Streaming service Netflix is now available in almost the entire world, as announced by CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings in a keynote address at CES 2016.
With the service expanding to more countries, more users will surely be signing up to the service. For new subscribers, and even for the old ones, here are some keyboard shortcuts and tips to make the binge watching experience even more convenient.
Keyboard Shortcuts
The Netflix website Help Center lists several keyboard shortcuts that subscribers can utilize while watching from their computer's Internet browser. The shortcuts are as follows:
Space and Enter: Toggle Play and Pause
Page Up: Play
Page Down: Pause
F: Full screen
Esc: Exit full screen
Shift + Left Arrow: Rewind
Shift + Right Arrow: Fast Forward
Up Arrow: Increase Volume
Down Arrow: Decrease Volume
M: Toggle Mute
Unlock Micro-Genres
Netflix has apparently gone overboard in categorizing the movies and TV shows available on the service into genres, resulting in the creation of over 76,000 micro-genres.
To unlock the hidden genres, users can play around with the end number for Netflix's genre URL, such as https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/8195, which leads to B-Horror Movies. Through this practice, users can even access genres that are not yet readily available.
For users that would rather not experiment, an unofficial list of micro-genres has been published online.
Watch Content In HD
To set up a Netflix account to always show HD, users can access the Playback settings of their accounts and then choose High for Data Usage.
The option has always been there, but many Netflix users are not aware of it. However, users should be warned that streaming content in HD eats up a lot of data, which would be painful for subscribers on a limited data connection.
Eliminate Buffering Through A Hidden Menu
Users can access a secret menu while watching videos by simultaneously pressing the Shift and Alt buttons on the keyboard and the left click on the mouse.
Once on the secret menu, users can choose the stream manager and then manually match the playback of the video with the buffering rate. Doing this would drastically reduce buffering issues, which can become kind of frustrating at times.
Use A Smartphone As A Remote
Netflix subscribers can transform their smartphones into a remote for the streaming service simply by downloading the Netflix app, which is compatible for iOS, Android and Windows Phone. Once the app is properly installed and synced, users will be able to utilize their smartphone to play, pause, stop and browse.
Utilize The Search Function
Going through the massive content of Netflix could be overwhelming for new users, but the service's search function will help in the adjustment. Typing in Netflix as the search term will bring up all of the service's original programming, and typing in 4K will bring up all the movies and shows that are available in 4K resolution.
Working With Subtitles
For content where English subtitles would help, accessing Audio and Subtitles in the options panel while choosing what to watch will bring up the choice to add subtitles into the movie or TV show.
To change the font size and color of subtitles, users can head to their account profile and choose the Subtitle Appearance option, where they can make the necessary adjustments.
