REVEALED: Why Netflix won't let you watch movies and TV shows offline

Netflix Chief Product Officer, Neil Hunt

NETFLIX is NOT planning to let its users download movies and TV shows to watch offline anytime soon – and this is WHY.

 

It is one of the biggest complaints about video on-demand service Netflix – why can't I download a film, or episode of my favourite show, to watch when I don't have a wifi connection?

Amazon recently added the ability to download any of its Prime Instant Video catalogue for offline viewing and broadcaster Sky offers the ability to download and watch on up to four devices withs its Sky Go service.

But market leader Netflix is not planning to add offline viewing to its hugely successful streaming service anytime soon.

 

The Californian company believes that adding the ability to download content to watch offline to its mobile apps will make the service too complicated for users.

Netflix’s Chief Product Officer, Neil Hunt explained the firm's decision on offline viewing to Gizmodo at the IFA consumer electronics tradeshow in Berlin.

"I think it’s something that lots of people ask for," he admitted. 

"I still don't think it's a very compelling proposition. We’ll see if it’s something lots of people will use.

 

Netflix Chief Product Officer, Neil Hunt

"Undoubtedly it adds considerable complexity to your life with Amazon Prime – you have to remember that you want to download this thing. 

"It's not going to be instant, you have to have the right storage on your device, you have to manage it, and I'm just not sure people are actually that compelled to do that, and that it's worth providing that level of complexity.”

Mr Hunt, who has worked at Netflix since 1999, said the firm is always cautious about making its oh-so-simple streaming service too complicated.

“One of the things I've learned is that every time you offer a choice, you paralyse some people who can't decide if that's what they want to do or not," he explained.

"Now, that sounds really stupid and self-serving, but it is in fact true. It's the 'Paradox of Choice'."

Netflix is constantly experimenting with new features and developing its platform – and has the data to back-up its decision.

“Every time you add a control, you reduce the total number of users who use them.

“We did an experiment with our five star rating system, for instance; everybody said 'you've got to do half stars', people really wanting to say a film is worth three and a half stars, 'I didn't just like it, nor really love it.' 

 

"So we left all the graphics exactly the same, except letting you light up an extra half a star, really simple. 

"We had 11 percent less ratings coming in! Just insane! 

"We've plenty of cases where we've seen that happen.”

But there is hope for those who wants to binge-watch a couple of seasons of The West Wing during a long-haul flight, or on during a commute to work on public transport.

“I think a much more interesting proposition is, can we make streaming work better in more places that people want to stream?" Mr Hunt hinted.

 

The Netflix Chief Product Officer, who is in charge of leading the product team, which designs, builds and optimises the user experience, teased a very interesting proposition, "What if we can put Netflix in a rack box that essentially contains all of Netflix content that you could imagine putting in an airplane server, right along with our existing offerings?

"That for me is a more interesting thing; can we make Netflix work on a plane, can we make it work on a train, in hotels? 

"That doesn't necessarily get you Netflix everywhere, all the time. But I think if we can make that work well, that's a more interesting proposition than trying to change consumer behaviours."