Streamline your Netflix Streaming

With Netflix recent announcement that prices will jump this month, it’s more important than ever to make the most of your subscription. It’s the fourth time they’ve raised prices, the last increase just over a year ago.

Did you know there are several keyboard shortcuts when watching Netflix on your laptop?

• Toggle pause/play by hitting the Space bar or Enter
• Jump ahead/back 10 seconds by tapping the Right/Left arrow key
• Fast forward/rewind by holding down the Right arrow/Left arrow key
• To start watching at any spot in the program, hit the Space bar or Enter
• You can raise/lower volume by using the Up/Down arrow keys
• Mute/unmute by hitting the M character key
• To go to full-screen mode, hit the F key

You can delete your viewing history by following these steps. Not only will it delete any embarrassing binges, if it’s a show you didn’t enjoy, or if someone else used your profile and you’d prefer to not have that genre recommended, erasing your history will ensure your suggestions aren’t cluttered with things you don’t want to see.

Streamline your search by taking advantage of sites like A Good Movie to Watch,  Flixable and JustWatch. If you’ve ever been lost down the rabbit hole of thumbnails or spent more time searching for a show than actually watching one, you’ll love thank me for introducing you. Each of these sites sort through the vast catalog of programming using filters that make it easier to find something you’d want to watch.

Take advantage of Netflix hidden cache of genres and categories. Use this list to drill down and find specific categories using codes like 12339 for Baseball Movies, 48744 for Classic War Movies, or 75930 for Werewolf Horror Movies. To use, in your internet browser, type in the following URL: http://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/####. Replace the “####” at the end of the URL with the code for whatever subgenre you’re looking for. The hack doesn’t work on your game console or smartphone unless you access Netflix through a web browser on the device. Alternatively, you can use a Chrome extension to search for programs. 

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.

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