Netflix may add shorter video clips to boost mobile usage

By Alex Tretbar September 8, 2014

netflix original programming 2016 tablet — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Netflix design manager Dantley Davis revealed last week that the video-streaming service is contemplating whether to integrate shorter video clips into its catalog to account for the rising number of users of the company’s mobile app.

Related: Netflix now lets you choose which Facebook friends you recommend movies to

The company is currently running tests to determine users’ interest levels in short-form videos, according to Gigaom. At an event at Netflix’s headquarters in Los Gatos, CA., Davis explained that while Netflix users tend to stick to the traditional couch-and-TV method when using the service, Netflix’s mobile app is seeing growth rapid enough to warrant a new approach to mobile video consumption. Davis attributed this in part to changes in smartphone screen size over time; i.e. screens are getting huge.

Still, while the average mobile screen has gotten larger in recent years, it’s a pain to watch a full-length film on a phone or small tablet. Accordingly, Netflix has concluded that shorter videos may be one way to get users to not only download and use the mobile app in the first place, but to stay on the app and continue to use it.

The new format could come in the form of key scenes from TV shows, brief excerpts from feature-length films, or highlights from standup comedy specials. As part of a test that the service is undertaking, Netflix has added an extra row, titled “Have five minutes?” to its familiar homepage content grid.

Online streaming site Crackle recently implemented a similar experiment, breaking comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s already short Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee original series into an even shorter add-on format, called Single Shots. Professionally-produced short form videos are positioned as a perfect burst of entertainment for bored mobile users waiting for the bus, or languishing in that morning coffee line.

Related: Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee returns for fourth season

While Netflix hasn’t confirmed whether it intends to permanently implement the shorter clips, Davis did reveal last week that the tests run so far have yielded “very positive results.” This means that the company very well could end up making short-form video a mainstay feature when it relaunches its mobile app in the coming months.

[image: Denys Prykhodov / Shutterstock.com]

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Alex Tretbar, audio/video intern, is a writer, editor, musician, gamer and sci-fi nerd raised on EverQuest and Magic: The…

Audio / Video

Hisense’s PX3-Pro Laser Cinema gets AI, a bigger picture, and better sound

The Hisense PX3-Pro Laser Cinema.

Hisense's PX2-Pro Laser Cinema ultra short throw projector made all kinds of best projector lists for its excellent picture, big brightness, and accurate color. Today, the Chinese electronics maker announced the popular projector's latest model, the PX3-Pro, a $3,500, premium triple-laser projector that improves on its predecessors with better sound, a brighter light source, and AI smarts to further enhance its image.

The PX3-Pro sees some improvements over the PX2. For one, it's brighter than the PX2's 2,400 ANSI lumens at 3,000 ANSI lumens, which should mean a significant boost, especially in brighter rooms. But one key improvement with the PX3 that Hisense is certainly hoping will make an impact is its integration of "real-time Pro AI Algorithms" that Hisense says will "enhance brightness, fine-tune contrast, and eliminate noise." Using AI to enhance picture quality, color, and more, has been showing up in all the best TVs over the last year or so, so it's no surprise to see it start making its way into the best projectors now, too.

Audio / Video

Get up to $1,000 off Victrola, Mobile Fidelity, Yamaha turntables today

Yamaha MusicCast Vinyl500

For those who are thinking about diving into the world of vinyl records, or if you already have a healthy collection, you may want to take advantage of Crutchfield's turntables sale. You'll enjoy discounts of up to $1,000 on turntables made by some of the most popular brands in the space, including Victrola, Mobile Fidelity, and Yamaha. You're going to have to be quick with your purchase though, as the offers will only be up for a limited time. As soon as you decide what to buy, whether from our recommendations below or by browsing through all the deals yourself, you should push through with the transaction immediately.

What to buy in Crutchfield's turntables sale
In Crutchfield's turntables sale, the most affordable option is the Victrola Hi-Res Onyx, which is a semi-automatic belt-driven turntables with the option to play your music through Bluetooth. It's down to , following a $100 discount on its original price of $400. Next up is the Music Hall MMF-Mark1, a manual belt-drive turntable that will be yours for , for savings of $80 on its sticker price of $475.

Audio / Video

Don’t miss this clearance sale on Samsung OLED TVs — up to $1,900 off

Samsung S95D OLED

Samsung makes some of the best TVs on the market, and if you're looking to pick up a new high-end TV, then you'll be happy to know that there are some excellent options in this Crutchfield sale. With four main models of Samsung TVs to pick from in different sizes, you could potentially save yourself up to $1,900 depending on the TV you want to go for, so be sure to check the complete sale using the button below. That said, if you can't find a TV at a price that works for you, be sure to check out some of these other great TV deals as well.

What you should buy in Crutchfield Samsung Sale
For starters, you have the QN90C lineup, which is one of the more affordable options in this sale and comes in various sizes from 55 inches to a whopping 83 inches, although the 55-inch version is sadly out of stock at the moment. Nonetheless, if you want to pick up one of the other sizes, you'll be happy to know that it has an OLED display with Samsung's proprietary Quantum Dot technology for better HDR, as well as HDR10+ and support for 4K upscaling so you can watch your older content. The middle-ground choice for size is probably this 65-inch QN65S90C, which is , so you get $1,100 in savings.