Netflix, despite being the most popular movie and series streaming service in the world, has curiosities that few people know about. From the simplest questions, such as what the name of the platform means and what was its first original production, to the big question of how Netflix came about and how its algorithm works, there are several curiosities not yet discovered by its 190 million users. Check out ten curiosities about how the streaming service works.
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Meet Netflix curiosities in the following list Photo: Carolina Ochsendorf / dnetc
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1. "a" Netflix, and not "o" Netflix
One of the biggest questions which article to use when referring to Netflix: female or male? While most call it Netflix, other users find it right to use the Netflix option, on the grounds that, as a service, the article to be used must also be male.
However, Netflix itself makes a point of stating in all its social networks that the correct one to use is Netflix. The streaming network says it considers itself a girl, so users should call it the female article.
2. Netflix has been around for 22 years
Netflix started in 1997, created by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. Named NetFlix (with the Capital F) until 2002, the company was set up to function as a home movie rental company. Taking advantage of the newness of DVDs, users would enter the Netflix website and choose the desired title to be sent by Post. Customers could keep the titles as long as they wanted.
Netflix worked on subscription plans, very similar to today's, and each user could rent up to 8 movies at a time. In 2007, 10 years after its launch, Netflix decided to join the streaming business and would offer content in immediate access format.
Netflix now available on TVs, PCs and mobile phones Photo: Lucas Mendes / dnetc
3. The company still rents DVDs
Despite being known worldwide for its streaming service, Netflix still has a physical title rental system. The subscription format is still in force and your users may request to send the DVDs via email. The company has approximately 2.7 million customers with active delivery subscriptions.
One of the main reasons why the service is still running is because of the high level of Internet required for streaming titles to run smoothly online. Users who live in rural and isolated locations are some of the format's main clients. The rental service even provides more titles than streaming: 100,000 title options versus about 4,000 pieces online.
Netflix's first logo dates back to 1997, when the company only rented DVDs. Photo: Reproduo / The Independent
4. What does Netflix mean
Because it is a name in English, not all users know what the name Netflix means. Being the junction of two words "Net" + "Flix", the name is nothing more than "movies on the Internet". The word "net" comes, without much mystery, directly from the word "Internet". Meanwhile, "flix" is a derivation of "flicks", which is nothing more than a joke for "movies".
The Netflix logo has had a number of changes over time. In its launching time, the company has a very simplistic layout, with the words "Net" and "Flix" separated in black. From 2004 to 2011 the streaming service adopted a cleaner logo with white color. Until 2012, the brand began to use the red color as its logo, referring to its early days, when rented DVDs were sent in red letters.
The Netflix logo bears the colors of the envelopes used by the company in its early years. Photo: Divulgao / Netflix
5. Netflix Algorithm Makes Custom Recommendations
Netflix works by automatically creating lists of movies and series based on the personal taste of each user. For this, the streaming service has a rating system in which, after watching a title, the viewer rates it with a like or a dislike. This method teaches the algorithm user preferences and helps him recommend titles individually.
From the analysis of each viewer's personal tastes, the algorithm can create lists such as "Why did you watch The Good Place", and indicate movies and shows that have similar themes. The more often users rate assisted titles, the more accurate the algorithm recommendations will be.
Netflix algorithm recommends titles based on your personal tastes Photo: Reproduction / Gabrielle Ferreira
6. What is relevant, which appears below the description of the movies
With the help of the algorithm for analyzing content viewing habits and behaviors within the platform, Netflix indicates the percentage of title relevance for the user. The rating is based on the likes and dislikes that viewers give in movies and watched series. The percentage is indicated in the description of the titles, such as "89% relevant".
It is important to remember that the relevance rating system is based entirely on the individual analysis of each user and does not follow the ratings and ratings given by the film industry to films. The quantitative and qualitative numbers of the titles do not interfere with the percentage rating made by the platform.
Netflix rates the relevance of their titles to each user. Photo: Reproduction / Gabrielle Ferreira
7. "Lilyhammer" was Netflix's first original production
Although little known, the first content produced and distributed exclusively by Netflix was the "Lilyhammer" series. Launched in February 2012, the police drama was the gateway to the streaming service in the original content production. The series is a mix of drama and comedy and addresses the life of a former mobster who needs to take refuge in Norway after reporting his former cronies.
However, House of Cards was the first title to debut with Netflix's completely exclusive production and distribution. Launched in 2013, seria was mainly responsible for leveraging the company's success, consolidating it as one of the main audiovisual production studios. The drama follows politician Frank Underwood in his attempt to win the presidency of the United States.
Lilyhammer the first original Netflix production Photo: Reproduction / Gabrielle Ferreira
8. Netflix has "hidden" categories
Netflix divides content into categories for easy user search. Despite having the most conventional division categories, the platform has over 200 "hidden" subcategories, many of them quite unusual. Options from categories such as "Comdias cult (9434)", "Horror Zombie Movies (75405)" and "Silent Movies (53310)" can be accessed by everyone with the codes.
To access the content, simply enter the address netflix/browse/genre/number in the browser and replace "number" with the code corresponding to the desired category. The numbers are random and unrelated to the amount of titles present in each subcategory. dnetc has made a selection with some of the available codes.
Netflix has subcategories when searching for titles Photo: Reproduction / Gabrielle Ferreira
9. Netflix Shows Your Internet Speed
Netflix has launched an Internet speedometer, Fast. The site shows, in real time, the download speed of your connection in Mbps. It is proposed that users have full control over their connection and find out if the reason for possible drops in streaming service content display is due to slow network speed or platform failures.
The meter can be accessed from the browser on both the computer and mobile devices simply, quickly and for free. Although owned by Netflix, the meter can be accessed by everyone, regardless of their ownership or subscription to the streaming platform.
Fast Netflix internet speed meter Photo: Reproduction / Gabrielle Ferreira
10. Titles can be suggested for Netflix
Despite the extensive catalog of productions available on Netflix, sometimes it is not possible to find a desired title in streaming. What few know is that the streaming service allows subscribers to submit movie, series and documentary suggestions via a form on the site.
To suggest new titles, simply go to the Netflix suggestion section at help.netflix/en/titlerequest The platform allows users to submit up to three title options at a time. The requested contents are stored and analyzed by the service, through market research done by the company.
Netflix title request can be sent Photo: Playback / Gabrielle Ferreira
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