Imagine the fun of downloading loads of great films and TV shows from the generous Netflix catalog onto your iOS device and then having an offline binge-watch when traveling. Sadly, it looks like you will have to just imagine it for the time being, as Netflix has dismissed the idea of enabling offline downloads – due to what it calls the “complexity” of the huge choice.
At the currently-running IFA electronics trade show in Berlin, Netflix’s Chief Product Officer, Neil Hunt, told Gizmodo of his belief that offline downloads would not be “a very compelling proposition”. He insisted that, though they are an option with Amazon Prime Instant Video, this setup “adds considerable complexity to your life”, as “you have to have the right storage on your device, you have to manage it, and I’m just not sure people are actually that compelled to do that”.
Hunt’s words are likely to disappoint many of the most avid Netflix users, though it seems that the company has at least spared its users the frustration of the inconsistent availability of offline downloads that blights the Amazon competition. On that service, some content can be downloaded on one type of device but not another, often leading to understandable bewilderment.