We’ve seen Netflix pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with the service more than ever recently, the most ambitious being its immensely popular choose-your-own-adventure episode of Black Mirror.
However the company has announced that it will be removing a popular feature among iPhone users, announcing that it doesn’t feel the AirPlay feature is needed any more.
“We want to make sure our members have a great Netflix experience on any device they use,” the company told Macrumours.
“With AirPlay support rolling out to third-party devices, there isn’t a way for us to distinguish between devices (what is an Apple TV vs. what isn’t) or certify these experiences. Therefore, we have decided to discontinue Netflix AirPlay support to ensure our standard of quality for viewing is being met.”
“Members can continue to access Netflix on the built-in app across Apple TV and other devices.”
It shouldn’t be a huge concern, given that the Netflix app is available on virtually all set-top boxes and app stores.
What could be more worrying news is a new piece of software that could eventually spell the end of sharing Netflix accounts.
Software company Synamedia unveiled the new system at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, which will be able to analyse factors such as where users are logged on, and through this, flag shared accounts.
Digital Spy report that there’s no need to enter full panic mode just yet if you’re just sharing with family and friends. Apparently if this is the case the streaming service may just prompt you to upgrade to a premium account. Which still isn’t ideal but it could be much worse. The software is primarily designed to seek out accounts that are being sold through for-profit organisations. Any accounts found being accessed like this could potentially be shut down.
“Casual credentials sharing is becoming too expensive to ignore,” Jean Marc Racine, CPO of Synamedia, said.
“Our new solution gives operators the ability to take action. Many casual users will be happy to pay an additional fee for a premium, shared service with a greater number of concurrent users.
“It’s a great way to keep honest people honest while benefiting from an incremental revenue stream.”
Words by Brad Lengden