We’ve all experienced the headache of grabbing a glass of wine, popping some popcorn and settling in for a binge marathon of [Insert New Awesome, Must-Watch Series] on Netflix just to wait for what seems like an hour for it to buffer. (Buffering is still a thing?!) The stuff of streaming nightmares can be over soon if you’re willing to trade your current television for one featured in the new Netflix Recommended TV program.
Back in January during CES, Netflix announced its Recommended TV program, a campaign that gives members easier and more efficient access to the streaming service through their army of approved smart TVs. Netflix described the initiative as one that will “give people insight into which models meet those needs (ease of use and efficiency) to deliver a superior smart TV experience.” Time to save up before OITNBreturns ;)
What exactly does it mean for a TV to achieve this new status? Essentially, the devices must pass a “rigorous evaluation process” from Netflix that involves three categories. The first is based on performance. If a television quickly launches the Netflix app and resumes a show fast, and video playback happens rapidly, its performance is up to par. To pass the second aspect of Netflix’s QA, the TV remote must have a Netflix button and the app should be prominent on the screen. The final piece of this program’s puzzle deals with the TV’s features, involving how quickly an app is ready to use from turn-on and whether comes with the latest version of Netflix. Seems a lot easier than the SAT.
With the announcement, the online entertainment outlet revealed the first batch of devices that Netflix recognizes as providing a superior experience: LG 4K UHD TVs with webOS 2.0, Sony Android Full HDTVs and Roku TVs from Hisense, Insignia, and TCL. If you’re wandering around Best Buy or another electronics store and wondering how to locate the approved televisions, just keep a lookout for the “Netflix Recommended TV” logo on the box. We wish you could find a way to play nice with all TVs (especially the ones we already own), but at least thank you for making it super simple and obvious, Netflix.
With cord cutting becoming the way of the future, it only makes sense to keep this easy-streaming spec in mind when shopping for your next TV. We’ll be interested to see how the program develops in criteria and number of approved products with Netflix and its competitors. Your move, Apple TV ;)
Would you be more likely to buy a new flat screen if it had the Netflix Recommended TV stamp of approval on it? Let us know in the comments.