One look at the market share demonstrates the strong position that Netflix holds. In 2014, it represented almost an 85% share of the US streaming market (although the increased competition means experts predict that this will drop to around 50% by 2018).
Although Netflix might have quite a limited movie collection, missing many classics, cult films, and independents, but the platform more than makes up for this with its many high quality series and exciting original programming. Some of the most notable ‘Netflix Originals’ include high-budget smash hits like ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Orange is the New Black’, ‘Narcos’, ‘House of Cards’, and when you throw the Marvel series ‘Jessica Jones’, ‘Luke Cage’, and ‘Daredevil’ into the mix, there’s hundreds of hours of top draw entertainment to enjoy. Such is the success of Netflix’s original content that the label ‘Netflix Original’ has almost come to be considered as a guarantee of quality.
But there’s more to Netflix than just its original programming. Popular series like ‘The Walking Dead’, ‘Modern Family’, ‘The Big Bang Theory’, and ‘Breaking Bad’ are also available for viewing. But the wait can often be a few months after their original airing on TV that the latest season of shows like this are available on the online streaming service. The same is true for the latest blockbusters. And some big-hitting series like ‘True Detective’ or ‘Game of Thrones’ are nowhere to be found. But new content is added regularly: Netflix updates its back catalog with both classic series and Netflix Originals several times every month. Lastly, there are plenty of other types of show available, including numerous documentaries and anime series.
One of the best things about Netflix is its flexible customer subscription model and many extra bonus features: the initial trial month is free and an online subscription package can be cancelled at any time, meaning signing up is basically risk-free. And if you decide you’re not enjoying Netflix during your trial month, you can just switch to another provider once it’s over – meaning it doesn’t cost you a dime! Netflix is also popular among many commuters: along with its native apps for smart TVs, computer consoles, Apple TV, Chromecast, Netflix offers mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. And better yet, the iOS and Android versions of the app feature a practical download function that allows you to store your favorite programs for offline viewing, meaning it won’t cost you your whole data package in streaming. The volume and subtitle controls are also easy to operate.
Netflix offers HD and ultra-HD content, but only at the expensive Standard and Premium subscriptionpackages. This wouldn’t be such a disadvantage but for the fact that there’s quite a large gap between price and extra features with the more expensive tariffs. The additions offered for the extra dollars are often not worth it for many users. HD is a bonus that many users get to enjoy with the Standard tariff, meaning that the extra price per month only offers the added advantage of being able to stream Netflix on two different devices at the same time. The Premium package offers ultra HD on 4 devices, but this is only worth it for families who have the appropriate 4K/UHD devices and superfast internet speeds.