Netflix is a video-on-demand service based in Los Gatos, California. The company was founded in 1997 and operated exclusively a mail order video store until 2007. Since entering the video-on-demand business, Netflix has experienced rapid growth. As early as 2013, Netflix launched its first complete in-house production, the multiple award-winning “House of Cards” series. Netflix has also been available in Germany since 16 September 2014. Netflix is also active in numerous other European countries, including Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, France, Sweden, Norway, Great Britain and Switzerland.
The website: Good look, but content needs improvement
The Netflix website has a very appealing design that presents the essential information well. However, the design hardly stands out from the competition, so that ultimately only the name “Netflix” ensures that the customer is on the desired website. It would also be nice if Netflix could offer even more content, for example in the device documentation. Unfortunately, the customer has no way of checking which films and series belong to Netflix’s portfolio before signing up for a subscription.
The film offer: Still a lot of room for improvement
Netflix has a much smaller offer in Germany than in the USA. For licensing reasons, films by great directors such as Werner Herzog, Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock are missing. Even with current films, such as the Oscar winners of recent years, the supply is rather poor. But there are also numerous gaps in German cinema hits. For example, the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy is missing, as is the Harry Potter series. Netflix is only conditionally suitable for cineasts. But the range of films on offer in Germany should also continue to grow.
The series range: Good portfolio with some highlights
House of Cards and Breaking Bad are the two big serial hits of the last years. Both series are completely available on Netflix. Both series are even available in Ultra-HD. No other video-on-demand service can currently offer this variant. Netflix also offers other well-known series such as Dexter, The Big Bang Theory and Pretty Little Liars. However, there are many gaps in the series portfolio. However, this is no different with the other providers in Germany. All in all, Netflix’s range of series products is convincing in terms of quality and quantity.
The trial month: Optimal start for new customers
Every new customer has the opportunity to test the Netflix service with a free trial month. However, if the new customer does not wish to pay subscription fees, they must cancel before the end of the trial month. Cancellation can be carried out easily online, so that automatic renewal of the trial subscription is no problem at all.
The contract period: no long-term contract required
Netflix works with a monthly cancelable subscription. The customer can cancel the subscription at any time at the end of the month. This is very customer-friendly, especially since this model even makes it possible to cancel the subscription for a limited period of time for a trip or another phase of life with little time for series and films. There is no notice period, so the cancellation can be made at any time and always takes effect at the end of the paid month. This variant is very customer-friendly.
The subscription fees: At the upper end of the spectrum
Compared to other video-on-demand providers, Netflix is in the upper range with subscription fees. However, there are differences in the subscriptions, depending on the quality the customer wants. The most expensive subscription includes Ultra-HD. However each customer should consider whether this variant is really meaningful, because only few series and films are offered in Ultra-HD.
The devices: Very many devices are supported
Netflix supports streaming with the game consoles Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, the Blu-ray players from Sony and Toshiba, the Smart TVs from Toshiba, Sony and Panasonic, Apple TV as well as smartphones and tablets equipped with iOS (Apple), Android or Windows Phone. The bandwidth is large, so most customers should have no problem finding a suitable device.
The FAQ section: Good, but still growth potential
Netflix answers the most important questions in the FAQ area. However, this area could still grow. Some answers, e.g. to the film and series offer, are very general. Overall, it would be good for the customer if the help section on the Netflix website were to be expanded further.
Netflix test report Conclusion – Note: Good
Netflix has an interesting offer for film and series fans. There are still many gaps in the offer, but Netflix is particularly well positioned in the series area. There are still a few big gaps in the film market that need to be closed. The business model is very customer-friendly because there are no long-term contracts. In addition, many current devices are supported, making it very easy to use Netflix in practice. The free trial month is an attractive offer without hooks. The FAQ area should be expanded, as so far only the most important questions have been answered. Netflix still has a lot of growth potential in Germany. The test editors decide on the basis of the various gaps in the offer for the overall grade “good”.