Table of Contents
Introduction
There’s a lot to look forward to in 2023. The final season of Ozark, potentially a second season for The Witcher, the fourth season of Stranger Things: Netflix has so much in store for subscribers.
But before you hit that subscribe button and give Netflix more money, take a look at these tips and make sure that you’re getting the most out of your Netflix subscription.
5 Tips to Improve your Netflix experience
1. Subscribe to a VPN service
Netflix may boast an extensive catalog of shows and movies, but what they didn’t tell you is that you may not be able to access some of it. Licensing issues, censorship, and other legal/financial reasons may result in certain content being limited to specific regions. For example, the US’ Netflix catalog differs heavily from that of the UK.
If you want access to other countries’ Netflix catalogs, you may think you’re out of luck. But there is one solution: a VPN.
A VPN routes your data through servers located in the country of your choosing. In other words, if you want to access the UK’s catalog, you can subscribe to a VPN service and connect to a server in the UK. Easy!
2. Enable and Customize Subtitles
Accessibility has become a big deal. This goes double for the entertainment industry, where creators of video games, movies, and even music are becoming aware of how they can improve the experience of blind/deaf/mute people. And subtitles are a significant component of accessibility.
Despite subtitles being a standard feature, many services don’t allow for much customization. Netflix, however, allows subscribers to customize subtitles their own way.
Users can change the color of the subtitles, decide whether or not to give the subtitles a backdrop, choose where the subtitles are on-screen, and vice versa. Before diving into the world of content Netflix offers, take some time to make sure the subtitles are set up in a way that complements your experience.
3. Take Advantage of the Plan You’re Paying For
Netflix offers three subscription tiers, each one offering more than the previous one…for a higher price. All three levels—Basic, Standard, and Premium—give subscribers access to all of Netflix’s content, but factors such as 4K resolution and the number of devices allowed to use the account at once are determined by the tier you get.
For example, if you want to watch Netflix shows on your 4K TV, you’ll need to subscribe to the Premium plan for $18/mo. But, if you only need 1080p resolution and don’t need more than two devices to work with the account, then you can go for the Standard plan at $14/mo.
Overall, choose what subscription plan works for you! Make sure you’re not paying more than you need to be, either—plenty of people do it.
4. Use Hidden Codes to Search for Specific Shows
Netflix does a lot right: its aesthetic, its profile system, its broad and diverse catalog of shows and movies, both original and third-party. However, Netflix could improve in one key area: its search section.
If you don’t know the name of the content you’re looking for or want to find shows that are like other specific shows, it can be difficult finding exactly what you want. What Netflix doesn’t tell you is that there is a way to narrow down search results to specific content. How? Use hidden codes.
Once you pull up a list of hidden codes, go to your browser and type in Netflix.com/browse/genre/XXXX, the “XXXX” being a placeholder for the code you want to enter. From there, you’ll be shown subgenres otherwise unviewable through the traditional search method.
5. Test Out New Netflix Features
Releasing a feature only to have your user base criticize it and beg for its removal isn’t unheard of. It’s a situation many companies want to avoid. To make sure features are polished and ready to release to the public, many services allow users to test specific features by opting into tests, betas, and vice versa. Netflix is no exception, giving subscribers the ability to enable “Test Participation.”
This service has been vital to Netflix’s success, and every subscriber should opt into Test Participation. You can help shape a better Netflix; what’s not to love!
Conclusion
It’s crucial that you make the best out of your time with Netflix. With these five tips, you can do just that! Now, enjoy your week!
