A cheaper version of Netflix is coming in 2023 thanks to a new ad-supported plan. Over the last few months, we’ve slowly learned more about the service, and it doesn’t sound great.
An iOS developer named Steve Moser recently discovered text inside the Netflix app code that says, “Downloads available on all plans except Netflix with ads.” This means that the popular feature of downloading movies and shows offline to watch later will not be an option.
If true, Netflix with ads subscribers will not be able to download a few episodes of their favorite show to watch on an airplane while they’re offline. Basically, the ad tier won’t have all the features of the regular service we’ve all come to expect.
Netflix hasn’t confirmed the missing feature, so this is all speculation at this point. However, with the wording inside the app already, it’s quite likely that the ad-supported version of Netflix will be watered-down and missing features.
Furthermore, in July, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos casually mentioned that customers who opt for the Netflix with ads plan wouldn’t get access to all the movies and TV shows on the service. That’s because Netflix licenses content from several sources, and not all of those are on board yet. So that TV show you love to binge-watch could get removed from the ad-supported streaming service.
However, the CEO did go on to mention that it’ll have a huge library of content, and over time, Netflix expects to renegotiate terms and offer additional content.
Either way, it’s still too early to say much about the new Netflix plan without having all of the details. Things could change between now and whenever it arrives in 2023. That said, it’ll be hard to deliver ads to offline content, and other services like HBO and Hulu with ads don’t have offline modes either.
If you don’t like what you’re hearing thus far, you can ditch those monthly subscription fees and use these four services to get free movies and TV.
via Engadget
