Netflix's video player gets revamped
The video streaming service overhauls its video player for browser-based watching, adding in a host of new features and options, including single TV episode and whole season previews.
Netflix began rolling out a new fandangled video player for PCs today. Besides beefing up the playback with added options, information, and video accessibility, the video service also redesigned the control bar to be more user-friendly.
There are a handful of notable new features to the video playback. First, the control bar has different options that include access to subtitles, previews of the next episode, and previews to the whole season (if users are watching a TV show). If users click on the previews to the whole season, a box will pop-up that lets them watch previews from within the same screen. Also, if the video stays paused for a few seconds a text overlay will show up saying what the user is currently watching.
Things seem to be looking pretty bright for Netflix this week. Just earlier today the company announced that it was winning back former customers who quit the service after its controversial price hike last fall.
According to GigaOM, which first reported the new video player, users can also resize their browser window while watching videos. This can help users multitask while watching Netflix and also may help sizing if using the streaming service with a connected television set.