Netflix is reportedly looking at making two to five minute clips of on-demand video content available with an aim at being more user friendly for mobile owners.
The idea which is currently under trial by Netflix looks to address the fact that most people don’t use their smartphone to stream a 90-minute film and there are the obvious data and battery limitations that mobile users can be faced with if trying to play through episode after episode of the top telly on offer. This also somewhat cuts the Netflix brand out of a major distribution platform which we all carry in our pockets. What good is a dedicated Android and iOS app for mobiles if it’s under-utilised?
Tech source Gigaom suggests Netflix will begin releasing these short clips under a new section of its mobile app called “Have Five Minutes?” and reports that the tests so far have proved successful meaning it could be rolled out very soon.
This section would appear in a new row across the home screen of the mobile app making it quite a prominent feature if given the full go ahead. Whether it will translate over to the fuller screened formats of the Netflix app is yet to be mentioned.
We’re not sure quite what type of content is going to be on offer through this fresh new feature but it could prove useful for getting a quick fix on the move with trailers from movies in the vast library currently available, finding stuff you might want to watch later through a computer, tablet or console as well as select scenes from shows such as Breaking Bad and Hemlock Grove, which are Netflix streaming exclusives.
An interesting idea we would love to see is that it could also open up potential for DVD style deleted or extended scenes and behind the scenes vignettes which are quite beloved by movie buffs.