Netflix Looking At Optimizing Shows For Mobile Devices

At the moment all TVs and movies don’t really differentiate between displays. What this means is that what you see on an 85-inch TV will be the same if you were to watch it on your 5-inch smartphone, except that it has been shrunken down and to a certain extent squished to fit your mobile device.

For the most part movies and shows are still very much watchable, although it isn’t necessarily 100% ideal. However it seems that Netflix is toying around with the idea of creating TV shows and movies that have been cut specifically for mobile devices. This was revealed at a briefing in San Francisco by Netflix’s chief product officer Neil Hunt.

According to Hunt, “It’s not inconceivable that you could take a master [copy] and make a different cut for mobile. It’s a conversation I’ve been having.” So what does as mobile cut look like? Given that our mobile devices have small screens, shots in movies that span a great distance probably doesn’t translate so well as some of the details are lost, so an example would be cutting out those scenes in favor of close-ups instead.

It isn’t surprising that Netflix is turning their focus to more mobile-friendly content. During the same event, the company revealed that mobile viewing had grown worldwide 25% year-over-year, so it makes sense for the company to start looking to create content optimized for mobile.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: Apps, Entertainment, Movies, Netflix