Raise your hand if you’ve ever fantasized about Netflix making offline viewing a reality. The feature would let users preload a bunch of Netflix movies and TV shows to their devices to watch later without the need for a network connection, you’ll be happy to hear that the company is considering the possibility.
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When asked about offline streaming during the company’s quarterly earnings call on Monday, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said the company is considering this streaming option.
“We should keep an open mind on all this… as we expand around the world where we see an uneven set of networks, it’s something we should keep an open mind about,” he said, according to Tech Insider.
That’s not a clear confirmation that offline viewing is coming to Netflix, but considering the company’s rapid international expansion and its desire to convince more and more customers to become paying subscribers, adding offline viewing would be a great incentive for those people who can’t afford or don’t want to stream Netflix content over a cellular connection.
Not to mention that Hastings’s response sounds a lot more promising than a few months ago, when the company explained why offline viewing isn’t a priority.
Netflix will have to obtain the permission from content owners to enable offline content, and it will likely also impact Netflix’s licensing agreements. With offline streaming, users would be able to download an entire movie or TV show on a device, but they’d have a limited window to watch it.
As Tech Insider points out, Amazon Instant Video already lets you stream videos offline, which can be a terrific option in a wide range of situations.
