Netflix unveils downloading featureDecember 1, 2016 - 12:22 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Netflix subscribers can now binge on many of their favorite shows and movies even when they don’t have an Internet connection, The Boston Globe reports. The long-awaited offline option announced Wednesday, November 30 gives Netflix’s 87 million subscribers offline access to videos for the first time in the streaming service’s decadelong history. Netflix is matching a downloading feature that one of its biggest rivals, Amazon.com, has been offering to its video subscribers for the past year. It’s something that also has been available on YouTube’s popular video site, though a subscription is required in the United States and other countries where the site sells its ‘‘Red’’ premium service. The new feature puts Netflix a step ahead of two other major rivals. Offline options aren’t available on HBO’s Internet-only package, HBO Now, or Hulu, although that service has publicly said it hopes to introduce a downloading feature. Netflix subscribers wishing to download a video on their smartphone or tablet need to update the app on their Apple or Android device. Not all of the selections in Netflix’s video library can be downloaded, although several of the service’s most popular shows, including ‘‘Orange Is The New Black,’’ ‘‘House of Cards,’’ and ‘‘Stranger Things,’’ are now available to watch offline. Downloadable movies include ‘‘Spotlight,’’ this year’s Oscar winner for best film. Notably missing from the downloadable menu are movies and TV shows made by Walt Disney Co. Those still require an Internet connection to watch on Netflix. The Los Gatos, Calif., company is promising to continue to adding more titles to its offline roster. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings had long resisted calls for an offline-viewing option, much to the frustration of customers who wanted flexibility to use their subscriptions to watch a show or movie when traveling on a train, plane, or car where internet connections are spotty or completely unavailable. Earlier this year, Hastings finally indicated he might relent and introduce downloading. The change of heart coincided with Netflix’s expansion into more than 130 countries, including many areas with shoddy or expensive Internet connections that make the ability to watch video offline even more appealing. Netflix ended September with 39 million subscribers outside of the United States. The offline option may accelerate the decline of Netflix’s steadily shrinking DVD-by-mail service, which offers the ability to watch video without an Internet connection. Netflix’s DVD side still has one distinct advantage — access to recent theatrical releases before they are available for streaming. Netflix’s DVD service ended September with 4.3 million subscribers, a decrease of nearly 10 million customers during the past five years. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |