Netflix is awesome – it just might not be right for you. So, before you sign up for Netflix, take a moment to consider its problems and ask yourself: is Netflix worth it?
Limited regional selection
One of Netflix’s biggest problems is that the number and quality of movies and TV shows you can watch depends on where you live.
For example, if you live in the United States, there will certainly be times when you’ll want to watch something only available on Netflix Canada or Netflix UK. This happens very rarely, but when it does, it’s annoying. We can’t imagine how frustrating this is for people outside the US who want to watch Netflix content exclusively available in the United States.
Of course, there are ways to watch everything on Netflix no matter where you live, with the most common method being to use a VPN. Although Netflix has theoretically cracked down on VPN use, several paid services still work. We recommend Cyberghost or ExpressVPN for VPNs that work with Netflix.
Netflix’s library is out of date
The other big complaint about Netflix – which has been one of the biggest complaints about the streaming service since it went live – is that its library is never up-to-date. These days, only Netflix Originals can be considered timely and trendy.
Due to licensing agreements with TV networks, it doesn’t make sense to let Netflix stream episodes as they are released on the network because that would leave no incentive for people to watch the network.
Netflix’s strength is binge-watching, which means it’s great for watching TV shows right before the next season airs. That’s why most of Netflix’s library is about a year old. Networks don’t allow Netflix to load more recent content into their library.
But why a year? Because full-season DVD sales are still profitable at that point, and that’s one of the reasons movies are added to Netflix’s library so late. Publishers only begin licensing with Netflix once a season, show, or movie has sold out.
Internet Requirements
Netflix (like any other streaming app) relies on the quality of your internet connection. Whether you’re watching YouTube, Twitch, or Netflix, your ISP decides whether you’re watching 240p, 720p, or 4K video.
If your internet goes down, Netflix won’t work. If people on your network watch YouTube or play games and hog your bandwidth, Netflix will pause. And if your internet speed is poor, the video quality will be poor. Remember, Netflix automatically determines stream quality based on the health of your connection. Sure, you can still download Netflix shows and movies, but that will take a lot more time and effort.
Compare this to Blu-ray or DVD: you just put the disc in the right player, and you’ll get the same quality every time, and you can keep watching even if your internet connection goes down. The importance of this reliability can’t be underestimated, and it’s one of the reasons why physical media is better than streaming.
Data Cap Consumption
While we’re on the subject of internet connections, let’s not forget that data caps are a very real nuisance to consider when streaming media – especially for video, which can eat up over 7GB/hour depending on your demand when watching movies and TV shows.
If your internet connection has a low data cap, you’ll blow through it in no time. These estimates are based on Netflix’s data usage details.
And these figures assume you do nothing else other than Netflix. With Ultra HD becoming the norm in home entertainment, these figures are absolutely unacceptable. If you have a capped internet connection, be careful: Netflix will consume your data much faster than you think.
No Ownership of Media
Even though you pay for Netflix, you don’t own anything on it. If you buy a DVD, it’s yours. With Netflix, your payments vanish into thin air.
After a year, you will have paid anywhere from $84 to $240, depending on which Netflix plan you choose. However, you will have nothing to show for it other than the memories of the TV shows and movies you watched during that time.
This is one of the biggest tragedies of streaming. We are witnessing a decline in entertainment media ownership, leaving you at the mercy of content publishers and streamers.
Netflix Always Removes Popular Shows
The worst example of this is that streaming services remove shows and movies at any time. There is nothing more annoying than watching a popular show endlessly only to find it has disappeared when you are halfway through watching it. Although Netflix is not the only streaming service to do this, it is one of the most notorious.