9 handy things you probably don’t know Netflix can do
Netflix is a powerful tool for surviving the chaos of life. You can watch movies after work or while traveling. You can set up specials for the kiddies.
You can tame bickering relatives with a favorite family flick.
With a little tinkering, you can make your Netflix experience even better. First, make sure your connection speed is up-to-par. Click here to test your internet connection speed using Netflix’s free tool.
Here are some clever tricks for getting the most out of your Netflix experience. Many users are surprised how pliable the platform is, once they learn a few tricks.
If you haven’t fiddled much with your Netflix options, get ready to view the service in a whole new way.
1. Download movies and shows
This move might be the single greatest decision Netflix has made since it started the streaming revolution. Now, you can download certain films and shows from its library and store them on your laptop, tablet or phone.
The Netflix app makes this easy; just hit “Download,” and your device will store the film for later viewing.
Want to see exactly how to do it? Click here for the steps and screenshots.
2. Set up multiple profiles
If you have kids, you may already have two profiles: one for adults, and another that’s family-friendly. But you can add other profiles as well, so your preferences and search history remain unique to your tastes.
Just hit Switch Accounts and you’ll see the option Add Profile.
This is especially handy when multiple family members want to use the same account for several different devices. But it’s not just Netflix. Click here to learn how to keep your secrets safe on Amazon, Google, and Facebook too.
3. Sift through Netflix’s weird sub-categories
It almost sounds like an urban myth: Netflix has many subcategories, types of films that you never imagined anyone would identify, like “Steamy Sci-Fi and Fantasy” and “World Music Concerts.”
Users realized that they could enter certain codes into Netflix’s URL and discover extremely specific cinematic genres.
Click here if you’d like to see a list of categories.
Several movie buffs have decoded the Netflix system, but an easy one is Secret Codes Search.
4. Pick a movie at random through Netflix Roulette
Some people can spend an hour sifting through the endless Netflix options and still come up with nothing. (Author Douglas Coupland called this “option paralysis.”)
Wouldn’t it be better to just leave your decision up to fate?
That’s why the internet loves Netflix Roulette, a site that takes your favorite genres, actors, and directors and assigns you a film at random. Satisfy any mood without having to give it a second thought.
5. Delete browsing history
Some movies we like to see in groups. Others, we like to see alone. Whether your guilty pleasure is “Gigli” or “Last Tango in Paris,” you may not want everyone to know your private cinematic tastes.
That’s why Netflix makes it easy to hide certain selections from your profile so that nobody else can see what you’ve watched. You’ll find this option under Your Account.
6. Netflix Enhancer
This nifty add-on only works on Google Chrome, but it definitely earns its title: Enhancer allows you to hover over a film with your mouse and immediately watch trailers and read reviews.
The immediacy of Enhancer saves you the extra effort of looking up background information on YouTube and Rotten Tomatoes.
7. Maximize video quality
Most people are satisfied with Netflix picture quality, whether they’re watching movies on their phone or on a wide-screen TV. But what if you could improve the resolution?
It turns out you can, and pretty easily, as long as you’ve got a strong Wi-Fi connection. Just access Your Account and visit Playback Settings, and you’ll find an option to boost your picture quality to “High.”
8. Go international
This is a common shocker: People travel internationally, bringing their iPads along. They arrive at their hotel, log onto Wi-Fi, and access Netflix. But wait! What are all these weird movies?
Each country has its selection of films and TV and many mainstays that are U.S. entertainment are not included. How do you fix it? Subscribe to Mediahint that allows you to “unblock content” almost anywhere on the globe.
9. Prevent spoilers with Flix
If you use Google Chrome and hate to ruin movie endings, you might try Flix Plus. It can block text and images from your screen that might reveal too much about a given movie or show.
What questions do you have?
Call my national radio show and click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to the Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet or computer. From buying advice to digital life issues, click here for my free podcasts.
Make it a do-over
Go ahead do it and de-clutter your digital history. Your computer stores a huge amount of browsing data, and in places, you might never think to look.
This meticulous chronology makes you vulnerable to snoops and advertising trackers. The solution: eliminate it.
Tags: advertising, Amazon, apps, computer, devices, Facebook, family, film, Google, Google Chrome, history, Images, internet, kids, phone, reviews, settings, speed, travel, video, Wi-Fi, YouTube
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