Netflix is one of the best known and largest streaming services in the world. And that is absolutely right: the service works well, the offer is constantly improving and the subscription prices are competitive. Still, Netflix isn't perfect. Fortunately, you can make some adjustments yourself to improve your experience with the streaming service. These are 12 Netflix tips you should know.
We are very excited about Netflix. Technically, the service is well put together. For example, almost the entire range is available in Full HD and the latest own titles are also available in 4K UHD. The interface is also fine. Navigating is smooth and after selecting the desired title, Netflix immediately starts playing. However, there is one thing we are less happy about and that is that the offer is sometimes a bit opaque. Fortunately, there are plenty of tricks with which you can create order in Netflix. A warning in advance: Netflix regularly tinkers with the service, so some tips in this article may no longer work properly by the time you read it.
01 Upgrade Netflix Subscription
If you already have a subscription, you probably did not go for the most expensive variant. You have probably decided that a Basic subscription, which allows you to watch on one device at a time, is sufficient. But if your household consists of more people, you will soon find that that is not enough. Then it is good to know that you can easily top up your subscription. You do this by logging into Netflix, clicking your profile picture in the top right and then clicking Change Account / Subscription. You can now change your subscription at the touch of a button. In addition to Basic (7.99 euros per month), you can choose two screens (10.99 euros per month, with the advantage that you can also watch in HD) and four screens (13.99 euros, with the advantage that you can also watch in UltraHD).
02 Personalized
Categories or genres are shown based on what Netflix thinks you like. The algorithm based on viewing behavior and ratings works well for us. If Netflix predicts something to be fun, it often is. When you have watched a movie or series, always rate it with a score. This way the algorithm knows better and better what you like and you get relevant recommendations. Be sure to rate if you don't like something. If you do nothing, there is a chance that Netflix will assume that you like it. The ratings you see in Netflix for titles you haven't rated yet are not necessarily the average ratings from other users.
They are partly Netflix predictions of their expectation of what you think. A downside to this system is that Netflix may hide movies, series, or genres that you might like. Has someone else used your account and watched a title that you don't like? Then you can delete it via Account / Watch Activity, you will find this option under My profile. For example, this title is not used for suggestions and filtering the offer. Reviews can be found under Account / Reviews.
You can remove ratings, but you can also review the scores if your taste has changed. It is important for the algorithm to work properly that every user watches with his own account. If you want to experience how a new Netflix user is presented with the service, you can add a new profile via Manage Profiles / Add Profile. You will therefore see standard categories to a greater extent and not categories based on your viewing behavior.
03 New and disappearing offer
Netflix regularly adds new titles, but unfortunately is a bit secretive about what was added when. The new offer can be seen (partly) in the category Newcomers, but that is not very useful. There are several websites that inventory which titles Netflix has added. Websites that specifically target the Dutch market include www.netflix-nederland.nl and www.nuopnetflix.nl. For the Belgian market there is www.netflixinbelgie.be.
Every site has its strengths. For example, Flixfilms offers a quick overview of what's new, while Netflix Netherlands has a list with the complete range, which you can sort by IMDb score. Another problem is figuring out which titles are going to disappear. Netflix does indicate that individual titles will be unavailable shortly before they disappear.
Hold your mouse cursor over a title and click the down arrow. click on Details and then click the right arrow. If a title disappears quickly, you'll see the listing availabilty with a date. However, there is no list within Netflix with all titles that will disappear. The aforementioned websites take stock of this, but a website that does this better to our liking is http://uNoGS.com. click on Country details in the menu at the top and search Netherlands in the list. By clicking xx Videos about to expire see what will soon disappear. In addition, the site also shows what is new.
Indispensable: Upflix
Websites that inventory Netflix's new offerings are useful, but may be difficult to use quickly while watching. One of the best ways to get the most out of Netflix is the Upflix app, which is available for iOS and Android. Upflix shows what has been added per day. In addition to seeing what's new, Upflix is also useful for searching the range. In Upflix, the offer is divided into many more genres than in Netflix itself, it is the 'secret' genres that we pay attention to elsewhere in this article. Conveniently, you can also filter by Netflix, Flixster, IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes scores. If you have found something you like, you can play it directly in the Netflix app or read the reviews on Netflix, IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes. If you don't know what to watch at all, you can spin the wheel of fortune and watch any title. Upflix contains advertising that you can buy off for 99 cents.
04 Offer other countries
In addition to the Netherlands, Netflix is also active in almost all other countries. Because the offer is negotiated per country, there are large differences between what you can watch in countries. There is a lot of recent English-language offer, especially in the home country of the United States and Canada. Some titles are only available in other countries such as the United Kingdom. If you want to see everything, you cannot avoid using various countries.
There are various websites where you can search the range of Netflix regions. In addition to the aforementioned http://uNoGS.com, FlixSearch is a useful site. Type in a title and the site will show you in which country this title is available. If you have found a title in another country that you want to watch, you will of course have to switch your playback device to another region. Unfortunately, this is becoming increasingly difficult, so it is questionable to what extent searching in the offer of other countries is still useful.
05 Hidden Sub Genres
In the background, Netflix has more genres than are shown to the user. All these genres have a unique number. For example, in Netflix you see the genre Sci-Fi, at the back there are the (sub) genres Alien Sci-Fi, Anime Sci-Fi, Classic Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Cult Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Sci-Fi Fi Horror Movies and Sci-Fi Dramas. There are various websites that inventory these (sub) genres and show you the corresponding songs. For example, Whatsonnetflix.com is very useful.
You can go directly to a genre after signing in to Netflix by entering the url www.netflix.com/browse/genre/### into your browser, replacing the three hash marks with the number of the genre you want. It's a bit pointless to memorize all the songs. In addition, new genres are regularly added and some also disappear. Fortunately, you don't necessarily have to enter the numbers yourself. With the Netflix Super Browse plug-in for Chrome, you can add a list of all secret categories to Netflix. Choose in the menu More Tools / Extensions and click Add more extensions. Search netflix super browse and click Add to Chrome and then Add extension. If you have installed the extension, Netflix will include the new menu Super Browse in which you can see all (sub)categories and choose directly.
