The Netflix streaming service updated the platform to allow users to modify the appearance of subtitles from the TV app.
Netflix is not an app that changes particularly quickly, and there are still several design and performance debts that the system faces. One of those debts, fortunately, is about to be settled and it has to do with one of the most customizable elements of the experience: the subtitles in the TV app.
According to TechCrunch , the video company has started releasing a new feature to modify the appearance of subtitles from within the TV app itself. To your own surprise, including mine when writing this, we could not change the color or other details of the texts in the application, but we had to open the TV’s web browser and, from there, modify the options to our liking. A task that must have stressed several, without a doubt.
Starting today, and with a gradual rollout in the coming hours, users will have the options to customize the size – small, medium and large – or choose between four color options: default white text, white text with shadow, text black with white background and yellow text with black background.
With this, Netflix matches conditions with streaming services that already have a friendly and efficient subtitle setup, such as HBO Max, Prime Video and Disney+, among others.
Streaming grows on Smart TVs
With the COVID-19 pandemic, streaming services increased traffic in homes, and many users “discovered” that these apps could also be used natively, or with TV Box-like accessories, on televisions.
Reports from Kantar Ibope Media indicate that streaming consumption in Peru grew by 57% until 2021 only in the TV format, driven by new entertainment habits in the midst of the health crisis.
According to figures from the researcher Conviva, the “image quality/data traffic” ratio grew by 17.3% compared to 2021, although companies still face a setback in the average start of content in apps (the metric fell 17.6 %).
In Europe, for example, an episode starts playing after a 4-second wait after being selected; while in Africa this time is 8 seconds after the “play”. In the world, the most used platform for streaming is Android TV, with a 78% market share. Samsung, LG and other brands managed to expand their presence by almost 20% compared to 2021.