A pioneering subscription-based streaming service,Netflixremains an industry titan and an influential force in entertainment. It continues to grow its vast catalog, welcoming domestic and foreign titles to an audience that is increasingly curious and diverse. Of late,Netflixis betting big on live events, and its push for stand-up comedy seems to be a success.
While Netflix has been innovative and popular, it doesn’t mean that the price you’re paying is necessarily worth it, particularly as numerous otherstreaming servicescontinue to innovate as well. With high prices and plenty of options, viewers are tasked with prioritizing services and seeking out value. For those subscribing to Netflix, there’s only one real way to make the streaming service worth the investment.
Netflix is a global streaming service offering on-demand access to movies, TV shows, documentaries, and original content. Founded in 1997 as a DVD rental service, it transitioned to streaming in 2007 and now operates in over 190 countries.
Netflix reportedly reducing movie output after shuttering game studio
It looks like Netflix is the latest company to be tightening its belt ahead of 2024. According to a report from Bloomberg, the streaming platform will be lowering original output from its film division, aiming to cut the streamer’s annual output by around half, down to around 25 movies per year from the 50 the streamer currently releases. And this isn’t the only cost-cutting measure hitting the streamer.
As we reported earlier, Netflix has closed its gaming studio, Blue, which despite being open for two years and employing game industry veterans who worked on Halo and God of War, released exactly zero games. You can read more about this development (and Netflix’s plans to release a new word puzzle game) at the attached link.
With this in mind, we have to wonder what exactly Netflix’s strategy will be going forward. It’s clear that they want less content on the streamer, and some have hypothesized that they may be wanting to favor quality over quantity, as Netflix shows and movies h
What are the Netflix subscription tiers?
There are three options, but choose wisely
Netflix currently offers three subscription tiers.
The cheapest is itsStandard with adstier, which allows access to most of the Netflix library and two simultaneous streams. The max resolution for the content is 1080p, or Full HD resolution, a step-down from the more commonplace (and more detailed) 4K resolution. Notably, this tier comes with ads that will play before or during titles. This tier costs $6.99 per month. This tier is not worth the investment.
The second tier isStandard. It opens up the entire Netflix library for viewing but keeps the limited simultaneous streams at two and also keeps the max resolution at FHD. You can pay for an additional member to join your extended network; Netflix doesn’t allow those outside your household to join in on the fun anymore, as the streamer has cut down on password sharing. This tier improves upon the previous by, significantly, removing ads. It costs $15.49 per month. However, this tier also isn’t worth the investment.
The top tier, and by default the only one worth considering, isPremium. It bests the previous tier by upping max resolution to 4K and welcoming HDR and Netflix spatial audio. It also adds two more simultaneous streams, bringing the total up to four. It costs $22.99 per month.
My Netflix recomendations were all over the place until I did this
Here’s how to fix your Netflix algorithm.
Which subscription is really worth it?
One Netflix tier to rule them all
The most expensive Netflix tier, unfortunately, is the only one really worth paying for, and since it’s the most expensive, unless you’re watching Netflix every day (or its your only streaming service) it probably isn’t worth it to justify the cost.
However, if you just love the what’s on Netflix, this is the only tier you should even consider. The main reason is due to the quality of the content you’re watching and the ability of this tier, and none of the others, to properly support what you’re watching. Unless you’re exclusively watching old sitcoms and movies made in decades past on Netflix, and never taking a look at anything made within the last ten or 15 years, or you only use Netflix on an old TV that doesn’t have 4K resolution, you should be investing in a TV that can support modern viewing features. This includes UHD resolution, as well as HDR video formats. With these features, which are pretty standard on new smart TVs, you’ll be able to better enjoy fine detail, vivid colors, and stark contrast on a variety of titles.
I hate subscriptions as much as you do, but they’re here to stay
Consumers are overwhelmingly sick of subscriptions, but with one-time purchases fading, they likely aren’t going anywhere.
You’re not getting your money’s worth
It’s taken a while, but streaming services have finally figured out that the best way to actually make money is by selling ad space before, during, and after their content. If that sounds familiar, it’s because that model was used for decades to great success by broadcasters, and viewers generally accepted that while they’re watching TV, there are going to be ads.
For years, streaming services struggled to turn a profit, but that’s finallyturning around, thanks in part to introduced ad-supported tiers as well as the general increase in price across all subscription plans. Unfortunately, streaming services are not considering other cost-saving measures, like maybe not paying their CEOs outrageous sums of money, or not blindly greenlighting any Dwayne Johnson- or Mark Wahlberg-led blockbuster.
Encroaching ads is going to continue to be a nuisance for consumers, but it’s important to know your worth. Companies would rather court your buying potential rather than simply have you pay a little more money per month to them. Get the most for your money by embracing the best video and audio formats you can get while resisting the constant creep of commercials.
What do you really get from your smart TV’s free channels?
Commercials, ads, and tracking technology mean all the free perks comes at a cost.
