Netflix won’t be allowing viewers to watch content offline

17 Dec 2014

Netflix will not be following the lead of other on-demand internet video-streaming services by allowing subscribers to download shows for offline viewing.

That’s according to the company’s director of corporate communications and technology, Cliff Edwards, who believes improvements in Wi-Fi available will make such a practice obsolete.

Rival services like BBC iPlayer and 4oD allow users to download shows while online so they can be watched at any time without the need for an internet connection. Similarly, in the audio streaming market, albums and playlists are downloadable through the Spotify app, giving users instant access to the music without connecting to WiFi or using their packet data.

Speaking to Tech Radar, Edwards affirmed that Netflix launching a similar scheme is “never going to happen” and that offline downloads are a “short term fix” to the bigger problem of limited Wi-Fi access and quality.

Earlier this month it was revealed that TV viewership in the US is on the decline as the public spends more time surfing the web and watching video-streaming services than ever before.

According to global information and measurement company Nielsen, on-demand services are on the rise with 40pc of households now subscribing to firms like Netflix or Amazon’s Prime Instant Video. Viewing of online videos have increased by about 4 hours per month year-over-year to 10 hours and 42 minutes.

Netflix image via Shutterstock

Dean Van Nguyen was a contributor to Silicon Republic

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