This post was last updated on February 16th, 2021 at 02:28 pm
Most cord cutters have Netflix. If you do too and you call yourself a binge-watcher, how do you optimize your experience on Netflix?
Even though I have Spectrum packages, I still have subscriptions to all the major streaming services. But the challenge is keeping tabs on the new content which is added every now and then. Thank God, Netflix keeps you posted! If you like to get the most out of this streaming service, you need to learn about some must-know hacks. Brace yourself, because you may not want to leave the house after these:
1: Say Goodbye to Buffering
What’s the worst nightmare of a binge-watcher? When the climax is building up, and suddenly the video starts buffering.
There is a way to fix this. When the video is playing, press Shit+ Alt or Shift+Opt. Then left-click for opening a hidden menu. A stream manager will open up containing buffering fixes. Keep in mind this will only work when you are watching on your PC.
2: Learn all the Shortcuts
Learn these seven basic keyboard shortcuts and make your binge-watching experience as smooth as butter:
- F Key = Fullscreen
- Esc Key = Escape fullscreen
- Page Down Key = Pause
- Page Up Key = Play
- Shift+ right arrow = Fast Forward
- Shift+ left arrow = Rewind
- M Key = Mute
3: Get this Chrome Extension
The most obvious step to optimizing your experience on Netflix is to download the Netflix enhancement suite extension. It features add-ons such as pop-up ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic, and IMDB profiles along with trailers to every title.
This is a perfect way to figure out which movie or TV show is worth watching. Once you start, you would never want to go back.
4: Use Rabbit to Binge-Watch With Friends
This hack is handy for those who are in a long-distance relationship. There is no harm in using this hack to reunite with a fellow friend or a sibling.
Download Rabbit, the video chat service. Rabbit lets you launch a window that can be viewed by all parties involved in the chat. Inside that window, you are free to do whatever you want. This also includes streaming a show or movie on Netflix. You would be watching the show, texting, and video chatting in real-time.
5: If You Want full HD, Skip Chrome
Not all browsers support HD streaming. Did you know Google chrome supports 720p streaming? So if you would like to stream in full HD, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer are the best. They support 1080p streaming. Safari also supports 1080 streaming.
Note: For HD streaming, an Internet download speed of 5 Mbps or more is recommended.
6: Customize the Subtitles
Do you like to stream with the subtitles on? Here is a treat for you. There is a way to adjust the default color of Netflix subtitles, font, and size. This is how it’s done:
- Go to your “Account”
- Click your “Profile”
- Choose “Subtitle Appearance”
- Pick whatever fits your viewing preferences
7: Look For Shows through Netflix Bible
Finding interesting shows is really time-consuming. It’s a huge encyclopedia of content and genres that you would get lost in. To make things easier, use the Netflix bible. These are the secret codes that allow a user to refine his searches into different categories. There is a code for each category. For instance, the code for Sports is 4370, TV shows is 83, for dramas, it is 5763, and so on.
This is the web address to land on to the specific genre: https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/INSERTCODEHERE
8: Learn About the Best Titles to Watch via Reddit
When you don’t want to make the effort of looking for titles with the best rating, simply go to Reddit. Enter https://www.reddit.com/r/netflixbestof on your browser to learn the names of the most talked-about TV shows and movies on Netflix. There are entire threads of discussions on the trending titles. Read them to find the names of the juiciest titles out there.
Summing Up
These simple hacks have the power to transform your whole streaming experience. I use all of them when I am binge-watching on Netflix. When I am all caught up on Netflix, I switch to my Spectrum packages to watch sports or news.
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