But with mounting competition from the (cheaper) Disney+ platform and the upcoming Peacock and HBO Max services in 2020, is Netflix still king of the streaming universe? Let’s take a closer look at what Netflix has to offer in late 2019, and if it’s worth your time and money.
Netflix’s TV Shows & Movies
Photo courtesy of Netflix.
HBO’s Watchmen showrunner Damon Lindelof said it best when he told The Hollywood Reporter that Netflix shows are hard to define: “I can tell you what an HBO show is,” Lindelof told THR. “What is a Netflix show versus a Hulu show versus an Amazon show? I can’t answer that question.” Lindelof is presenting this as a negative, but is it really? In many ways, Netflix’s lack of labels is what makes it so popular. Sure, the streaming provider may not carry the awards season prestige that HBO has enjoyed for decades (although Netflix did receive more Emmy nominations than HBO back in 2018), but it does have something for everyone. Compared to its competitors Amazon, Hulu, CBS All Access, and even Disney+, Netflix arguably has the most variety in terms of its original programming.
Even with the implosion of Netflix’s Marvel TV universe, the provider is still going strong with a robust lineup of original series and movies like When They See Us, The Crown, Black Mirror, and El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. But the biggest strides Netflix has made over the past few years have been through its commitment to introducing the US (among other countries) to new foreign-language shows outside of their respective territories. Here in the US, the German genre-bending series Dark has scratched that Stranger Things itch perfectly, and the Italian crime drama Suburra: Blood on Rome is the best action-adventure show you’re (probably) not watching.
Netflix also excels on the technology front as well, especially with its innovative interactive series like Puss in Book, You Vs. Wild, and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch. These engaging experiences effectively blur the line between video games and TV/movies. And while not for everyone, Netflix’s risk-taking approach when it comes to finding new and exciting ways to entertain its subscribers is admirable. The streamer has also taken its ambitious jack of all trades approach to the unscripted space, with its inspired Queer Eye reboot and exceptional docuseries such as the foodie-friendly Chef’s Table and murder mystery phenomenon Making a Murderer. Like Lindelof, we may not be able to tell you what exactly a Netflix show is, but the variety of options is arguably the thing that makes the “Netflix experience” so unique.
Still, the service is facing the steady erosion of its acquired content as rivals like Disney, NBC, and Warner Bros. pull their licensed shows and movies back to their own platforms. Disney has already taken back the majority of its animated and Marvel movies for Disney+, NBC’s Peacock will soon be the exclusive streaming home of The Office, while HBO Max will take possession of Friends when it launches in 2020.
Back in December 2018, Variety reported that the majority of viewership on Netflix still comes from acquired content rather than Netflix Originals, with The Office and Friends proving to be two of the streamer’s most popular shows. It remains to be seen whether users will stick around on Netflix once their favorite properties migrate to other services, and that may be the biggest hurdle facing the tech giant as the landscape grows more competitive.
Netflix’s User Interface
Photo courtesy of Netflix.
Having gotten a few years’ head start on its competitors, Netflix has honed its user interface into a well-oiled digital machine, with easy access across a myriad of devices including game consoles, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. As long as you have data on your phone or a WiFi connection, you can stream Netflix. The streamer even allows downloads for offline viewing (Amazon and Disney+ also have this feature) if you’re going to be in a place where the internet is spotty.
Key criticisms of the streaming service center on what happens after you finish watching an episode. Sure, Netflix is all about binging, but the four-second counter you get before the next episode plays is an annoying feature – often cutting off post-credits scenes. It would be nice if Netflix put at least 30 seconds or more for some reflective scratch-your-nose time after each the show’s credits roll.
Another gripe concerning the UI is how Netflix’s algorithms basically choose which shows it thinks are best for you. While this feature can be helpful if you’re feeling indecisive, the system can also hinder your discovery of certain movies or shows you never knew were there – and probably never will, unless you hear about them from someone else. On a personal note, since I watch a lot of sci-fi programs like Altered Carbon and Lost in Space, it took a friend’s recommendation for me to discover a thriller like You, which Netflix would consider outside of my viewing wheelhouse. Instead of curating the “what’s trending” tab to your particular recommendations, it would be nice to see a general “what’s trending in the US/around the world” section to see what other subscribers are consuming.
Netflix’s Price
The beauty of most of the current streaming services is that you can (at any time) opt-out of your month-to-month agreement. So, if you just want to watch Stranger Things Season 4, you can simply subscribe, pay the monthly fee, binge the season, and get out quickly. Gone are the days (for cord-cutters, at least) of talking on the phone with a cable provider, as they beg you to not cancel their service. That’s the upside, but Netflix has a very specific cost that its competitors don’t nickel and dime you over.
At the time of this review, Netflix has three pricing tiers in the US (see the image below), which have all crept up over time: $8.99 for the basic package with no high definition content, $12.99 for standard HD content, and $15.99 for 4K content, which is a big rip off. 4K and standard HD streaming is included by default on Disney Plus’ $6.99 per month package, and Amazon Prime’s $12.99 monthly plan, which also includes 2-day free shipping, electronic books, music, and more. Depending on the tier, you get a certain number of screens you can watch Netflix on at a time, ranging from 1 to 4. Netflix may still be the king when it comes to variety and a smooth user interface, but its premium pricing could push subscribers to look elsewhere when cheaper streaming providers become available. Time will tell.
Photo courtesy of Netflix.