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[Ashely Wolfgram]

There's also word that it won't work on the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablets, which Google handed out to Google I/O attendees earlier this week. Major party foul. But for those with one of the phones on the list, download the app and Netflix promises much of the same functionality as the iOS version, like being able to resume watching a movie or show where you left off on your TV or computer.

Netflix was in the rare camp of apps that became available on Windows Phone 7 before Android, something Roma De from Netflix's product team blames on the much maligned phenomenon of Android fragmentation. In a post on the company blog, Roma De described some of the "challenges" they faced with Android:

"One of these challenges is the lack of standard streaming playback features that the Netflix application can use to gain broad penetration across all available Android phones. In the absence of standardization, we have to test each individual handset and launch only on those that can support playback."

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.

I'm thinking about what I can do to increase my privacy when it comes to watching TV. I currently own an Android TV which is connected to the internet with a PiHole in my network but I have the feeling it's not a good solution as it still leaks a lot of data.

I don't want a complicated setup with a lot of different apps. I basically only want to watch Netflix and YouTube and maybe something like Cloudstream. I'm not sure about which resolutions the setups I listed above support. For example Netflix on a TV box with LineageOS will probably only support 720p or 1080p because of Widevine.

A dedicated raspberry pi with something like Libre elec installed would be much more versatile and fit for purpose than using a phone, I would say. And substantially cheaper. Along with using pihole and a VPN and being mindful of from where you stream. Plus you can easily add hard drives if you have a collection already. Plus you can add a proper remote.

Thanks for your input! I tried Kodi again and I think that I don't want to use it as it just gets very hacky and not user friendly if you want to use streaming services and not watch something that you've already downloaded yourself.

I have an apple TV also attached for all the 'proper' streaming stuff like Disney and Netflix etc. Best out of a terrible bunch, but the long and the short of it is I dont really care if apple knows my son likes spiderman, or I watch reruns of Downton Abby erm, Firefly I mean, over and over again. Disney and Netflix already have this data no matter where I watch those streams officially and everything is running through a VPN and a PiHole anyway.

mmmm Yes I totally get your point. I'll probably end up with a similar solution to yours but right now I'm considering buying a pixel tablet when there is a good discount, install GOS on it and start using this as streaming "box" which I could also use while travelling.

Roku TV, Android TV, Smart TV, AI TV, Google TV, Mini LED TV, QLED TV, and so forth are some of the marketing terms utilized by TV manufacturers nowadays. To be honest, it is tricky to tell the differences between them if you are not an expert in the field of television. To meet the more refined needs of consumers, the TV industry appears to have caught up with the rocket, making it difficult for people to decide which one will grace the living room or bedroom for years to come.

The Android TV and smart TV are so similar that you could argue that an Android TV is essentially a smart TV. Nevertheless, not all smart TVs are Android TVs. There are still some differences between a smart TV and an Android TV, which may influence your decision.

A Smart TV, often known as an Internet TV, is any television that can access additional programming via the internet. It is the equivalent of having a computer embedded in your television. Most Smart TVs have built-in apps that let you play games, watch videos, and stream movies, including Netflix, YouTube, Facebook, and others. However, the operating system on a Smart TV cannot be upgraded, so you cannot access the most recent apps. As a matter of fact, any TV that provides online content, no matter what operating system it runs, can be regarded as a smart TV. In this sense, Android TV is indeed a smart TV.

Smart TV and Android TV are inclusive relationships, meanwhile, Android TV has almost all the functions of smart TV but with the Android operating system powered by Google. Some TV manufacturers also have their own built-in operating system when launching smart TV. Similarly, if the operating system of a smart TV is Roku, we can call it Roku TV. TCL has cooperated with streaming media manufacturers such as Android and Roku; therefore, it is not surprising to hear about TCL Android TV and TCL Roku TV.

Although Android TV and smart TV support a number of popular applications, their numbers differ. Thanks to the support of the Android App Store, which contains more than 10,000 apps, it gives Android TV an absolute advantage in the application program. The considerable application library allows Android TV users to download and use a variety of applications, just like on smartphones. For example, everything from YouTube to Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video can be used on TCL Android TV.

As the development of Android TV is very active and the developers regularly push new updates to various applications, Android TV is superior to a smart TV in terms of updating applications and streaming media resources. In addition, connected with WiFi, Android TV offers the automatic update of applications, while it is difficult for smart TVs to get updates in this regard.

The advantage of the built-in Google assistant makes Android TV so outstanding in the function that users of Android TV can switch channels and search programs easily through voice control without any input device. In contrast, users of smart TVs have to enter content with a full-size keyboard. Even though many smart TVs support voice control, they have to be paired with a device such as Alexa to achieve this function.

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