via the app for iOS, Android, or Windows (Phone, Xbox, and PC).
- Many Blu-ray players, streaming clients (such as FireTV or AppleTV), and televisions now have a Netflix app pre-installed.
- If you are interested in the variety of films and series available on Netflix, you can easily view the video service’s program offering in advance.
This is what the streaming service costs
The US provider has three different pricing models. The movies and series are identical, but the number of devices and the playback quality vary. You can use up to four devices at the same time and also save content offline on them if, for example, you plan to spend a long time on a plane.
- The standard subscription with advertising currently costs €4.99 per month and allows two simultaneous streams in Full HD, but with commercial breaks and a limited catalog.
- The ad-free standard subscription for €13.99 also offers Full HD and two streams.
- The premium subscription for €19.99 offers Ultra HD quality (4K), HDR, and up to four simultaneous streams, as well as downloads on six devices.
Fun facts about Netflix
Netflix has been around for much longer than many people realize. The company originally rented out physical copies of movies and TV shows. So it’s no surprise that there are now quite a few fun facts about the company:
- In the late 1990s, Netflix employees called people in Los Angeles and asked them about the website. The employees were then allowed to visit many of these people at home. There, they observed how the website was used in order to improve its functionality. As a thank you, the employees brought delicious coffee with them.
- Netflix has perfected spoilers, as they discovered that spoilers can change viewers’ viewing behavior and that they can use this fact to their advantage.
- In general, Netflix believes that people decide within two minutes whether a program is good or bad and then continue watching accordingly—or not. That’s why Netflix’s own productions usually start off much more dynamically than similar television productions.
- Since software version V10, you can stream Netflix in Tesla cars, but only while parked. This is intended to reduce waiting times while charging.
- The first episode of Netflix Originals featured various scenes without a real story, in which Netflix tested the frame rate and data consumption. Netflix now produces some of the most popular series and films under this label or even offers them exclusively on its own platform, including box office hits such as Bird Box with Sandra Bullock and audience favorites such as Bridgerton with Simone Ashley.
- Netflix invests billions in its own content, offers series in over 30 languages, and has made binge-watching popular.
- Fun Facts: Netflix won three Oscars in 2019 with “Roma,” released the first interactive film “Bandersnatch,” and now also produces video games.
- Netflix was founded in 1997 as a DVD rental company and became a streaming pioneer in 2007.
