Netflix users have no problem spending $8.99 a month to be able to stream all the movies, TV series and original content on the platform. While many choose to do most of their streaming at home on their big TV screen or on their laptops in bed, others use the Netflix app on their smartphones to be able to keep watching once they leave the house.
With season 2 of Daredevil about to premiere, we already know we will be glued to our screens until we finish it. This can be worrisome — and expensive — for those who don't have unlimited data plans for their smartphone.
Well, don't worry, Netflix subscribers, because the company announced that it will be releasing a new update for its smartphone app later this year that will help users save money on their phone bills.
According Pocket-lint, Netflix said its latest update would help reduce high data charges from consumers' bills by allowing them to limit bitrate using a new data saver button. This new feature will allow users to have more control when it comes to how much data they use.
Once the data saver button is toggled on, the app will then use its intelligence to select the bandwidth to stream that will be the most economical for the user. This means the user might have to sacrifice the video quality (like streaming in Full HD 1080p) in order to save some bucks.
It's also important to note that the user won't have a say in setting the list of the bitrate, although this may be included in the future. Still, this would allow customers who only have, say, 1 GB of data available to use each month, to be able to watch a quick episode of Judd Apatow's Love without worrying that their binge-watching habit is becoming an expensive one.
Netflix will also release a second-screen function that will allow users to read background info on the title they are watching from their mobile devices. This feature will first launch for Android and Chromecast, then later for iOS and consoles. That means users will be able to learn who that actor is that looks so familiar, yet they can't remember their name while watching a series.
Speaking of series like Daredevil, Netflix has plans to introduce HDR (high dynamic range) in March, previously stating that the second season of the hit superhero series will launch the feature. However, HDR (which expands the range of contrast and color to provide more realistic images), may not be available for the series' March 18 release.
Source: Pocket-lint
