Netflix Subscriber Data Reveals 70% of Global Streaming Ends Up on TVs, 10% on Phones

[Altis]

The ergonomics of the TV are much better.

TV is much, much easier on your eyes as they don't have to focus close. Plus, you don't have to hold the device the entire time, or look down (hard on your neck/back).

Mobile is well suited when on the go, though (daily commute, travelling).

 

[Apple_Robert]

I just can’t understand why anybody want to stream a movie on their phone versus an iPad or TV. I’m sure there are some, but I just can’t watch a movie or TV show on my iPhone with a display that small.

If you aren't home to watch on the 4K big screen, it makes sense (at other times) to stream on your mobile devices. If one is paying for the service, it behooves the subscriber, to avail him or herself to the service when it is available for use.

A lot of people surf the internet (or do work-related tasks) all day on the iPhone X. I don't see the big deal with watching a movie or t.v. intermittently on a smaller device that one is already accustomed to.

Not surprised by the stats. With Spring and Summer at hand, the percentages of mobile watchers will probably increase (briefly).

 

[sinsin07]

I just can’t understand why anybody want to stream a movie on their phone versus an iPad or TV. I’m sure there are some, but I just can’t watch a movie or TV show on my iPhone with a display that small.

Think outside of the box.
Metro North
Long Island Railroad
Trains that are outdoors most of the way to NYC.
Trains that might be crowded and standing room only.
Trains that you may not want to pull out a 55 inch TV or 9 inch iPad to watch a movie to and from work.

 

[Gasu E.]

Or since people obviously can't learn this lesson after many years now, how about the phone makers sense the orientation of the phone and shoot in landscape either way?

If that happened, what would people complain about, then?
[doublepost=1520541219][/doublepost]

You don’t understand. .

He understood perfectly. He was mocking the statement: "With a TV you're trapped in the same room sitting on the same couch." Some people are so melodramatic.

Fetch the comfy chair!

 

[RNGesus]

I have a 70 inch tv for a reason. All my Netflix is done on TV, but I don't have travel much or have the luxury of taking public transit for my commute so when I do have a break or something at work I just watch youtube on my phone.

 

[69Mustang]

You don’t understand. You can’t walk down a busy sidewalk or drive a car while carrying a 60” 4k tv. You can do both those things when viewing an iPhone.

At least for a while.

Maybe you should go read the actual quote that Abiatha is quoting. A larger excerpt: "With a TV you're trapped in the same room sitting on the same couch. With an iPhone plus you can lie down anywhere."
So you can lie down on that busy sidewalk but you'd probaly get stepped on. And kicked.

 

[Gasu E.]

Think outside of the box.
Metro North
Long Island Railroad
Trains that are outdoors most of the way to NYC.
Trains that might be crowded and standing room only.
Trains that you may not want to pull out a 55 inch TV or 9 inch iPad to watch a movie to and from work.

Speak for yourself. I have a very NICE box that is perfect for thinking in. It's very quiet and peaceful. And, coincidentally, it is the perfect place to stream video to my phone. If I want to watch a real TV, I use my living room. It's a box, too, except bigger, with windows.

If you think about it, trains are boxes, too. But noisier.

Actually, if you really want to think outside the box, you have to go outside. Which sucks, if it's raining.
[doublepost=1520543326][/doublepost]

Maybe you should go read the actual quote that Abiatha is quoting. A larger excerpt: "With a TV you're trapped in the same room sitting on the same couch. With an iPhone plus you can lie down anywhere."
So you can lie down on that busy sidewalk but you'd probaly get stepped on. And kicked.

You make an excellent point. And, may I add, never watch TV on an iPhone Plus, lying down, while you are near a guillotine. Unless the video is really, really short.

 

[sinsin07]

Speak for yourself.

You do the same.

I have a very NICE box that is perfect for thinking in. It's very quiet and peaceful. And, coincidentally, it is the perfect place to stream video to my phone. If I want to watch a real TV, I use my living room. It's a box, too, except bigger, with windows.

If you think about it, trains are boxes, too. But noisier.

Actually, if you really want to think outside the box, you have to go outside. Which sucks, if it's raining.

Wow. What a lot of rambling nonsense.
Exactly how big is this box you're living in?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

If that happened, what would people complain about, then?

Oh there's ALWAYS something(sssssss) else in that pipeline.

And actually, I think some would complain that being able to as easily shoot the vertical thin videos was made more complicated by this change. I can't believe everybody is shooting this way by mistake and never learning from it... meaning, I suspect some actually want to end up with the vertical videos.

 

[fairuz]

Wow. I've only ever seen people watching it on a laptop. Guess that's what happens in college.
[doublepost=1520548436][/doublepost]

More importantly - 85% of video is watched on devices in landscape mode! People, stop shooting videos in portrait mode!!

It's a pain to hold the phone sideways. Half the time, I accidentally lock it. Why isn't the camera just physically rotated 90˚? Or cut out some pixels to make it fit cause the video is much lower res than what the camera supports.

 

[CPTmom2wp]

Or since people obviously can't learn this lesson after many years now, how about the phone makers sense the orientation of the phone and shoot in landscape either way? The camera sensors are well beyond 4K resolution in both dimensions. Maybe this "fix" should lie with the device makers?

If that's too complicated, how about a video prompt screen encouraging users to rotate their devices so they end up with a landscape video instead of the thin vertical kind. Remind people a few times and many will learn the right way to use their devices for (better) video results.

Would it be possible to limit only the camera "video" option on the camera app to landscape mode?..... As you said, a prompt to rotate the device but also program in an inability to use "video" until the device is in fact in landscape mode? I am sure there may be some reason to record video in portrait mode, but cannot think of it right now.
[doublepost=1520550163][/doublepost]

Think outside of the box.
Metro North
Long Island Railroad
Trains that are outdoors most of the way to NYC.
Trains that might be crowded and standing room only.
Trains that you may not want to pull out a 55 inch TV or 9 inch iPad to watch a movie to and from work.

I was also thinking about dorm rooms or apartments where others are living......
Or in the park/baseball field/basketball court/dance class while your kids are practicing........
Or at work during lunch and breaks..........
Or out on a boat or a hike............
Or stopped at the train tracks for a long wait.......
Or sitting in the dentist/doctor/chiropractor/er (etc.) office waiting for an appointment.......
Or in a long line at WalMart, big box store, grocery store.......
etc. etc. etc.

 

[Macaholic868]

In other news, water is wet. Who wants to watch video content on their phone if they can do it on their TV instead?

 

[Carlanga]

lmao "Columbia"

 

[Juicy Box]

My kids watch netflix on their phones all the time. I'm surprised at how low the number is for that category

My kids do too, but I think they prefer watching on the TV.

As for me, I much rather do most stuff on a TV and desktop computer, than an iPhone, iPad, or laptop. This includes watching TV.

I am with you about being surprised, but only that there are many more people that prefer watching Netflix the same way I do.

Reading forum posts on here and other tech sites, I thought that mobile was king.

 

[lec0rsaire]

Shouldn’t come across a surprise to anyone. Films really should be viewed on the largest screen possible. I would say the same applies to modern, high quality tv shows which are very cinematic. Wide AR films suffer on 4:3 devices like the iPad and watching a film on a phone is really only feasible during a flight or something like this. Notebooks are used for watching video, besides YT and short clips, by younger people with roommates in dorms or after graduation in situations where they either don’t have a tv or it has to be shared.

 

[iReality85]

Very simple why I watch Netflix on my TV:

Because my TV is capable of 4K, has 55” of glorious OLED, can do Dolby Vision, and outputs surround sound to my 5 speakers + subwoofer.

Something my 7 Plus just caaaan’t quite do.

 

[dampfnudel]

My kids do too, but I think they prefer watching on the TV.

As for me, I much rather do most stuff on a TV and desktop computer, than an iPhone, iPad, or laptop. This includes watching TV.

I am with you about being surprised, but only that there are many more people that prefer watching Netflix the same way I do.

Reading forum posts on here and other tech sites, I thought that mobile was king.

Looks like TV isn’t dead yet. Watching shows and movies on your mobile device is more a choice of convenience, not necessarily the best, most fulfilling way. So, it’s not a surprise for me.

 

[TalkAboutApple]

I'm thinking of going really contrarian and cancelling the streaming portion of my Netflix subscription. Selection is going from bad to worse and it distracts me from maintaining a solid disc queue.

 

[44267547]

Think outside of the box..

That doesn’t change my stance on why I would want to view Video consumption on my smart phone. I can understand a brief video or something related, but a two hour movie on iPhone display? No thanks. Again, someone else might appreciate that, I would not. I don’t see the enjoyment for a long period of time on a small display. But I could see younger children maybe appreciating something like this, being the device was smaller to hold and their attention is easier to span.

 

[Ted13]

More importantly - 85% of video is watched on devices in landscape mode! People, stop shooting videos in portrait mode!!
[doublepost=1520529888][/doublepost]
I download movies for offline viewing onto my iphone plus for watching on an airplane. Even though most likely the screen in the seat is larger, the options they have available are total crap.

Do the same, but with an iPad. A radically better experience
[doublepost=1520573914][/doublepost]

Think outside of the box.
Metro North
Long Island Railroad
Trains that are outdoors most of the way to NYC.
Trains that might be crowded and standing room only.
Trains that you may not want to pull out a 55 inch TV or 9 inch iPad to watch a movie to and from work.

Why would you not want to pull out an iPad? I've been doing it since 2010 when the original iPad came out. It is every bit as easy as doing it on an iPhone, vastly better and won’t kill your phone battery.

 

[alexgowers]

I stream on every device we have. Not the phone often but the tablets the kids are streaming all the time. If Netflix increased price to $20 a month would still pay. We don’t have cable so it’s all we have and great so far.

This is the reality. It’s not an either or but which.

My kids watch Netflix and it’s on in the background as we play games and draw. My wife watches it on her tablet or phone and I watch it on my phone. However we all will watch on the tv if we’re alone or have the option. I would watch more if it was quicker to download for playback later on my phone or it pre-downloaded based on my habits!

We also have prime, watch YouTube and iPlayer. It’s rare to have turned the Tv on for free to air stuff. We only watch on demand now.

 

[44267547]

A lot of people surf the internet (or do work-related tasks) all day on the iPhone X.

This part of your post actually has nothing to do with what I posted prior, as I stated I can’t understand why anybody would want to stream a movie on their iPhone versus an iPad or TV. I didn’t specifically say anything about other iPhone consumers surfing the Internet or conducting work related tasks, as those are two different entities.

I don't see the big deal with watching a movie or t.v. intermittently on a smaller device that one is already accustomed to.

Correct, It’s not a big deal, I interjected that I personally don’t understand why anybody would want to Watch a movie on their iPhone. As I mentioned, I know there are some that do and they have their own reasons, but I personally cannot watch a movie or TV show for an extended period of on a time on an iPhone display. I can understand videos from YouTube, or shorter sequences of something related, but nothing extended into the sense of a two hour movie. It really is a to each their own situation.

 

[Canubis]

I just can’t understand why anybody want to stream a movie on their phone versus an iPad or TV. I’m sure there are some, but I just can’t watch a movie or TV show on my iPhone with a display that small.

iPads are a lot more painful as they drop on your head while you fall asleep binge watching in bed/couch.

 

[RedKite]

That’s surprising considering how many people on forums praise watching amazing tv show on their tiny phone displays.... Good to see that it’s the other way around with a minority doing so.

Watching content on a tv is a million times better than watching on a phone, and maybe a hundred times better than watching on an iPad device. Who on gods earth are these kids that don’t own TVs but do own expensive phones?! Imagine having to either hold or balance your device….. at no point would you feel relaxed like you would reclined back on bed, or curled up with a loved one on the sofa. Phones absolutely for the lose here.
[doublepost=1520592525][/doublepost]

Wow. I've only ever seen people watching it on a laptop. Guess that's what happens in college.
[doublepost=1520548436][/doublepost]
It's a pain to hold the phone sideways. Half the time, I accidentally lock it. Why isn't the camera just physically rotated 90˚? Or cut out some pixels to make it fit cause the video is much lower res than what the camera supports.

One of my pet peeves was seeing people watching tv or films on their laptops back in the day when display tech was severely lacking and speakers tinny. Even nowadays I wouldn’t watch such stuff on my posh MacBook pros. There’s just something lacking in it.... I think it’s just more relaxing to watch stuff on the sofa with my partner.

 

[sinsin07]

Do the same, but with an iPad. A radically better experience
[doublepost=1520573914][/doublepost]
Why would you not want to pull out an iPad? I've been doing it since 2010 when the original iPad came out. It is every bit as easy as doing it on an iPhone, vastly better and won’t kill your phone battery.

SEE:

Trains that might be crowded and standing room only.

Much easier to hold on to a pole with 1 hand and iPhone versus iPad.
[doublepost=1520597958][/doublepost]

That doesn’t change my stance on why I would want to view Video consumption on my smart phone. I can understand a brief video or something related, but a two hour movie on iPhone display? No thanks. Again, someone else might appreciate that, I would not. I don’t see the enjoyment for a long period of time on a small display. But I could see younger children maybe appreciating something like this, being the device was smaller to hold and their attention is easier to span.

Your original comment was this:

I just can’t understand why anybody want to stream a movie on their phone versus an iPad or TV. I’m sure there are some, but I just can’t watch a movie or TV show on my iPhone with a display that small.

The first part of your original comment was projected as why anybody, meaning other people than yourself, would want to stream a movie on their iPhone.
Examples were provided to help you understand.
Another poster provided several more.
The response has nothing to do with changing you stance, your stance is irrelevant to the first part of your original comment.

The reason why you got a few responses to your orignal comment from other posters is you left yoruself open with "I just can’t understand why anybody...".