You don’t always get what you pay for in life, but Netflix is attempting to ensure that its highest-paying customers get worthwhile features in return. The world’s largest streamer has announced that it will offer subscribers to its Premium Plan more shows and movies with spatial audio, as well as the ability to download content on more devices.

Spatial audio provides users with a theater-like, surround-sound, immersive listening experience by using directional audio filters. It is intended for built-in stereo speakers on any device receiving a stereo stream. It also provides a more immersive experience on headphones. Spatial audio is primarily optimized for laptops and tablets, but it’s also noticeable on TVs (up close) and phones with stereo speakers (usually when in landscape mode).

Netflix has added spatial audio to its top 700 titles for Premium subscribers. To find shows and movies with spatial audio enabled, simply type “spatial audio” into the Netflix search bar. The service will be adding more titles with this enhanced sound soon, including the new season of “You,” “Your Place or Mine,” “Luther: The Fallen Sun,” and “Tour de France.”

If you do not have surround-sound speakers, spatial audio will automatically be enabled when you begin streaming a compatible title in stereo audio. However, if you do have a surround-sound set-up, watching TV shows and movies in 5.1 surround sound or Dolby Atmos is recommended.

Netflix does warn that some TVs use the 5.1 audio output setting by default, which will automatically disable the streamer’s spatial audio option. So, if your equipment does not have surround sound speakers, the service recommends changing your device’s settings to stereo audio in order to hear the immersive spatial audio.

Another new feature now available to Netflix Premium users is the ability to download content onto more devices. Premium customers can now download shows and movies for offline viewing on up to six devices. Previously, users on Netflix’s highest-priced tier were limited to four devices capable of supporting downloads at the same time.

Netflix first began testing its spatial audio feature in January of 2021. In June 2022, it rolled out the feature to all users on a few select titles, including “Stranger Things” and “The Witcher.”

These new additions mean that customers of Netflix’s Premium tier will be able to watch over 700 shows and movies with the highest quality sound and picture available. Netflix Premium is the only price plan that the service offers that allows viewers to watch shows and movies in ultra-high-definition 4K. Combine that with the spatial audio that Netflix is offering on over 700 titles, and you’ve got a viewing experience that will be hard to beat.

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Netflix

Netflix is a leading subscription-based video streaming service that offers on-demand access to an extensive library of over 3,000 movies, 2,000+ TV shows, and a growing collection of acclaimed Netflix originals. Renowned for producing groundbreaking content, Netflix has become a cultural powerhouse with hit originals like “Stranger Things,” “Wednesday,” “Squid Game,” “The Crown,” “Tiger King,” “Bridgerton,” “The Witcher,” and “Black Mirror.”

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The platform constantly updates its catalog, introducing fresh content alongside timeless classics and international hits. Netflix’s commitment to storytelling has also earned critical acclaim, with award-winning exclusives such as “Roma,” “Marriage Story,” “The Power of the Dog,” “Mank,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” In 2023, their animated film “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” won an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, further solidifying Netflix’s reputation for high-quality content.

Recently, Netflix has expanded beyond standard movies and TV titles with the addition of video podcasts, and is also exploring a digital store that would offer third-party streamers within the app.

Netflix offers three plans – stream on 2 devices in HD with the “Standard with Ads” ($8.99) plan, on 2 devices in HD with the “Standard” ($19.99) plan, and 4 devices in up to 4K on the “Premium” ($26.99) plan.

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