Netflix Logo

Netflix Review: Everything you need to know

Netflix LogoWhat is Netflix?

Netflix is an extremely popular on-demand streaming provider. It offers a wide range of movies and TV shows, including a standout selection of original programming, to over 167 million subscribers in 190 countries around the world.

The streaming service started out as a movie rental service back in 1997 then launched the world’s first DVD rental and sales website the following year. It introduced a subscription service that enabled users to rent as many movies as they liked for one flat monthly fee in 1999, which was boosted by a recommendation service the next year. 

The brand, as we now know it, began with the launch of the Netflix streaming platform in 2007, which permitted members to watch content live on their computers. It then set about signing deals with consumer electronics companies to facilitate streaming via multiple devices, from gaming consoles to internet-connected televisions.

Netflix began creating content in 2013. Its slate of original programming has included popular TV shows such as House of Cards, which won three Primetime Emmy Awards, Arrested Development, and Orange Is the New Black. This content creation expansion has resulted in the service winning multiple Academy Awards and launching several international series.

Netflix plans and pricing

Netflix Basic Netflix Standard Netflix Premium
Monthly price $8.99 $13.99 $17.99
Free trial length none none none
Number of titles 4,944* 4,944* 4,944*
Offline downloads  Yes; on

  mobile

Yes; on

  mobile

Yes; on

  mobile

Streaming quality SD HD 4K Ultra

  HD

*Based on JustWatch.com data on 16 February, 2020

Netflix supported devices

There are several ways for Netflix subscribers to enjoy the service’s content, from mobile phones and tablets to internet-connected TVs, streaming devices, and web browsers. Netflix customers can watch on the following devices: 

  •         Amazon Fire TV
  •         Android phones and tablets
  •         Apple iOS
  •         Apple TV
  •         Funai Blu-ray players
  •         Google Chromecast
  •         HiSense Smart TVs
  •         LG Blu-ray players and Smart TVs
  •         Magnavox Blu-ray players
  •         Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo WiiU
  •         Nvidia Shield
  •         Panasonic Blu-ray players and Smart TVs
  •         Philips Blu-ray players Smart TVs
  •         PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita
  •         Roku
  •         Samsung Blu-ray players Smart TVs
  •         Sanyo Smart TVs
  •         Sharp Blu-ray players and Smart TVs
  •         Toshiba Blu-ray players
  •         Vizio Smart TVs
  •         Web browsers
  •         Windows phones
  •         Xbox 360 and Xbox One

What to watch on Netflix?

Netflix is home to some of the highest quality original content in the video streaming market. This includes Oscar-winning movies and Primetime Emmy-winning TV shows. Netflix has movies and shows from several genres, including: 

  •         Action
  •         Comedy
  •         Crime
  •         Documentaries
  •         Drama
  •         Horror
  •         Period dramas
  •         Romantic comedy
  •         Science fiction
  •         Thriller
  •         War

Netflix original movies

The most recent original movies available on Netflix include Breaking Bad: El Camino, starring Aaron Paul and Jesse Plowes in an extension of the award-winning TV series, dark comedy The Babysitter, and Martin Scorsese’s gangster film, The Irishman, with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci. Netflix is also the place to catch Oscar-winning Roma, an epic drama written and directed by Alfonso Cuáron about his upbringing in Mexico City.

Other original movie options include the Golden Globe-nominated Dolemite Is My Name, starring Eddie Murphy and Wesley Snipes, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, a biopic of serial killer Ted Bundy featuring Zac Efron, and the Academy Award-winning Marriage Story, with Scarlett Johansson.

Netflix original tv shows

Netflix is probably best known for its high-quality TV programming. This includes its flagship series Breaking Bad, Kevin Spacey in political drama House of Cards, gritty prison drama Orange Is the New Black, and science fiction horror hit Stranger Things. There are also choices such as Netflix’s first-ever original series, Lilyhammer, which focuses on a gangster who enters witness protection, and the recent hit The Witcher, with Henry Cavill. 

The platform’s back catalog of originals includes thought-provoking British series Black Mirror, critically acclaimed drama The Crown, ominous crime thriller Dark, gritty action film Narcos, and Marvel crime hit The Punisher. It also offers a wide choice of exploratory documentaries like I Am A Killer, Making A Murderer, and The Staircase.

Top movies on Netflix

Netflix is home to a huge library of top movies, including Hollywood hits like Leonardo di Caprio in Gangs of New York and Keanu Reeves in The Matrix. There is also plenty of comic action, including Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg leading the way as dumb cops in the star-studded The Other Guys, Ferrell alongside John C. Reilly in Step Brothers, and classic comedies like The Naked Gun and Police Academy.

Top tv shows on Netflix

Netflix offers plenty of binge-worthy TV entertainment, such as serial killer drama Dexter, Téa Leoni in Madam Secretary, and Aaron Sorkin’s political epic The West Wing. There is also a nice selection of dark programming and crime investigation with shows like Blacklist, Gomorrah, Hinterland, Paul Bettany and Sam Worthington in Manhunt: Unabomber, Penny Dreadful, and Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman in the clever British drama Sherlock.

Netflix is home to several popular comedies, including The Good Place, The Office (US), and Trailer Park Boys. It is the place to go for cult British series Derek, The Inbetweeners, The IT Crowd, and People Just Do Nothing.

Netflix features

Downloadable Content

Netflix subscribers can download movies and TV shows to watch offline on their mobile phone or tablet. Netflix does not restrict downloads. 

Users

The number of simultaneous streams subscribers have access to is dependent on the Netflix package they purchase. The Basic plan limits users to one device, subscribing to Standard enables two simultaneous streams, and the Premium option lets four people watch at the same time.

Content Control

Netflix allows subscribers to create profiles for up to five people in their household. Each user can personalize their login with features such as language preference and playback settings. They get individual movie and TV show suggestions and can build a personal list of things to watch later. Users can also limit the content available to specific viewers by setting maturity rating limits or creating a kid-friendly profile.

The final cut

Netflix is home to one of the strongest content libraries in the video streaming market, which is why it made it on our top list of video streaming services. The service’s ever-growing range of industry-leading original programming supports an impressive back catalog of award-winning content.   

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