Excuse me while I check if pigs are currently flying. Netflix once rented DVDs (those two words make me feel old), but they always had intentions to focus on the streaming bit. The service has changed the way we consume media, but one thing that has always been missing is offline streaming.
Netflix has always stood against the possibility of streaming its content offline for a litany of reasons. The biggest reason has always been twofold: how do you access this offline content and how do you fight against piracy?
A recent tweet from the official Netflix account stated that “your favorite stories are now available for download any time.” The tweet also comes with a video that you can check out for yourself below:
Airplane mode. Road trip mode. Stuck-in-the-subway-for-20-minutes mode. Your favorite stories are now available for download any time. pic.twitter.com/g7QZA3TyE8
— Netflix US (@netflix) November 30, 2016
The service launched today, so you can start enjoying your favorite Netflix fare on your own time offline. But just how does one take advantage of this new offline feature? It all comes into play with the newly updated iOS and Android mobile apps.
When you watch a show or film you will see a small “download” icon that will let you save the show offline on your mobile device. Now, it should be noted that not every show and film works with this new update, but all of Netflix’s own fare are there, ready to go. It seems other studios will have to make the choice to allow there programing to be made available for downloading.
Netflix has thought of this and made it easier to know what is available to download via a new tab on the app the lists everything you can save. Looking at the current offering is pretty promising as it does seem a lot of studios seem to be down with this new feature.
And if you are wondering about pricing and plan –don’t. The download service will be available to all subscribers. One thing that you should know is that the quality for the downloads is fairly low, but this shouldn’t be that big of a problem on smaller mobile devices. But if you are using one of those fancy high-resolution tablets, even on the highest quality the download may look a bit poor. Still, this is a great step that will ensure you aren’t stuck in a car, in a plane, on a bus, or on a train without some content.
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