Netflix's first ad-supported plan launched late last year, and it's fair to say we didn't really like it. However, Netflix heeded our advice that it needed to improve quickly, as the company announced two big upgrades to the "basic plan with ads": an increase in video quality and the ability to stream on two devices at once.
In its earnings report (via FlatpanelsHD), Netflix said: "This month, we will be updating the full features of our ad plan to include 1080p vs. 720p video quality and two simultaneous streams from all 12 ad markets, starting with Canada and Spain today. .”
Therefore, we expect the improvements to arrive where announced before the end of April, although it is obviously possible that this could be delayed until early May. Uptake of the new ad-based plan appears to have been slow, with Netflix promising to increase the number of people signing up, and these changes appear to be part of that.
Right now, Netflix Basic with ads only lets you watch shows in 720p HD, and you can only watch Netflix on one device at a time, so if the parents are watching a movie there, the kids can't do anything. Look on your tablet upstairs.
You'll now be able to watch in Full HD 1080p, which means you get more than twice as many pixels, so the picture is noticeably more detailed and much easier to upscale for the best 4K TVs to make content look good in 4K. , though not originally Ultra HD.
But the ability to have two devices streaming simultaneously is probably the biggest change, as it adds that flexibility to allow people in different parts of the house to watch different things at the same time.
Analysis: More announcements likely
Other limitations remain from the ad-based tier, however: no 4K, no HDR, no downloading to your phone for on-the-go viewing, and some movies and shows won't be available to you... plus, of course, you're stuck with it. announcements.
We suspect that Netflix is considering removing its "basic" ad-free tier after these changes, as we've already noted that it doesn't really want you to sign up, and now the ad-based version is better. it doesn't ads somehow.
Netflix didn't say if it could upgrade its other plans now that it's switching to the cheapest one, but it did say in the earnings report that the ad plan makes more money per subscriber than its standard plan, which is part of why it added news: "In In the US, for example, our ad plan already has a higher total (subscription + ads) than our Standard package."
Does that mean you could upgrade the Standard plan to be a more distinct offering? Or introduce an ad-based top tier that includes 4K HDR and other features? There is no news about it yet, but according to this information, it is surely in the works.
One thing Netflix has made clear, however, is that paid password sharing is part of their plans, and now we know more about when Netflix password sharing will actually happen, and that is, soon.