You can now download Netflix movies and TV shows onto your PC so that you can watch them later.
Nearly four months after the popular streaming website rolled out its offline viewing feature for iOS and Android, Netflix has reportedly made the feature available for the Microsoft Windows 10 PC app. The website Windows Central first reported on the update, which allows desktop users to download Netflix content so they can watch it without an Internet connection.
Users who have the most recent version of the Windows 10 app will see a “download” button next to the titles for movies and TV shows that are available for downloading, with options for either standard quality or high quality video. However, not all of Netflix’s video catalog is available for offline viewing.
Available titles include most of Netflix’s large portfolio of original content, as well as some licensed content such as the AMC series Breaking Bad. In November, Netflix said it would gradually make more content licensed from other providers available to download, as well.
Netflix’s decision to roll out its offline viewing feature last fall came after the company had long claimed it had no plans to make its content available for download out of fear of giving users too many viewing options. As Coins2Day‘s Mathew Ingram pointed out at the time, Netflix’s change of heart may have been a nod to the company’s international expansion. Netflix is now available in more than 190 countries and residents of many of those countries do not always have reliable access to high-speed Internet, which would make downloading content a useful option.
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Another likely factor is the fact that rivals like Amazon and YouTube Red already offered offline viewing to their users.
