Netflix announces cheaper plans; Indians will have to wait though
What's the story
Netflix is one of the few video streaming spaces where the service provider does not serve commercials in between the videos.
But this is set to change soon in the future.
The OTT giant has announced the launch of a new plan with a cheaper price that will play commercials.
This plan will cost the viewers lesser than the present basic plan.
Context
Why does this story matter?
The idea has been in talks for years but was never implemented. Now, the ad-supported plan will be implemented next month in 12 countries, but India will not be included.
So far, the makers have not announced anything about implementing the plan in India.
Initially, the plan will be rolled out in Canada and Mexico on November 1.
Countries
Which countries will have this plan?
Besides Canada and Mexico, the new scheme will be available in countries including Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Spain, the UK, and the US.
With the implementation of the new scheme, the basic plan will now be the one with commercials. In the US, it will cost $6.99, which is $3 cheaper than the present basic plan ($9.99/month).
Details
All you need to know about the new basic plan
The package will provide the ability for users to watch on one device at a time.
While the previous basic plan did not support HD, the new one will support video quality up to 720p HD for both basic plans—ad and no ad.
It will not include the complete catalog of Netflix with a "limited number of shows and movies not being available."
Information
Users won't be able to download videos for offline viewing
Netflix chief operating officer Greg Peters told reporters that about 5% to 10% of titles will be unavailable to users with the basic plan with ads.
Users on the ad plan will also not be able to download titles for offline viewing.
The ads will be 15/30 seconds long and on average, a one-hour-long video will have four to five ads.