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Interesting! Integrating with global search would essentially turn them into a media server. Never thought of it that way. Would that be... bad? Their app does

Interesting! Integrating with global search would essentially turn them into a media server. Never thought of it that way. Would that be... bad? Their app doesn't have ads, thank god, so I'm trying to figure out what the motivation would be. Is it just trying to get people to watch Netflix content they wouldn't have otherwise seen?

untog 11y ago
Yeah - every time you load up Netflix you're presented with a front page of their choosing, outlining content they would like you watch (/think you should watch). Although there aren't ads, they still want you to get the most from your subscription, so that you don't cancel it. If they just become a cog in a larger search wheel then you'll just go directly to the one show you want to watch.
- Navarr 11y ago
  Well, there's a couple things here: * Universal Search - which they're doing with everything else - the user is trying to find a very specific content. * Recommended Shows - the user is looking for things to Watch Netflix could easily plug into both of these to capture the user - but they plug into neither and instead opt to create a suboptimal flow for the user. What they're doing here is that, when on Android I search for a Show I never see a "Watch on Netflix" button. And there's never interesting movies to watch on Netflix highlighted on my homescreen. They're not doing themselves any favors by NOT having this functionality.
  - untog 11y ago
    They're not doing themselves any favors by NOT having this functionality. I suspect they are - their catalogue is strong enough (and paid for) that people will seek out the app when they realise it is not included in the recommended watching list.
    - Navarr 11y ago
      Man you and I have a very different Netflix experience. I generally bounce off Netflix when I realize they don't have what I want to watch. I also very rarely browse it for content to watch as that takes _forever_. Their strength these days is not their catalog size, which is constantly shrinking, but their original programming. Which is exactly the type of stuff they should be surfacing in the OS itself - as it's what makes people stay with Netflix.

untog 11y ago

Yeah - every time you load up Netflix you're presented with a front page of their choosing, outlining content they would like you watch (/think you should watch). Although there aren't ads, they still want you to get the most from your subscription, so that you don't cancel it. If they just become a cog in a larger search wheel then you'll just go directly to the one show you want to watch.

Navarr 11y ago
Well, there's a couple things here: * Universal Search - which they're doing with everything else - the user is trying to find a very specific content. * Recommended Shows - the user is looking for things to Watch Netflix could easily plug into both of these to capture the user - but they plug into neither and instead opt to create a suboptimal flow for the user. What they're doing here is that, when on Android I search for a Show I never see a "Watch on Netflix" button. And there's never interesting movies to watch on Netflix highlighted on my homescreen. They're not doing themselves any favors by NOT having this functionality.
- untog 11y ago
  They're not doing themselves any favors by NOT having this functionality. I suspect they are - their catalogue is strong enough (and paid for) that people will seek out the app when they realise it is not included in the recommended watching list.
  - Navarr 11y ago
    Man you and I have a very different Netflix experience. I generally bounce off Netflix when I realize they don't have what I want to watch. I also very rarely browse it for content to watch as that takes _forever_. Their strength these days is not their catalog size, which is constantly shrinking, but their original programming. Which is exactly the type of stuff they should be surfacing in the OS itself - as it's what makes people stay with Netflix.