Netflix is working to bring offline viewing to its smartphone and tablet apps by the end of 2016, according to sources familiar with its plans.
The feature will allow subscribers to save episodes of their favorite shows and feature length movies to their devices and then enjoy them later without a data connection.
Lots of streaming services already offer an offline feature, which allows users to continue enjoying the content even when they’re off the grid. Netflix rival Amazon Prime Instant Video added this functionality last September.
Netflix has promised it is coming, but CEO Reed Hastings has been quiet about its release date. Now industry insider and Penthera COO Dan Taitz promises that “download-to-go” will be available by the end of the year.
Penthera specializes in providing video downloading technology to customers like Comcast, Charter Communications, and more. If Netflix is in the market for technology like this, then, Taitz probably knows about it.
It’s still unclear whether Netflix’s offline feature will cover everything the service offers or whether it will be limited to select titles — though the latter seems more likely. We don’t expect it to cost anymore, but that’s also a possibility.
Source: LightReading
Via: PhoneArena
Killian Bell is a freelance writer based in the U.K. He has an interest in all things tech and also covers Android over at CultofAndroid.com. You can follow him on Twitter via @killianbell.
3 responses to “Netflix to add offline viewing by the end of 2016”
Do we know how long the offline videos will be available for viewing? One day, a week, a year?
“We don’t expect it to cost anymore…” should be “We don’t expect it to cost any more…”
“Anymore” as one word would mean that there would no longer be a cost, i.e., it would be free of charge. “Any more” can mean “not more than it costs presently.
I have T-Mobile so this is meaningless to me thanks to John Legere!