These days, there are many options for streaming movies and tv shows, and platforms are vying to differentiate themselves from each other. It can all get a bit overwhelming to sort and we might end up being fatigued by the process of show selection.
But there are a few simple steps you can take that will make your viewing experience more streamlined and pleasant to view. So let’s make our subscription fees worth it and get cracking on some simple customization options.
1. Download Offline Playback
Almost every major streaming service lets subscribers download content for offline viewing. What type or number of titles you can download depends on the streaming service or the type of subscription you have.
For instance, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflx and Peacock all let you download content for offline viewing. But the titles that you can download are limited to the ones completely owned by the streaming service. Movies or shows that are not original productions of the streaming service cannot be downloaded for later viewing.
Because of this rule, Disney Plus subscribers can download the entire content of the Disney Plus.library and view it offline. Now you don’t have to use mobile data to watch your favorite shows while on the long commute home.
Just remember to download your favorite movie or multiple episodes of your desired show onto your phone before you get out of reach of your wifi signal. It’s a great way to share your content subscription with friends as well.
2. Customize Subtitles
We all love watching classic movies and sitcoms on streaming but there is a lot more choice for viewers nowadays than there was ever before. Shows like Dark and Money Heist have received immense popularity with international audiences due to their exciting storylines and stellar acting.
There is a joy in watching a show in a foreign language that lets you discover a story in ways that are newer and offer a different perspective. So next time you spot a promising new foreign language title on Hulu or Netflix, don’t go for the DUB, go for the SUB instead.
That simply means to select subtitles for the show. Before you start the show, select the size, font, background and placement of the subtitles to suit your viewing habit exactly as you want. We recommend keeping subtitles at eye length.
So you can use either subtitles, which are placed at the bottom of the screen, or you can choose surtitles, which are placed at the top of the screen. And of course, this functionality is also great for those of us who cannot access content through the medium of sound.
3. Set Your Location
Content libraries are not uniform across regions and even though a streaming service may offer a show or movie in the States, it may not offer it in the UK or Australia for instance. This is due to the web of complex licensing and copyright agreements that these platforms are subject to.
But this can have a lot of viewers feeling left out. It is very frustrating to be barred from watching the latest new movie or show that is taking the world of social media by storm. Sometimes, we may even be subscribed with all the benefits but still be unable to watch our preferred content because we are traveling at the moment.
Take this situation for example: you need to watch The Expanse, but can’t because you’re blocked. To fix that, you need to know how to change country on Amazon Prime. Go to settings, and update your address to that of any place in the US. But this only works sometimes because Prime might also not accept that change without further configuration.
Luckily, there are ways to work around this restriction when it comes to all major streaming platforms. All you need to do is to download unblocking software which is a good tool to have just by itself as well. In that way, you can change your IP address and not your home address.
4. Manage Layout
Think about when are we most likely to be binge watching content on streaming platforms? The answer for most people is either the weekend and mostly at night during the weekdays after work. So that makes for a lot of dark and low light conditions for sitting in front of a lit screen.
Do your eyes a favor and format the layout of your streaming app before you begin an hours-long binge watching session. The best change that you can make is to always switch to dark mode which is available on streaming apps.
Further, adjust the layout of your home page and increase the size of the title icons and the font size for the synopsis. This way you include more comfort in navigating your streaming app interface. Adjusting the layout of your app interface is most important because half the time your screen will be a tiny version held in your hand.
5. Manage Recommendations
Because of the sheer amount of content available for streaming, we rely on the recommendations generated by the system algorithm and the search function to find something good to watch. But this can also lead to us missing out on new stuff that we may find interesting.
The way around this is to frequently erase your watch history so that the automated recommendations don’t take their cue from the same titles. After all, you would like a bit of range in the type of content you consume.
Basically, removing titles from your watch history will make the algorithm present a truly random selection of titles that will still be organized based on genre and popularity. Not totally random then.
Further, there are collections curated by the streaming service that present a more thoughtful gallery of content. Always check those before you turn off your app in frustration because you cannot find anything good to watch.
Wrapping Up
There is a wealth of customization available to streaming subscribers if they explore the platform a bit before commencing their viewing for the day. So definitely go into the settings tab and check out the difference it brings to your streaming experience.
