Netflix users may soon find their viewing experience much more convenient, because the company is considering allowing offline playback for its content.
One of Netflix’s biggest downsides is its massive use of bandwidth, which in many cases accounts for a substantial chunk of internet traffic. Now, with the company’s recent expansion in more than 130 new countries around the world, internet usage and bandwidth allocation is a more pressing issue than ever.
That’s why the company’s CEO admitted that Netflix is now considering a scenario where users would be able to download shows and movies and watch them offline. This would make a lot of sense and help users in scenarios when they"re downloading shows at home and watching them on the go, so they don"t drive up their data usage. He discussed this in a conference call last night, saying:
We should keep an open mind on all this… as we expand around the world where we see an uneven set of networks, it’s something we should keep an open mind about.
Of course, this is by no means a sure thing. And even if Netflix did come to allow offline playback, it’s doubtful this feature would be available everywhere around the world, or with all pieces of content. We’ve seen other companies use a varied country-by-country approach for offline playback. For example, YouTube gives users this option in some regions of the world, while Amazon allows users to download its shows and watch later.
But still, there’s a ray of hope shinning down on Netflix users, especially as the company seems to have moved away from a categorical denial of offline playback, which it was espousing only a few months ago.
Source: Tech Insider