Netflix's Resolution Resolution?......Let's Discuss!!!



With headquarters in Los Gatos, California, Netflix, Inc. is an American production company and subscription-based over-the-top streaming service.

With 222 million paying subscribers as of 2022, Netflix is the company that immediately comes to mind when discussing a satisfying streaming experience for TV shows and movies. They are ahead of their closest rivals, Amazon Prime Video and Crunchyroll, which have 200 million and 120 million subscribers, respectively. 

The early stages of Netflix may be dated back to 1997, when Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph established the company in Scott Valley, California. In addition to its own works, known as Netflix Originals, it offers a library of movies and television shows through licensing arrangements.

Existing Resolution Structure



 Resolution of buffers is determined by their choice of data usage at the account level.

The current Resolution Buffer Structure is divided into three options:
1.) Automatic: The recommended setting. The software automatically modifies the quality of your video according on the speed of your data connection.
2.) Data conservation is necessary, yet you still want to broadcast. The choice is yours.
3.) Maximum Data: Do you have unlimited data or insist on the highest possible video quality? This fulfills it.
The current structure is an automated system that determines the quality of your stream according to the speed of your internet connection. 

Drawbacks of the Resolution Structure

However, despite the pleasantries Netflix offers to its users there is an issue as users are unable to have explicit control of the resolution of their choice which is usually influenced by internet connection in their surroundings or simply the preference of being in total control of their data.
As we recognize internet connection across the globe is quite uneven.

Now we discuss the drawbacks of the current resolution structure:

1.) Too much of a compromise on video quality to ensure uninterrupted streaming:
One of the least enjoyable parts of streaming video is buffering. Buffering is the last thing you want to deal with while watching your favorite TV show on the TV while curled up on the couch because it can frequently make the experience intolerable. Netflix's data Saver option mitigate the risk of buffering by setting the default resolution to a lower quality. Although, this solves the problem, the video quality, set at 240p, is too poor to give the user a very pleasurable streaming experience.

2.) No Real-Time Control:
Users can't change their video quality at any given moment for various reasons such as (personal preference, data saving, coping with latency) without completely interrupting their streaming experience, given moment in real time, as they watch their shows.

This could potentially affect user retention as it is an unpleasant experience, The immersive experience is tarnished, and users are forced to completely disengage from streaming to rectify their issue on many occasions. It is shown that buffering reduces watch time by and approximately 40%, for a platform like Netflix, watch time is a major success metric.

Below is a survey conducted to show user dissatisfaction.




Resolution of the structure

Now that we have identified an inadequacy in the user experience, we therefore propose a means to eliminate the inadequacy to increase efficiency and overall customer satisfaction. There are certain buttons at your disposal that each with different functionalities.

Below are the buttons and their functionalities: 

1.) Speed= This button consists of five variations of playback speed control which ranges from 0.5x, 0.75x, 1x, 1.25x, 1.5x. This allows the user to speed up or slow down their streaming experience at their desired pace.


2.) Lock: If you walk around a lot while viewing a video or if you're watching a movie or show with a child, it could be bothersome if you accidentally push any button and button prompts, like "Play/Pause" buttons, appear on the screen.

 Because of this, the Netflix mobile app now offers a screen lock option to help you stop accidental touches. The lock icon appears at the bottom of your screen whenever you start watching a show or a movie. With the aid of this new feature, users can safeguard themselves against unintentionally pausing playback or putting on subtitles.

3.) Episodes: It bring up the entire catalogue of the series when watching a series. When watching a movie, the button would not be visible.





4.) Audio & Subtitles: This button allows users for many TV series and films, to alter the audio language, captions, and subtitles. Depending on your location and language preferences, Netflix displays 5-7 suitable languages on the majority of devices. You may see every language that is offered for a title on whatever device you use.



5.) Next Episode: This button just simply allows you to move on to the next episode quickly at the tip of your fingers. This improves efficiency on the platform as it is fast and improves usability, which pivotal to the success of any product or service.

Resolution

Giving control to the user: The "Quality" button

The introduction of the new "Quality" button will allow users to determine the video quality they want to use during their streaming experiences.

Upon clicking the button, a horizontal list of resolution choices will pop up and the user can thereabout select their preferred option. The available options include:360p,480p,720p,1080p,4k, auto.



The streaming UI will be modified, starting with the combination of the "Speed" and "Quality" buttons, under one button "Settings". 

This is done to ensure the UI doesn't have too many items on display to minimize any major intrusion in the user's viewing experience. 

The two buttons were chosen because they will share similarity in frequency of use and purpose of use - to adjust settings, making the new button a reasonably homogenous container.



When the Settings button is clicked, the "Speed" and "Quality" buttons are displayed horizontally and adjacent to one another at the bottom right of the screen.

The original slot of the "Speed" button will be replaced with the new "Settings" button.

And that's that.

More power to the user, you already decide what to watch, you should be able to decide how you want it, especially if it could potentially interfere with your immersive experience and overall satisfaction. 

After all, it is your experience. 

For any questions or if you're just looking for a new product buddy. Connect with me on LinkedIn

Have a good one, cheers.

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