Skip to main content

Watch Netflix on your phone? You could soon get content made just for that format

netflix everything sucks
Grinvalds/123RF

Netflix is considering making a special version of its shows just for the mobile generation. Earlier this week, Neil Hunt, Netflix chief product officer, said that the company might be exploring “mobile-specific cuts of its original movies and TV shows,” The Verge reported. This ought to appeal to the growing proportion of Netflix users who are consuming content primarily via their mobile devices.

“It’s not inconceivable that you could take a master [copy] and make a different cut for mobile,” Hunt said. And while Netflix hasn’t done this in the past, Hunt noted, “it’s something we will explore over the next few years.”

This certainly wouldn’t be the first time a content provider looked to create a mobile-specific experience. The NBA last year debuted a new Mobile View to make watching basketball games on your handheld device much easier. In fact, in order to cater to their mobile fans, the NBA introduced a dedicated camera, cameraman, and mobile producer to all 29 NBA arenas.

According to Hunt, Netflix would look to create versions of their shows with scenes or shots that can be seen more easily with a smartphone, or on a smaller screen. And while Netflix is doing a lot with HDR technology, which promises a wider range of colors on television sets, Hunt noted that HDR isn’t only for viewing on the big screen. There’s plenty of room for innovation in that area on smartphones as well, he said.

While Netflix consumption happens mostly on TVs here in the U.S. and in Canada, Hunt noted that consumers in other parts of the world are using other devices. In fact, in Asian countries like India, Hunt says, “mobile screens are the majority consumption device.”

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
5 sci-fi movies on Netflix you need to watch in March
Godzilla stands above a city in terror.

Netflix continues to bolster its sci-fi library with a wide selection of films. Right now, one of the most popular sci-fi franchises on Netflix is Jurassic Park. Witnessing the moment when Dr. Grant watches the dinosaurs for the first time is still a breathtaking scene. Other sci-fi blockbusters making the rounds on Netflix include Meg 2: The Trench, Rebel Moon, and Ready Player One.

Below, we picked five sci-fi movies to watch in March. One of our picks is Spaceman, a new sci-fi drama starring Adam Sandler as a lonely astronaut who bonds with an extraterrestrial creature. Other films on our list include an underrated mystery from 2023, a visually appealing monster movie, and a fun sequel to an independent action film.
They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

Read more
5 great Oscar-winning movies you need to watch on Netflix
Three scientists stare at a dinosaur pushing through an egg.

_DSC4795.arw Netflix

When it comes to streaming services, Netflix is still the king. With around 260 million subscribers, Netflix reigns supreme over its competitors thanks to its vast library of licensed content and original programming. Over the past decade, Netflix has become a major player at the Oscars thanks to its prestige dramas. Films like Roma and All Quiet on the Western Front have resonated with the Academy by winning multiple Oscars.

Read more
5 underrated movies on Netflix you need to watch in March
Two men hold guns in 21 Bridges.

The first week of March marks the arrival of new films and TV shows on Netflix. The streamer's biggest movie release this month is Damsel, a fantasy thriller starring Millie Bobby Brown as a princess who must slay a dragon to survive. Another Netflix original arriving in March is Irish Wish, a new romantic comedy starring Lindsay Lohan. Both films will likely debut in the top 10 and become some of the most popular movies on Netflix.

These new films will dominate the Netflix homepage, and rightfully so. However, there are hundreds of good films in Netflix's library. To find them, you need to know where to look, so we created this list as a road map to hidden gems. Our selections for five underrated movies on Netflix include a musical comedy involving The Beatles, a teen psychological thriller, and an entertaining cop thriller.
Yesterday (2019)

Read more