Netflix Is Rolling Out Its Playback Speed Controls Tomorrow

Users will be able to stream anywhere between 0.5x and 1.5x the speed

BY Josiah HughesPublished Jul 31, 2020

Last year, much to the chagrin of content creators around the globe, Netflix started testing out a feature that would allow users to decrease and increase the speed of whatever it was they were streaming. Now, it looks like they will deliver the feature en masse.

According to The Verge, Netflix will let the public choose the speed in which they watch things starting tomorrow (August 1). The rollout is expected to happen globally, though it's unclear how long it will take to reach each region.

Netflix's streaming options will allow users to watch content at 0.5x or 0.75x speed, as well as at 1.25x and 1.5x speed. The speeds will have to be manually adjusted each time you start a new video, a move Netflix hopes will calm creators.

"We've also been mindful of the concerns of some creators," a spokesperson from The Verge said. "It's why we have capped the range of playback speeds and require members to vary the speed each time they watch something new — versus fixing their settings based on the last speed they used."

"The feature has been much requested by members for years," Netflix's VP of product innovation Keela Robison added. "Most important of all, our tests show that consumers value the flexibility it provides whether it's rewatching their favorite scene or slowing things down because they're watching with subtitles or have hearing difficulties."

 

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