Netflix explains its new playback speed tests after Hollywood directors rage online

If you were the director of a war drama film that’s streamed on Netflix by hundreds of millions of viewers, would you give your audience the option to speed up that lengthy but poignant scene that tears the protagonist away from their only newborn? That’s exactly why Hollywood directors were tweeting in rage and disappointment a couple of days ago, after reports of Netflix testing a new playback speed feature on mobile devices surfaced online. Netflix has since responded to the uproar in a blog post, explaining why it’s testing such a feature.

The new playback speed feature on Netflix, which was spotted on some mobile devices a few days ago as part of a public feature test, allows the viewer to either speed up or slow down video playback by up to 1.5x/0.5x. YouTube and other online video players have had this feature for as long as we can remember. Netflix appears to be testing it on certain mobile devices along with the option to change the screen brightness and lock the screen without leaving the playback window. Netflix also wants to find an easier way to access language and audio settings during playback.

When initial reports of Netflix testing this playback speed feature popped up on the internet a couple of days ago, Hollywood directors pushed back heavily against Netflix’s decision to implement it, worried that their artistic efforts would be brought to nothing in the process. In the words of Judd Apatow (Bridesmaids, Liar Liar), the directors wanted the films and shows to be seen “as they were intended to be seen”. Actor Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Need for Speed) tweeted, “That would mean they are completely taking control of everyone else’s art and destroying it.”

Netflix has since responded to the backlash in a blog post, clarifying that it will not implement all these features under test (including playback speed) until it sees a positive feedback from its users. “We have no plans to roll any of these tests out in the short term. And whether we introduce these features for everyone at some point will depend on the feedback we receive,” writes Keela Robison, Vice President at Netflix in the blog post. What do you think, reader? Would you be opposed to the idea of Netflix getting a feature that even DVD players have had for decades now?

 

Whelp— another spectacularly bad idea, and another cut to the already bleeding-out cinema experience. Why support & finance filmmakers visions on one hand and then work to destroy the presentation of those films on the other??? https://t.co/T7QdYAQGHU

— Brad Bird (@BradBirdA113) October 28, 2019

 

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