Netflix
Does your Netflix experience look a little bit different today? On Monday, the streaming service rolled out its first update in nearly four years – shh, don’t mention Max, that didn’t count – one that has been “built from the ground up to make it faster and easier to discover something great to watch for our millions of members around the world,” at least per the Netflix blog.
At the very least, the website certainly looks better, more visually inclined, and a touch more intuitive to navigate. But this update extends beyond just aesthetics, as Netflix also promises that it was designed to move much swifter than it has in years past, thanks to mouse-click advancing that moves forward an entire row at a time. It’s meant to look good and work well, and it seems to have met that promise (at least so far). Here’s what we like best already, though.
Of note: the new Netflix isn’t available to everyone just yet, and is rolling out across the platform over the course of the next two weeks. While it wasn’t available to me on one computer, it was on another, so if you don’t see the changes yet, sit tight.
1. A “More Visual” Experience
As the Netflix blog explains, the company has “created a richer, more visual experience, and a website that works more like an app and less like a series of linked web pages. Information appears in-line and in context rather than on a separate page, which makes exploring the catalog faster than ever before.” Gone are those awkward little white pop-outs, and the result is something that looks much cleaner and far more intuitive.
2. No, Really, A More Visual Experience
The new emphasis on the look and feel of offerings isn’t just limited to the way things look on the page, it also now ties into the way Netflix shows off their library. If you hover over a title, not only do you get a cooler visual look at the show or movie at hand, a slideshow of images from the project also plays behind the information, giving you, well, a real cool visual look at the show or movie at hand. The site hopes this, combined with the new style of information-imparting, helps customers get a better idea of what they’re watching before they give it a click.
3. Better Recommendations
The site’s “More Like This” recommendations are now better placed, and the ability to forego that method of recommendation to instead opt for a related film or show by mood, genre, or cast are easier to see and execute. Netflix has long needed to refine their recommendation system, and while it’s still not perfect, this is an excellent step in the right direction. (Now maybe they can work on their recommendation algorithms, which are still wonky as all get out.)
4. More Complete Pages
Navigating through individual pages is easier than ever, thanks to a new command line at the bottom of the page that features a variety of clickable options, like “Overview,” “Episodes,” and even the “More Like This” page. No more endless scrolling down one page!
5. Faster Browsing
Does faster mouse-click advancing make a difference? You bet it does. It’s far easier to zip through rows of shows and films now that the site’s advancing zips ahead a full row at a time. The lag time is less, the loading doesn’t seem to take nearly as long, and it sure makes the possibilities seem a whole heck of a lot more beefier. If there was any change that needed to be made, this is the big one.
Need something to watch on your brand new Netflix page now? We’ve got some ideas.
Related Topics: Netflix
