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> My other bugbear are the auto playing videos on Netflix and the use of massive spoilers in episode thumbnails. You can actually turn off "Autoplay previews"

> My other bugbear are the auto playing videos on Netflix and the use of massive spoilers in episode thumbnails. You can actually turn off "Autoplay previews" now. You have to log into your account from a web browser, and then look at the Playback settings for the profile you want to change.

tinus_hn 6y ago
Note that this anti anti feature was introduced quietly so not everyone may have noticed it yet.
aidos 6y ago
What you can’t turn off is the bit where they drop you into another trailer when you’ve just finished watching a series after months of investment. A little time to digest would be real nice.
- navbaker 6y ago
  Your "time to digest" is Netflix's "fleeting window of opportunity to keep you engaged" or whatever businessy term describes that.
  - jbay808 6y ago
    They aren't Facebook. They just need to keep me subscribed, not engaged. I bet someone has an engagement OKR anyway, though.
    - dhnajsjdnd 6y ago
      Hours of video watched per month is metric Netflix tries to optimize, because it predicts churn. If a customer is spending decreasing hours on Netflix and watching Disney instead, they are more likely to cancel. Goodhart's law applies. If a customer is watching more Netflix because they are binging some fantastic new context, that’s great for Netflix. If the customer watching more because the app keeps auto playing something they didn’t ask for and gradually pisses them off, not so good. Netflix might have better ways of measuring customer satisfaction that can tell if these behaviors make the customer more satisfied overall.
- js2 6y ago
  Every single video app I have on my AppleTV: Netflix, Amazon, Criterion, even Apple’s own TV app, shrinks whatever you are watching down to a thumbnail just before the movie or show ends. I fucking hate it. Yes, I’m one of those weirdos who sits through to the end when the copyright rolls past and gets pissed off when the lights come on at a theater during the credits. It is incredibly disrespectful to the film. This is one of those “good taste” things that I feel like Steve Jobs wouldn’t have tolerated. It’s especially annoying on some older films with short end credits because it happens before the movie is even over.
  - wst_ 6y ago
    You should consider moving to Japan then. Theater stays dark until the last line of credits passes. Actually this is nice thing. You can still listen to the music, pay silent respects to the horde of people involved or just contemplate the movie.
    - gdilla 6y ago
      many many people in LA stay for the credits too. naturally.
  - princetman 6y ago
    I get the sentiment for live performance, but in your own home, I can not relate to this. Vast majority of people in credits are doing a job and getting paid for it, just like any other profession or trade. We don't pay "respect" to delivery drivers, or to designers and engineers who brings us our gadgets and services in same way. Why should I spend my time and attention on credit rolls? It's not like anyone noticing it.
    - dylan604 6y ago
      You don't tip? Tips are showing your respect for deliveries. Also, most gadgets I've seen have a screen that can be viewed with credits in them, as well as most software. Video games have credits too. Books have credits too, right there on the cover and is probably what grabs your attention more than the title.
- madjam002 6y ago
  Yep, this is what I hate. Finishing a TV show, taking it all in, only to find myself scrambling for the remote to press Watch Credits so it doesn’t move on to some random trailer. The Kodi Netflix add-on might not have the best interface, but at least it doesn’t do stuff like this!
avian 6y ago
What you still can’t turn off AFAIK is the video starting to play in the background if you go to the “more info” menu. At least on the Android TV app.
corin_ 6y ago
I have it turned off in my profile, which works nearly everywhere, but doesn't have any effect on the Apple TV netflix app.
5988 6y ago
oh cool

tinus_hn 6y ago

Note that this anti anti feature was introduced quietly so not everyone may have noticed it yet.

aidos 6y ago

What you can’t turn off is the bit where they drop you into another trailer when you’ve just finished watching a series after months of investment. A little time to digest would be real nice.

navbaker 6y ago
Your "time to digest" is Netflix's "fleeting window of opportunity to keep you engaged" or whatever businessy term describes that.
- jbay808 6y ago
  They aren't Facebook. They just need to keep me subscribed, not engaged. I bet someone has an engagement OKR anyway, though.
  - dhnajsjdnd 6y ago
    Hours of video watched per month is metric Netflix tries to optimize, because it predicts churn. If a customer is spending decreasing hours on Netflix and watching Disney instead, they are more likely to cancel. Goodhart's law applies. If a customer is watching more Netflix because they are binging some fantastic new context, that’s great for Netflix. If the customer watching more because the app keeps auto playing something they didn’t ask for and gradually pisses them off, not so good. Netflix might have better ways of measuring customer satisfaction that can tell if these behaviors make the customer more satisfied overall.
js2 6y ago
Every single video app I have on my AppleTV: Netflix, Amazon, Criterion, even Apple’s own TV app, shrinks whatever you are watching down to a thumbnail just before the movie or show ends. I fucking hate it. Yes, I’m one of those weirdos who sits through to the end when the copyright rolls past and gets pissed off when the lights come on at a theater during the credits. It is incredibly disrespectful to the film. This is one of those “good taste” things that I feel like Steve Jobs wouldn’t have tolerated. It’s especially annoying on some older films with short end credits because it happens before the movie is even over.
- wst_ 6y ago
  You should consider moving to Japan then. Theater stays dark until the last line of credits passes. Actually this is nice thing. You can still listen to the music, pay silent respects to the horde of people involved or just contemplate the movie.
  - gdilla 6y ago
    many many people in LA stay for the credits too. naturally.
- princetman 6y ago
  I get the sentiment for live performance, but in your own home, I can not relate to this. Vast majority of people in credits are doing a job and getting paid for it, just like any other profession or trade. We don't pay "respect" to delivery drivers, or to designers and engineers who brings us our gadgets and services in same way. Why should I spend my time and attention on credit rolls? It's not like anyone noticing it.
  - dylan604 6y ago
    You don't tip? Tips are showing your respect for deliveries. Also, most gadgets I've seen have a screen that can be viewed with credits in them, as well as most software. Video games have credits too. Books have credits too, right there on the cover and is probably what grabs your attention more than the title.
madjam002 6y ago
Yep, this is what I hate. Finishing a TV show, taking it all in, only to find myself scrambling for the remote to press Watch Credits so it doesn’t move on to some random trailer. The Kodi Netflix add-on might not have the best interface, but at least it doesn’t do stuff like this!

avian 6y ago

What you still can’t turn off AFAIK is the video starting to play in the background if you go to the “more info” menu. At least on the Android TV app.

corin_ 6y ago

I have it turned off in my profile, which works nearly everywhere, but doesn't have any effect on the Apple TV netflix app.

5988 6y ago

oh cool