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Chara Dagres
Ever start watching a movie and then pause it because you have to leave home? You don't have to leave your Netflix movies in the middle anymore. Now you can watch the whole thing, anywhere, with the Netflix mobile app. This lets you view movies and TV shows on a smartphone or tablet. The best part? There's no extra charge, as long as you already subscribe to Netflix. The catch? You've got to have the right phone or tablet.
Android, Apple, and Windows 7 mobile-device owners can all access the Netflix mobile app. However, the application has come under fire lately for its relatively limited Android release. Only a handful of Android systems can support the Netflix streaming so far [source: Broida]. Netflix says it's working fast to bring video streaming to more mobile systems, but it's hampered by the lack of standardized streaming playback features across Android phones [source: Netflix].
The company has been releasing limited apps for years. As early as 2009, you could manage your queues from your mobile device and watch video previews [source: Pasch]. But it wasn't until 2010 that you could actually view a full-length feature or TV show on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. Since then, Netflix competitor Hulu has released a similar application for its "Plus" subscribers [source: Hulu].
To download Netflix Mobile, just search for the app in the Android Marketplace, Apple iTunes Store, or Windows Phone 7 Marketplace. Log in with your existing Netflix username and password, and instantly stream movies already listed in your Instant Queue. You can download the app without being a subscriber, but it won't do anything. In that case, try the company's free month-long trial to see if you like the service.
If you have a Droid, check Netflix's database of devices to see if your system is compatible. The reason for the exclusivity is that Android phones are "fragmented," which basically means phone manufacturers and carriers have customized so many types of Androids that each one needs its own app [source: Krazit]. Each app takes time to develop and Netflix is working on this. Apple and Windows users have total integration, or zero variance in their mobile systems. Total integration lets every Apple product (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and Window 7 Phone access any apps launched for them.
Another thing to watch out for is a device limit. While Netflix lets you register up to 50 devices per account, only six can be active at one time. So the more phones and tablets you activate, the fewer computers, DVD players, and streaming boxes (like Roku) you'll be able to use at home. If you have the most comprehensive Netflix subscription (currently $51.98 per month for unlimited streaming and DVDs, eight at a time) up to four mobile devices can stream simultaneously. But lesser subscriptions allow only one or two devices to stream at a time [source: Netflix].
In fact, the only thing Netflix Mobile compromises is size: tiny buttons and a small screen you can't comfortably share during a whole movie [source: Ackerman]. All other features are the same. You'll get the same streaming selections you would find on the Netflix website. (These are limited compared to what you can get via DVDs.) You can start movies from where you left off and buffering is quick. Streaming quality is high and controlled by easy-to-understand buttons.
You will want to make sure your data plan can support the strong demands of streaming. Streaming video does eat up a lot of data, so check with your phone provider to ensure you're not stuck with fees for going over your limit. Streaming a two-hour movie from Netflix will use around 300 megabytes of data [source: Miller].
One thing you'll definitely like is the precautions Netflix has taken to ensure streaming security. This has actually caused some of the delay in releasing new Android app versions, because Netflix has had to customize security on each version [source: Boulton]. So far, it seems the biggest complaint about the app is the delay in getting it to every device.
Starting this evening, a whole slew of films are hitting movie theaters including Disney's musical Into the Woods, Angelina Jolie's World War II drama Unbroken, the controversial comedy The Interview (check out the full list of theaters playing the film here) and Mark Wahlberg's The Gambler. There's also limited releases of the civil rights drama Selma, Clint Eastwood's contemporary war drama American Sniper, and Tim Burton's Big Eyes. But if you'd rather stay home and curl up on the couch with your loved ones, here's a small list of holiday favorites and a few other choice films that you should watch on Netflix Instant now.
It's that time of the year again when families get together, eat too much food, spend too much money and enjoy an extended weekend that is truly American. This year the usual craziness has been amplified for sci-fi fans as the teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens hits limited theaters this weekend. Otherwise, you can catch a slew of great films in theaters now, including but not limited to blockbusters like The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I, new comedies like Horrible Bosses 2, family flicks like The Penguins of Madagascar and some awards contenders like Birdman, Foxcatcher, The Theory of Everything and more. But if you want to stay home, here's some Netflix Instant picks you can watch now!
It's that time of the year in America again where we celebrate July 4th by grilling, drinking and shooting fire into the sky. But it's also a big weekend at the movies as audiences flock to theaters to see the latest releases. We're surprised Michael Bay's Transformers: Age of Extinction wasn't held over until this weekend, but there's still plenty of new releases to check out for better or worse like Tammy, Deliver Us from Evil, Earth to Echo and a wide release for Snowpiercer (check out our interview with director Bong Joon-ho right here). But if none of those appeal, we decided to round up a short list of some great indies that you can enjoy from the comfort of your home on Netflix Instant this Independence Day. Look!
After just being named as one of the feature documentary premieres at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival today, Greg Whiteley's film Mitt will also be hitting Netflix while the festival unfolds in Park City, Utah. As the title indicates, the documentary provides an intimate, rarely seen, behind-the-scenes look at the run of major presidential candidate Mitt Romney. King of Kong director Seth Gordon also executive produced the film which begins in Christmas of 2006 and runs all the way to his concession speech in 2012 after losing the election to President Barack Obama. Hopefully it's more of a journey into the difficulty and madness of running for President of the United States as opposed to just propaganda one way or the other.
This year people are going crazy with shopping on Thanksgiving after gorging on turkey. But it's also a great time to hit the cinema for a good flick. This week, new releases like Frozen, Homefront and Oldboy arrive, and you can still check out The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and Thor: The Dark World everywhere, not to mention awards contenders Dallas Buyers Club and Nebraska where you can find them, plus plenty of other films. But if you just want to stay at home and enjoy an excellent movie with the family, we've got another Thanksgiving feast of films available on Netflix Instant to enjoy quickly. Look!
It's that time of year again in the United States when the country gets together, takes days off work, cooks raw flesh, shoots explosives into the sky and drinks until the sun comes up. No, it's not just Thursday. It's Independence Day. But if you're not one heading out on the town and wish to partake in some indoor festivities, then we've decided to round up some independent films (get it?) that you can watch now, thanks to the fantastic service that is Netflix. Below you'll find a list of a number of great films that are available to stream right now on Netflix Instant. Most are from the past couple years, and some are just our favorites.
It's that time once again where we eat ourselves into a food coma resulting from turkey, various casseroles, seemingly endless pumpkin pies and the best cooking a home can offer. Thanksgiving isn't just a time for satisfying our appetite for delicious food though. It's also a time to feed your eye and mind with some great movies. This week new releases like Rise of the Guardians, Life of Pi and Red Dawn arrive, and you can still check out Skyfall everywhere, Silver Linings Playbook in limited release, plus plenty of other films. But if you just want to stay at home and enjoy an excellent movie with the family, then we've got yet another Thanksgiving feast of films now available Netflix Instant to enjoy quickly and easily. Look below!
While the rest of the world is busy dealing with July 4th as another humpday, here in the United States, it's Independence Day. Plenty of people will be quoting Bill Pullman's speech from the sci-fi blockbuster of the same name, eating ribs, hot dogs and hamburgers, blowing stuff up and getting drunk, just as the founding fathers intended. However, I think we've celebrated enough to rub our victory in the faces of those who oppressed us from across the pond. Today, I say we celebrate our British brethren for being worthy opponents, and letting us have a day off, by watching some of their recent great films on Netflix Instant.
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