What Is Netflix?

Netflix started as a competitor to brick-and-mortar video rental stores, renting DVDs by mail, and expanded its business with the introduction of streaming video in 2007. Originally, Netflix was only available in the United States, but that changed when the service launched in Canada in 2010. By January 2016, Netflix was operating in over 190 countries. Today, we know Netflix as the world's leading internet entertainment service. As a Netflix subscriber, you can watch TV shows and movies when you want, where you want, and on whatever device you want. You can play, pause, and resume watching without commercials or commitments.

Netflix Originals

Netflix spends billions of dollars on original TV shows and movies annually with the aim of making 50% of its library to be original content. This strategy has been a profitable one and has led to Netflix boasting almost 200 million subscribers worldwide. Today, Netflix subscribers pay for the service in order to watch Netflix originals, such as hugely popular series Orange Is the New Black and Stranger Things. Netflix's original movies are succeeding as well, and its recent action movie, Bright, starring Will Smith, has already become one of the most watched Netflix originals ever.

Here are some Netflix originals that you may want to watch:

BoJack Horseman

This animated comedy series follows the struggles of BoJack Horseman, the star of the hit TV show Horsin' Around in the 1990s. Now, 20 years later, BoJack is a self-loathing alcoholic who lives in Los Angeles and complains about everything.

The Crown

This historical drama series is a biographical story about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The series has received several accolades, including the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama in 2017 and 2018.

Grace and Frankie

Two women, proper Grace and eccentric Frankie, begin to bond after their husbands announce that they are in love and intend to marry. Both couples have adult children who are equally knocked out by the news.

Making a Murderer

This documentary series explores the story of Steven Avery, a man who was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault and attempted murder of Penny Beerntsen but exonerated by DNA evidence 18 years later in 2003. In 2007, Avery was convicted again – this time for the murder of local photographer Teresa Halbach.

Master of None

Aziz Ansari stars as Dev, a 30-year-old actor who lives in New York City and has no idea what he wants in life. He struggles to make decisions concerning his professional and romantic life.

Narcos

Seasons 1 and 2 are based on the story of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar (1949–1993), who became a multibillionaire and the wealthiest criminal in history by selling cocaine. Season 3 concentrates on the rise of the infamous Cali Cartel that once controlled over 90% of the world's cocaine market.

Orange Is the New Black

A privileged New Yorker is sentenced to a year and a half in a women's prison for an old crime of carrying a bag of drug money from the United States to Belgium. As a normally law-abiding person, she isn’t prepared for prison life's conflicts and surprises.

Stranger Things

A disappearance of a young boy leads residents of a small town to uncover a mystery involving secret experiments and supernatural forces. Things become even weirder when a little girl with a shaved head comes into the story.

Leaving Netflix

In addition to producing original content, Netflix partners with other content providers to license streaming rights for TV shows and movies. The TV shows and movies that Netflix licenses are available for Netflix subscribers to stream for a limited time, which can range from less than a year to several years. That's why Netflix's library is constantly changing. And that's also why you might want to know whether something you want to watch is leaving the service within the next couple of weeks.

How Much Is Netflix?

How much Netflix costs depends on which of its three plans you choose. You can opt to pay $8.99/month for the "Basic" plan, $12.99/month for the "Standard" plan, or $15.99/month for the "Premium" plan.

Of these, the Standard plan is the most popular. It offers HD streaming on up to two devices at once. The Basic plan offers only one SD stream at a time, while Premium gives you four screens in 4K Ultra HD.

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