For years, I’ve complained that online video viewing wasn’t enough like TV. You watch a TV show or a movie and when it’s over you have to stop and search for whatever you want to watch next. Unlike TV, many online services haven’t implemented a continuous play feature, which could keep viewers watching longer.
Netflix finally* just implemented a new feature, called Post-Play, which helps to solve this problem. Now, when watching episodes of your TV show, when the credits start to roll, Netflix will minimize them and preview the next episode in the series. Viewers can then immediately jump to the next episode.
The same thing goes for movies. Rather than making users go back to the main menu and search for what they want to watch next, the post-play experience will bring up recommendations to keep viewers engaged.
For Netflix, the addition of post-play could lead to even more viewing, helping it to rival traditional TV viewing even more. In July, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings reported that viewers watched more than a billion hours of video, which comes out to about an hour a day of video on average. Now imagine if they didn’t have to stop and click through to the next episode while catching up on back seasons of Breaking Bad.
The only problem with post-play? Right now, it’s only available for viewers on the Netflix website, as well as its app for PlayStation 3. But the streaming company says that more supported devices are coming soon. As a Roku user, I can’t wait for post-play to come to my device of choice, finally.**
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* I hate when bloggers write “finally.” Especially in headlines. Like every company you cover has to implement every little feature request you impatient, entitled mofos think they need. And when they do, you just have to punctuate it with “finally!”
** Just stop it already.
Netflix is the world’s leading Internet television network with more than 33 million members in 40 countries enjoying more than one billion hours of TV shows and movies per month, including Netflix original series. For one low monthly price, Netflix members can watch as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, on nearly any Internet-connected screen. Members can play, pause and resume watching, all without commercials or commitments. Learn more about how Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) is pioneering Internet television at...
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