Netflix Review: Our Top Pick in a Sea of Streaming Choices

CNET

a day ago

CNET's expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
9.0
/ 10
SCORE Netflix $8 at Netflix Pros Strong recommendation engine
Easy to use across different devices
Extensive list of movies and shows
Massive selection of original programs Cons Cost for premium plans is on the higher end
Can't watch shows as they air on other networks
Missing titles on ad-based plan
Netflix
9.0/10 CNET Score
$8 at Netflix
Netflix is often people's go-to streaming service for watching TV shows and movies. Even with price increases and tough competition from services like Prime Video, Hulu and Disney Plus, Netflix still stands out as the ultimate option for streaming entertainment, because of its vast selection and user-friendly layout. It also has the largest 4K library around for video-on-demand platforms.
Netflix includes a wide variety of familiar network shows as well as more original series, films, documentaries and specials than any of its myriad competitors. Despite its password crackdown, the phasing out of one of its subscription plans and the addition of an ad-supported tier, the world's first major streaming service remains our favorite choice, thanks to its huge library of constantly refreshed content and its easy accessibility across different devices. And if you want, you can now save money on your subscription by bundling Netflix with other streaming services like Max (via Verizon) or Peacock and Apple TV Plus.
For the 75th annual Emmys, the streamer earned 107 nominations and won 24 awards, with series like Baby Reindeer and Blue Eye Samurai capturing top honors. If you're looking for something new to watch, Netflix should be your first pick.
Depending on the plan you choose, Netflix costs between $8 and $25 per month, which is at the higher end for a streaming service, as you can see in the chart below. However, the pricier package lets you watch up to four screens at once and create different user profiles. Thanks to its sheer variety and number of new things to watch, Netflix also gives you the most bang for your buck.
Streaming services compared
undefined Netflix Hulu Prime Video Max Disney Plus Monthly price Starts at $8 Starts at $10 Starts at $9 (or included with Prime membership) Starts at $10 Starts at $10 Ads Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Top titles Wednesday, Stranger Things, Adolescence Shōgun, The Bear, Only Murders in the Building The Boys, Fallout, Rings of Power The Last of Us, House of the Dragon,The White Lotus Daredevil: Born Again, The Mandalorian, Bluey Mobile downloads Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 4K HDR available Yes (on Premium plan) Yes Yes Yes Yes Number of streams 2 for Standard, 4 on Premium 2 2 2 (4 for Ultimate) 4
Netflix then vs. now
Between 2012 and 2013, Netflix premiered its first original TV shows, including Lilyhammer, House of Cards and Orange Is the New Black. Today, it has a catalog of more than 2,000 original TV shows and movies, including global hits like Stranger Things, Emmy winners such as Bridgerton and The Crown, as well as Oscar-nominated movies such as The Six Triple Eight and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.
The company launched its ad-supported tier in November 2022 for $7 per month. It's since gone up in price to $8 a month and become the streamer's most popular plan, even with the company's password-sharing crackdown.
We should mention that Netflix's slate of video games is growing at a rapid pace, with the streamer launching new games every month. Though access is only fully available for mobile users, the company has been conducting tests for the TV app, and you may notice a beta version on your screen.
The hit series Wednesday is one of the many reasons to have Netflix.
Netflix
Netflix with ads: Here's what it's like
Like Max's ad-supported subscription, the Netflix with ads $8 plan promises roughly 4 to 5 minutes of commercials per hour of content. The streamer also said it would implement frequency caps to prevent viewers from seeing the same ads over and over while they're watching an episode or movie. However, we found that not every title, new or old, features ads, and the length of each ad break varies. Additionally, sometimes the ad breaks don't run ads in the middle of a show or film.
For instance, I didn't see any ads in Seinfeld, not even a preroll before an episode of the show begins. Den of Thieves 2 had 10 ad breaks spread throughout the movie's 2-hour, 20-minute runtime. Devil May Cry had two ad breaks in a 30-minute episode: One 15-second preroll and a 30-second ad in the middle of the show. While watching three episodes of the anime series, I noticed that sometimes the commercials didn't play, even with the progress bar showing when they were supposed to appear.
The Equalizer 2 had no preroll, there were eight ad breaks, ranging from 17 seconds up to 30, featuring a single commercial, and The Walking Dead had no commercials. When I watched the Netflix original Nonnas, it had zero ads. This seems to reflect Netflix's commitment to omit ads from new movies.
The streamer also seems to keep its word about ad variety, and I barely saw the same commercial twice while watching one title. Commercials for the Nintendo Switch, snack food companies and a local Volkswagen dealer were among those that aired. Kid-friendly content I tested in the adult profile for shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Cocomelon, Raising Dion or Lego Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitsu lacked commercials.
The ads don't operate as pop-up surprises. Yellow dots on the progress bar indicate when and how many ad breaks will appear in a TV show or movie. If you don't see the dots, there aren't any commercials in that particular piece of content. There's also a countdown clock that tells you how long each break will last.
What's missing from Netflix's ad-based plan?
Netflix made upgrades to its ads plan, and you're now able to download any content to two devices. This is unlike other platforms like Max and Hulu, which require you to have an ad-free subscription to download.
Prior to launch, Netflix said that some titles would not be available on the ad-supported version due to licensing restrictions. This content is marked with a lock icon indicating which titles are behind a paywall, and means you have to upgrade to an ad-free account to watch any of it. A quick note on the thumbnail lets you know the title is unavailable due to licensing. But if you click on it, Netflix will prompt you to choose an ad-free plan to watch it.
In addition to shows like House of Cards, a number of animated titles and movies are unavailable to stream unless you upgrade to a higher-priced subscription. They include Venom: The Last Dance, The Hateful Eight, Boss Baby: Back in the Crib and Paddington in Peru. Netflix's Kids' Profile doesn't play ads at all, but some children may be disappointed to learn all the Boss Baby titles aren't available to watch. It's probably worth spending the extra money on the ad-free plan just to access Netflix's whole catalog.
What shows and movies does Netflix have?
Netflix may have had the first-to-market advantage in the world of streaming services, but it's kept its momentum with its increasing number of original shows and movies -- many of which have won critical acclaim and major awards and nominations.
Read more: The Netflix Secret Menu Is Your Key to Unlocking Hundreds of New Movies
Compared to other streaming platforms, you can't beat Netflix's slate of original TV shows that are now considered among the best of the modern era of television, including those mentioned above plus many more, such as Beef, Wednesday, The Residence, Money Heist and Adolescence.
Outside of TV shows, Netflix's original programs include a wide range of foreign films and shows, documentary series, anime, stand-up comedy specials, live events and reality dating and competition shows. Not all of them are runaway hits, but many of them are, and there's enough to explore interesting shows that may not have found a home on traditional network TV. The company's dip into live event streaming has been expanding in the past year. Netflix offers sports events like The Netflix Cup, an upcoming boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, and NFL games on Christmas. The platform also streams live comedy specials, including the Tom Brady roast and Katt Williams' stand-up show.
Though the theater experience has become normalized again for moviegoers, Netflix offers your own home as a place to find new films. The selection spans across genres and geography, and it includes K-dramas, animated features and fantasy book adaptations.
Beef earned a well-deserved Emmy nod in 2023.
Netflix
Netflix typically adds shows a full season at a time, though not while a show is airing on network TV -- so if you don't have cable or another platform like Hulu, you'll have to wait to watch for a few months to watch seasons in full. In some cases, -- like Bridgerton -- there are split seasons where the first five episodes will stream one month and the last half of the season will premiere in the following month or so.
One complaint: Netflix content sometimes can come and go without warning. The only way to tell if something is leaving the service in the next 30 days is if you see the Leaving Soon label on the tile for a given show or movie -- or search online for everything coming and going in a given month.
What's it like to use Netflix?
I first subscribed to Netflix back in the early streaming days of 2007, so using the platform feels like second nature at this point. Even if you're new to it, it's pretty user-friendly: Open the app and tap on your profile (if you have one set up), and you'll see a homepage with different category rows: We Think You'll Love These, Continue Watching, New on Netflix, Top Picks for You and a number of (sometimes oddly specific) other categories based on shows you've watched before. Mine include Epic Worlds and Stories with Humor and Heart.
Netflix's design encourages scrolling -- there are so many different categories to look through, and then shows and movies within those categories to continue scrolling into. You can create a watch list to help you cut down on this, but the vast, colorful library makes it easy to spend more time looking through options than actually watching a show, so be careful.
The Netflix app operates similarly across various devices. My home page on the web browser is nearly identical to that on my Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV Stick, both in content and layout. It's more condensed on the smaller iPhone and Android phone screens, but still follows the same format, and has a clear "Downloads" tab to find content to save to watch offline on your device.
Rows and rows of content on Netflix can keep you busy.
James Martin/CNET
One difference between devices is voice commands: You might find it more or less difficult to fire up a Netflix show from your device's home screen depending on which voice-capable device you're using.
For example, when you say, "Watch Stranger Things" on the Apple TV and the iOS app on iPhone, it will first have you click which specific show (Stranger Things or Beyond Stranger Things), and then will take you to an Apple TV page for the show, and there it will give you the option to open Netflix and start episode 1. On Amazon Fire TV Stick, you can say, "Watch Stranger Things," and it will open Netflix automatically if you're logged into the app. On the Roku 4K stick, if you say, "Watch Stranger Things," it will take you right to the first episode in the app. Those are more hardware-side concerns, but interesting to note.
Once you're in the Netflix app, though, voice commands work the same across devices: Go to the Search tab, hold the microphone button to dictate, and say the name of the show you're looking for.
When you select a show or movie to watch, you have the option to fast-forward, rewind, add subtitles and change your audio settings. If you have a Premium account and a big enough 4K TV, watching in Ultra HD makes for a very cinematic experience. The show or movie you choose will also show up in your "Continue watching" section at the top of your homepage for easier access.
How much does Netflix cost?
Netflix offers three price plans: Standard with ads, Standard and Premium. The basic, ad-free option is no longer available and has been phased out. If you choose to share your account with anyone outside your main household, the monthly fee is $8 per extra member if you have the Standard or Premium plans. Customers with the ad-based subscription have the option to pay $7 a month to add extra members. Here is how the costs and features break down:
Netflix plans in the US
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Standard with ads Standard Premium Monthly price $8 $18 $25 Number of screens you can watch at the same time 2 2 4 Number of phones or tablets you can have downloads on 2 2 6 HD available Yes Yes Yes Ultra HD available No No Yes
All plans include the ability to watch on any device. The basic ad-supported plan does not include roughly 5 to 10% of Netflix's catalog, but all other subscribers have its full, unlimited collection of movies and TV shows. All plans allow cancellation at any time.
Netflix's ad-free plan costs more than Prime Video ($12 a month) and less than Hulu's ad-free plan plan, (which is now $18). Its new ad-supported version is less than Hulu's and now comes with two streams -- previously it was one screen. If you're on a shared Netflix account with people in one household, chances are it's a Premium one ($25 a month) -- if you're actually splitting it between four people, that's about $6 a month each, and a still a value for all of the original content available, including some in 4K Ultra HD.
Downloads are available for all subscription types, but customers with the ad-supported version can only have 15 downloads a month per each device. That count starts over at the beginning of each month, whereas the ad-free plans can have 100 downloads with no monthly limitations.
What features do you get on Netflix?
Outside of general streaming, if you have the Standard or Premium plan, you can create different profiles for different users, and find your own list of personalized recommendations.
Netflix's recommendation game is strong, from Because You Watched carousels that've been improved by the "two thumbs-up" feature, to the option to remove content from your home page. New features have been rolled out over the past few years for both the mobile version and TV app to make it easier to find something to watch, and the company is currently testing AI-powered search on mobile.
The platform also has a particularly appealing kids section, with a solid catalog of content, including CoComelon, Pokemon: Master Journeys, and Trolls: The Beat Goes On! and a much more kid-friendly user interface.
If you subscribe to the Premium plan, you can watch certain shows and movies in 4K Ultra HD on 4K TVs. You'll need a steady internet connection speed of at least 25 megabits per second, and streaming quality set to auto or high.
Netflix has more 4K content than just about any other streaming service, and a lot of its 4K shows and movies are also available in HDR. High dynamic range provides an even bigger improvement in image quality than 4K according to CNET's tests, with better contrast and color, and the difference is especially apparent on large, higher-end televisions. Netflix supports the two major HDR formats, generic HDR (aka HDR-10) as well as Dolby Vision. If you have a device that handles Dolby Vision, Netflix will play content (if available) in that format by default.
You can search for a selection of 4K TV shows and movies on the service with the Premium plan.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Data usage varies by format, ranging from about 1GB per hour for the standard-definition video to up to 7GB per hour for the highest-quality 4K streams. Downloading and streaming take up a similar amount of data, according to Netflix. If you want to avoid having Netflix eat up all of your data, you can take certain steps laid out on Netflix's website to adjust your data usage settings.
All subscribers can download TV shows and movies on the Netflix app on mobile devices for offline viewing, though certain titles aren't available to download.
Read more: 16 Underrated Netflix Tips That Create a Better Experience
Should you get it?
Netflix remains our favorite streaming platform of the increasingly large bunch. It has a huge selection of movies and TV shows old and new, tons of high-quality original programs, and an easy-to-navigate interface. Even though there's no free trial, it's worth trying Netflix for a month if you want something new to watch.