While they initially focused on licensing movies and shows, Netflix has become a powerhouse of original content, producing award-winning series, films, and documentaries.
Ready to dive deeper into the world of Netflix? Let’s explore everything this streaming giant has to offer.
What is Netflix?
Netflix is now a streaming service that offers millions of hours of content that you can stream. It still offers DVDs that can be mailed out. However, that is a pretty small part of their business now. It is likely only being used by those in remote parts of the US and other countries where broadband internet is still fairly slow and not great for streaming.
It has grown to become one of the largest streaming services in the world, though Disney+ and HBO MAX aren’t far behind it.
How much does it cost?
Netflix now has three plans . It’s really two plus an ad-supported plan. But they are three different prices. Netflix debuted its ad-supported plan last year, which is now the cheapest. Here’s the pricing for all of the plans.
- Standard with ads – $7.99/month
- Standard – $17.99/month
- Premium – $24.99/month
The standard and Standard with Ads plans are essentially the same; really, the only difference is ads. Both give you up to 1080p resolution, and the non-Ads plan provides the ability to download content to watch offline on up to two devices.
Then there’s the Premium plan. This one doubles to four screens simultaneously, and you can download it on up to four different devices. It also supports streaming in 4K HDR resolution.
Netflix has also cracked down on password sharing, so you can add an extra member to your plan for $7.99 each per month on the Standard and Premium plans. This is not available for the Standard with Ads plan because it’s actually cheaper to get your own plan at $6.99 versus paying for the extra member.
Update : In January 2025, Netflix announced that it was raising prices on all three plans. Starting at $7.99 for an ad-supported plan, and capping out at $24.99 for 4K resolution.
How can I get it for free?
T-Mobile does give its customers Netflix for “free.” T-Mobile prefers not to say “free”, instead says it’s “included”. But there are a few caveats here.
It’s available on the new Go5G Next and Go5G Plus plans (it’s still available on some Magenta plans, however). You can get “Netflix on Us” with either plan, which starts at $90 per month for a single line.
The Essentials plan and the entry-level Go5G plan do not include Netflix because these are significantly cheaper.
Password sharing
Because Netflix keeps going up in price, many people resort to password sharing and share their account with multiple people, and split the price too. So, if you have the Premium plan and share it with four people, that breaks down to about $5 per month, which isn’t bad. Netflix knows this is an issue and is working on cracking down on password sharing.
In late 2022, it plans to start charging those who do share passwords a bit more for Netflix or forcing them to get their own plans. Netflix now allows you to add an extra family member for $7.99 per month on the Standard and Premium plans. The Standard with Ads plan does not allow this, and it makes sense. Standard with Ads is $6.99 per month and the extra family member is $7.99 per month.
Ads are here
Netflix has finally added ads after many, many years of not having any ads. There’s now an ad-supported tier that will cost you $6.99 per month. It’s a pretty decent price, but there are a couple of caveats here. Not everything that is available on Netflix is available on this plan. Netflix says “all but a few movies and TV shows are available”. However, the reason for this is the way content is licensed. Studios are able to license content as ad-free and separately as ad-supported. And the majority of the content that Netflix licensed was for ad-free streaming. They have since worked to renegotiate and change these licensing deals, so most content is available on this plan now.
You’ll see ads before and after each show or movie. They aren’t that bad, especially in comparison to some other services out there. Netflix will also let you download titles on two supported devices at a time, and you can watch in full HD or 1080p. Finally, that sub-HD tier has been removed from Netflix.
Where is Netflix available?
It is available virtually everywhere. Netflix does not have an official list for countries at this time, but says that it is available in over 190 countries. And notes that it is not available in China, Crimea, North Korea, Russia and Syria. The usual countries that American companies aren’t available in, basically.
The catalog of movies and TV shows does vary based on where you are located. So you might see more titles available in Canada that aren’t available in the US. Part of this comes down to the fact that different studios own rights to different titles in different countries. So Netflix may have the rights to a title in the UK, but not in Mexico. That’s where the use of a VPN comes in. Many will use a VPN to be in another country and watch Netflix from that country.
Does Netflix offer games?
Netflix does actually offer a few games. In late 2021, Netflix announced that it had launched five games within the Netflix app on Android and iOS. Those include:
- Stranger Things: 1984 (BonusXP)
- Stranger Things 3: The Game (BonusXP)
- Shooting Hoops (Frosty Pop)
- Card Blast (Amuzo & Rogue Games)
- Teeter Up (Frosty Pop)
What content does Netflix offer?
Netflix has so many movies and TV shows that you can watch. Whether these are licensed from other studios, or are Netflix Originals.
Each month, we update our “What’s coming to Netflix this month” article with all of the new titles heading to Netflix, so you can see what is on the way. There’s usually a good 100 or so titles coming each month. So there’s always a new slate of titles available for you to watch.
Some of the bigger names for Netflix include Selling Sunset, Tiger King, Stranger Things, House of Cards, and Bridgerton .
What platforms is it available on?
At this point, Netflix is available on virtually every platform out there. That includes:
- Android
- Android TV
- Google TV
- Apple TV
- iOS
- iPad
- Web Browsers: Google Chrome, Opera, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Firefox
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox One S
- Xbox One X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox Series X
- VIZIO Smart TVs
- LG Smart TVs
- Samsung Smart TVs
Just to name a few. The only really major caveat is projectors that have Android TV. Netflix certifies devices in a way that makes it impossible for most projectors to get Netflix installed if they are using Android TV. Basically, the product needs to sell a million units before it will certify it. And most projectors don’t sell anywhere near that.
How fast does my internet need to be for streaming Netflix?
Netflix is actually pretty well optimized, so even with terrible internet you shouldn’t have much problem streaming content on the service. Netflix actually says that the minimum required speed is just 0.5Mbps. However, the recommended speed is 1.5Mbps, for all content. Now, if you want to stream in SD and 720p, Netflix recommends at least 3Mbps, and 5Mbps for full HD streaming or 1080p. And when it comes to 4K, Netflix recommends having at least 15Mbps. Of course, the faster the internet, the better, especially if multiple people are streaming at the same time.
What devices does Netflix support?
Netflix is available on virtually every platform. This includes smart TVs, streaming TV devices, smartphones, tablets and even web browsers.
You can check Netflix’s website here for the most up-to-date list.
What are Netflix secret codes?
You may have heard that Netflix has a list of secret codes that will allow you to browse curated lists of movies and shows past what is shown on the front page. Some of these include movies that are 90 minutes, anime horror titles, and so much more.
Netflix has actually published a short history of these secret codes, and some of the most popular ones.
Can I still rent physical DVDs?
No.
In September 2023 , Netflix ended its DVD service. It was announced back in April of 2023 that it would be ending this service. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings stated, “Our goal has always been to provide the best service for our members, but as the DVD business continues to shrink, that’s going to become increasingly difficult.”
Seeing as most people don’t have a DVD player anymore, this makes sense. Many are going to be streaming instead since you can watch movies instantly instead of waiting for Netflix to mail them to you.
