Remember the days when the only TV we had access to was network television? So limiting. So regulated. Now we have Netflix, which is completely awesome, but how about some 2019 hacks that can launch it beyond awesome?
I’ll try to keep this simple enough so that people who are just considering using Netflix for the first time will understand what I’m saying. But at the same time, this will be beneficial to long-time Netflix users who are looking up their game.
And for those that get nervous at the word hack, we are not just going to talk about hacks. We will also talk about add-ons, services, and any means possible to improve your Netflix experience.
Use a VPN
My first and strongest recommendation is to use a VPN. For the uninitiated, a VPN or Virtual Private Network creates an anonymous tunnel of sorts for you to move about in while online. It also means that you can change your Netflix region, regardless of where you live in the world. If you don’t live in the US, the amount of movies and TV shows you have access to is severely limited.
Using a VPN, you could connect to Netflix using a server in the US, meaning the IP address is American-based. Netflix now thinks you as well are in the US.
There are several other added benefits to using a VPN and don’t discuss those in more depth towards the end of the article. First, we’re going to stick with the Netflix aspect of things.
There are multiple Virtual Private Networks to choose from, so I recommend doing some research on the best VPN for Netflix and be sure to include any other features that may be pertinent to you as well.
Use Hidden Netflix Genre Codes
Yes, Netflix has hidden codes. And frankly, I don’t understand why these genre categories are hidden since they’re incredibly useful. If you have direct access to them. You would be able to filter your searches, helping you to get relevant recommendations.
Behind the scenes, Netflix is extremely efficient when it comes to organizing their content into categories and genres. For some reason unknown to the rest of us, they have opted not to share these category searches with users. But that’s okay. We know how to access them.
A simple Google search will serve up multiple sites with lists of category and genre codes. Once you have that code and you are logged into Netflix, you append that code onto the end of the URL in your browser. For example, your URL should end up looking like the following, where XXXX is the four-digit code provided.
netflix.com/browse/genre/XXXX
Use the Netflix Enhancer Extension
This is a Chrome extension, which is extremely useful.
I don’t know about you, but I like to have a little bit of background information about any TV show or movie I’m considering watching. Using the Netflix enhancer extension will give you this kind of information. When logged into Netflix, all you need to do is hover over any title, and a little pop-up box will appear and provide you with ratings from IMDb and any other site, if available. If there’s a trailer for the movie available, you’re provided with that as well.
And that’s not it. It also gives you the ability to add or remove any of the rows on the front page of Netflix. If you’re not interested in watching romance movies, you can remove it. If sci-fi is your thing, and it’s not there, add it.
If Chrome isn’t your browser of choice, don’t despair. You can find alternative add-ons built for Firefox and other browsers.
Use the Netflix Flip Extension
What about those times you would like to watch TV in bed? Or any other time you might want to change your viewing angle? The Netflix Flip extension is the answer to your problems. Using it will allow you to flip, rotate, zoom, or spin your Netflix player. Now you can curl up on your side and still have the right angle on your screen.
Use the Flix Roulette Extension
Sometimes you can’t or don’t want to make a decision about what you’re going to watch. Wouldn’t it be great to be provided with some random options? The thing is, sometimes those options are far too random. With the Flix Roulette extension, that problem is solved. You are able to provide your own defined preferences on which random selections will be based. For example, you can ask that the recommendations be made based on genre, director, or an actor you are interested in. The extension will then only display selections based on your pre-defined options.
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