Netflix Updated with Minor Redesign, New Episode Selector Feature

[MacRumors]

Netflix has updated its iOS app to version 4.0, making it easier to navigate through episodes with a new episode selector feature on the iPad. The update also adds a redesigned audio and subtitle selector on both the iPad and the iPhone, along with bug fixes.

Though this is a minor update, the addition of the episode selector to the top of the menu bar when watching videos is a welcome improvement. The button, which is located next to the sound bar and the subtitle options, can be tapped to give a dropdown list of other TV show episodes in the season.

This new app release makes watching Netflix TV shows and movies an even better experience.

-Easy episode selection with a brand new episode selector on the iPad
-Redesigned audio and subtitle selector on iPad and iPhone
-Bug fixes

The universal Netflix app is available for download from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Article Link: Netflix Updated with Minor Redesign, New Episode Selector Feature

 

[cgriffis753]

ugh

Where the heck is HD they promised us for iPad retina?!?

 

[RoastingPig]

ehh it looks the same

 

[shurcooL]

Good stuff. I'm satisfied.

 

[3282868]

Is it worth it? I've used Netflix before but found the selection to be wanting. I have been reconsidering given some recent changes. In anyone's opinion, has it improved enough to make it worth subscribing? Thanks!

 

[jclo]

Is it worth it? I've used Netflix before but found the selection to be wanting. I have been reconsidering given some recent changes. In anyone's opinion, has it improved enough to make it worth subscribing? Thanks!

I think it's worth it if you have an interest in the exclusive TV shows. House of Cards was pretty good and Hemlock Grove isn't terrible. I've also noticed a few more recent movies popping up lately.

 

[Gasu E.]

Is it worth it? I've used Netflix before but found the selection to be wanting. I have been reconsidering given some recent changes. In anyone's opinion, has it improved enough to make it worth subscribing? Thanks!

If your main interest is blockbuster films released within the past three years, no.

It's good for:

non-current TV shows, especially (non-HBO) cable releases and cult shows
foreign films
miscellaneous stuff for cinephiles.

 

[Bill Killer]

Is it worth it? I've used Netflix before but found the selection to be wanting. I have been reconsidering given some recent changes. In anyone's opinion, has it improved enough to make it worth subscribing? Thanks!

I am of the opinion that we are in the Golden Age of television, and Netflix has introduced me to some of the best shows I believe to have ever aired. Including:

-Mad Men
-Breaking Bad
-Arrested Development
-Doctor Who
-Firefly

As well as some shows that I think are just great entertainment:

-Archer
-It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
-30 Rock
-Parks and Recreation
-Downtown Abbey
-Psych
-The Twilight Zone
-Futurama
-Sons of Anarchy
-Friday Night Lights
-HIMYM
-Bob's Burgers
-Buffy
-Freaks and Geeks
-The IT Crowd

If you like TV or want to see what the fuss is about on multiple Emmy winning shows, Netflix is a fantastic option.

 

[macUser2007]

Is it worth it? I've used Netflix before but found the selection to be wanting. I have been reconsidering given some recent changes. In anyone's opinion, has it improved enough to make it worth subscribing? Thanks!

It has more great stuff than I can realistically ever see.

Not much on the blockbuster side, but then I personally find many of those of the "seen one, seen them all" type.

But lots of good indie, foreign and over 3 years old titles -- I discover stuff I never would have seen otherwise (and I often love).

For my $8 a month, Netflix is the best there is in streaming.

 

[locoboi187]

I feel like Netflix hasn't added anything new. It's been like the same content since December. Idk why I pay for this anymore. Barely use it now.

 

[FooMan2011]

Personally, if it wasn't for Netflix I would've never seen a couple of shows I've grown to love. Breaking Bad is genius. Friday Night Lights is inspirational. White Collar, well I lost interest after season 1 but not bad. Prison Break, just started it but so far so awesome.

 

[ctdonath]

Is it worth it? I've used Netflix before but found the selection to be wanting.

Ya get what ya pay for. It's $8/mo, giving you voluminous - albeit not complete and blockbuster-current - content. If you relax your demands a bit, there's plenty including good recent stuff. If you want something specific, recent, and popular you might have to pay a few bucks for it off iTunes.
For many of us, there's far more content available on Netflix than we can possibly watch.
With a little flexibility you can save a lot of money. Some particular demands are just gonna cost ya.

 

[milo]

I'm not aware of another service that offers better entertainment bang for the buck. Movie selection definitely isn't great, but for anyone who enjoys good TV content, there's probably more available than most people would have time to watch, and they are adding all the time.

The fact is, nobody is offering a top notch "all you can eat" selection of movies, and likely there won't be one soon, if ever, due to how it the contracts work. For us, a combination of NF streaming and the disks by mail to fill in the gaps is great and dirt cheap.

Some other shows that haven't been mentioned: Sherlock, Burn Notice, In Plain Sight, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Alias, Portlandia, Scrubs, The Office, Battlestar Galactica. And tons of older stuff too: Cheers, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Dick van Dyke show, SNL, etc.

 

[charlituna]

Personally, if it wasn't for Netflix I would've never seen a couple of shows I've grown to love. Breaking Bad is genius. Friday Night Lights is inspirational. White Collar, well I lost interest after season 1 but not bad. Prison Break, just started it but so far so awesome.

The only thing that bugs me is that with current shows they are often way behind. It's not uncommon to have a show currently airing like season 4 but Netflix only has seasons 1-2. Especially HBO, Showtime shows. Which doesn't make since to me cause a blast view of seasons 1-3 might someone want to subscribe to see the current ones

 

[philbyers]

Is it worth it? I've used Netflix before but found the selection to be wanting.

I agree with most of what others have said here - incredible selection of complete television series from the past 10 years alone makes it worth the $7.99/month. There is simply too much good television being produced to keep up. Specifically, thanks to Netflix, I have become an enormous fan of:

- Arrested Development
- Breaking Bad
- Portlandia
- Downton Abbey
- and others I can't think of right now...

Recent larger-budget documentaries are well-represented.

You can see almost any great, small-budget movie there.

And sometimes you get surprised (like when "The Fighter" was made available on Netflix right away)

But now they have raised the bar much higher with the originals: Arrested Development Season 4 and House of Cards. HOC is excellent, btw.

Is it worth it? Yeah - it's worth it. All that content for <$8/month? It's a no brainer.

 

[milo]

One note specifically about Downton Abbey - Netflix has season one now but Amazon has bought exclusive rights to the series, so the later seasons won't be coming to NF and soon they'll be taking down season one as well. Still, plenty of other good reasons to watch NF streaming.

HBO was also mentioned, they haven't licensed content to any of the streaming services and probably won't any time soon.

I keep thinking of more great shows - Sports Night and The West Wing.

Things have definitely gotten better with their streaming content, and it's showing in their results. They just announced quarterly results, they were up 6% during the day then after the announcement are up another 23% after hours. They're also coming up on 30 million subscribers. Which is good news, with more cash it means they can license more content and create more originals of their own.

 

[stuckwithme247]

From 3.0 to 4.0 in two months. Sounds like they are hard at work

 

[3282868]

Wow, thanks for the quick and informative replies, really appreciate it. Good point on shows, I've been wanting to see Mad Men for a while but never had the time. Not much into Blockbusters these days, the few I do see that come around I might get on iTunes. I didn't realize there are shows exclusive to Netflix, that's a new one for me.

I'll give it a try, no contract and ~$8/mo. won't break the bank.

 

[dysamoria]

I wonder if they're trying to recapture the users that quit Netflix after Netflix quit the account disabling feature... I'm one. The ability to have a family plan... If that works for friends, in different locales, I might actually be interested in having a shared account with two close friends of mine. But I can't imagine this being possible. Surely Netflix would consider that an abuse of the service, because they'd be "losing two individual subscribers" or something...

 

[cdubb80]

I wonder if they're trying to recapture the users that quit Netflix after Netflix quit the account disabling feature... I'm one. The ability to have a family plan... If that works for friends, in different locales, I might actually be interested in having a shared account with two close friends of mine. But I can't imagine this being possible. Surely Netflix would consider that an abuse of the service, because they'd be "losing two individual subscribers" or something...

It's $8 per month and you want to share an account with 2 other friends? That's like 3 coffees (2 if Starbucks) per month ... I understand if ppl in the same household want to use at same time (which seems to work for me and my wife)

Funny that on a website dedicated to apple/macs which are generally among the most overpriced/expensive devices (compared to competitors), get some of the cheapest ppl ever (complaining about $2 iPhone apps, etc)...

Netflix is way cheaper than any cable tv subscription I know of.

Heck, I am living overseas in Australia (expensive cost of living) for 1 year, earning less than $50K to support both me and my wife, couldn't afford to replace my broken 3 year old iPhone 3GS (so using brick phone with no wifi or 3G), and even I can afford Netflix.

 

[cbronfman]

24 - all 8 seasons

Somehow I missed 24 when it was broadcast. Netflix has all 8 Seasons each with 24 hours in a day. I am totally addicted. I'm on Season (or Day) 7 and I'm already concerned about what I'll watch after I complete all 192 episodes. At $7.99 a month when there are series like this one to watch - it's downright cheap. It's the DVD plan that I reinstate and then cancel depending on the availability of new releases. I reinstated it last month (2 DVD's a month - $4.99) and watched The Sessions and Beasts of the Southern Wild. The Second Month (now), Life of Pi is in the mail. And one of the other items in my queue will eventually be sent (Django Unchained, Hitchcock, the Master, Skyfall). In June Quartet and the Newsroom will be released. There are others I'm waiting for that may or may not be released on Netflix.

Between Streaming where there are pretty good movies you can find and TV Series (I just added House of Cards and a few others), and 2 DVD's a month - I don't think you can do better. I do want to watch Homeland Season 2 and Downtown Abbey Season 4. I wish Amazon hadn't them in exclusivity - I do have Amazon Prime I just don't think it streams as reliably as Netflix.

iTunes is unfortunately more expensive than both in general.