What’s it like to use Netflix for the first time? See a new user’s impressions
What’s it like to use Netflix for the first time? See a new user’s impressions
I tried the world’s largest streaming service for the first time this week; check out my thoughts below!
At this point, the average consumer would be hard-pressed to find someone in their roster of friends of family that doesn’t have a Netflix subscription. With more than 280 million customers worldwide, including almost 85 million in the United States and Canada alone. It’s been years since I tried Netflix, and I’m giving potential subscribers my thoughts about the streamer so they’ll know without a doubt whether it lives up to its reputation.
Everything new customers need to know about Netflix
Is there a free trial?
Netflix knows what it has, and it’s not bashful about it. The streamer does not offer a free trial of any kind to new customers anymore and hasn’t since 2020. It’s counting on its reputation to convince customers to try it at full price, though it should be noted that the streamer’s Standard with Ads plan is cheaper than any other service’s ad-supported tier, with a price tag of $7 per month.
A world’s worth of content
If you read my review of Apple TV+ last week, you know that streamer doesn’t have a terribly large inventory thanks to its philosophy of presenting only original shows and movies. Netflix follows the exact opposite strategy, and that’s immediately apparent when opening the streamer for the first time.
Indeed, Netflix has a library that some might find overwhelming at first. It’s got a huge selection of licensed shows and movies from every decade and continent, so whether you want to travel the world or travel back in time you can do it. Content carousels range from familiar selections like “Comedy movies” to more specific options like “TV shows based on books.”
It shouldn’t be surprising, considering the reputation Netflix has for having a staggering amount of content. Nevertheless, it was good to see the streamer live up to its billing as a streamer with an excellent array of shows and movies.
What’s the user experience like?
If Netflix is the user experience that started it all, I can see why other streamers have done their best to emulate it. All services do more or less the same thing nowadays, with content tile rows packed with the shows and movies they want you to be watching most. It’s effective, though it can be an assault on the senses at times.
Netflix makes it easy to add things to a watchlist, with a “+” button available on every content tile for that purpose as you browse the home screen. The tabs at the top of the screen help you narrow content to TV shows, movies, New and popular titles, your list, or a section that lets you browse by language.
There is one more unique thing about the Netflix interface that I don’t really like. When I click on a show tile, I’d rather be taken to the actual show page than a pop-out menu, which is what Netflix does. It feels like the information to browse through the series is too compact and stuffed together. Maybe this is just a personal preference, but I’d like it more if it were spread out a bit.
Another issue I have with the Netflix UI that is not unique to the streamer is its habit of playing trailers for the show or movie you pull up to look into further. I want the option to watch such trailers, but having it play automatically distracts me from reading more about the show, which is my preferred way of discovering more about it.
One thing I really like about the Netflix interface is the small thumbs-up button on every tile. Netflix’s content recommendation algorithm is a strong one, and using the thumbs-up augments those recommendations to produce better ones than many other services I’ve seen.
What’s the ad experience like?
Netflix resisted ad-supported streaming for a long time, but the need to make money eventually outweighed its desire to keep its viewers from having to see commercials. Nevertheless, I’d say the ad experience on the streamer is nowhere near as bad as some.
The service more or less delivers on its pledge to offer four to five minutes of ads per hour of content, and I didn’t have the issue of seeing the same ad multiple times during the same block. Netflix also does a decent job of making its ad breaks “natural,” fitting into moments during playback when they make the most sense.
Final thoughts
I came into my Netflix experience determined to take the streamer down a peg or two, but instead, it was I who was humbled. The service had a huge amount of content, but frankly, a lot of it was shows and movies that I really wanted to watch.
It’s not hard to use Netflix, even if there are minor annoyances about its user experience for me personally. It’s a worthwhile streamer to try for viewers who want one service packed with desirable content, and even if Netflix’s lack of a free trial comes off as blatantly overconfident, I have to begrudgingly admit that confidence is merited.
Netflix
Netflix is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 3,000+ movies, 2,000+ TV Shows, and Netflix Originals like Stranger Things, Squid Game, The Crown, Tiger King, and Bridgerton. They are constantly adding new shows and movies. Some of their Academy Award-winning exclusives include Roma, Marriage Story, Mank, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.