Netflix customers will soon get an automatic update that will make streaming films and TV shows a lot smoother.
This is because the streaming platform has converted all customers to something known as Dynamically Optimized (DO) HDR.
Subscribers don’t need to take any action – the upgrade will happen automatically.
A tech expert at Netflix said: ‘Improvements have been seen across all device categories ranging from TVs to mobiles and tablets.’
Right now the highest resolution that customers can get on Netflix is 4K.
But this needs a lot of broadband bandwidth to be able to send the massive video files to your screen seamlessly.
If your internet connection is slower than what’s needed for the given resolution, your video will show at lower quality.
And if, for example, you’re on the Premium Netflix plan and trying to watch on a television with a streaming stick and audio receiver, all of the devices need to support 4K to be able to watch in 4K.
Users should also check that all devices are running the latest software or firmware, and the video resolution settings must be equal to or better than the resolution you want, according to Netflix.
But there are ways for streaming platforms like Netflix to optimise 4K streams so that they can be delivered more easily – which is what the popular platform has just done for films and television shows.
Netflix’s testing following the update suggests users should expect around 40 per cent fewer rebuffers.
This refers to how often video playback is temporarily interrupted while the server downloads more data.
The update should also mean lower internet usage, particularly on mobiles and tablets.
Other benefits include higher initial quality, a lower initiate bitrate, less of a variation in delivered video quality and lower play delay.
Netflix has shared this news just as the best show of the last year on its platform has been revealed.
Black comedy Beef, starring comedian Ali Wong and The Walking Dead actor Steven Yeun, has beaten programmes including new seasons of The Crown and Sex Education, to be named this year’s top watch.
The 10-parter follows perfect strangers Amy Lau (Wong) and Daniel Cho (Yeun) who go to extreme lengths to enact revenge on each other after being involved in a road rage incident.
When it debuted on the streaming platform, Beef got a big thumbs-up from viewers and now reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes has named it Netflix’s best offering from 2023.
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