Is Netflix Australia good enough?

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It's been a long time coming but Australians can finally get a taste of the world's most popular subscription video service without resorting to tricks to mask their location. Now any Australian can head over to netflix.com and create themselves a free trial account to see what all the fuss is about.



If you're really keen on Netflix then chances are you've already tasted the forbidden fruit via a geo-dodging trick such as a Virtual Private Network or a DNS-based workaround. If you're already paying for a US Netflix account there's no need to open a new Australian account, simply disengage your geo-blocking cloak in order to see the Australian library. It will assume you're travelling and warn you that you'll see different content in different countries.



Alternatively if you've created an Australian Netflix account you can enable geo-dodging in order to see how the other half live. Sneaking into the US service is easier than ever, now that you can pay in Australian dollars and just worry about masking your location. You might want to check out Netflix UK while you're at it. Be warned, if your ISP offers unmetered Netflix access it only applies when watching the Australian library.



By the numbers

On raw program numbers things look rather grim in Australia. According to geo-dodging service UnoTelly, Netflix US offers 7200 unique titles while you'll find 1120 in Australia.



Even that US number is rather underwhelming when you consider how many movies and TV shows are churned out each year. If you're expecting any streaming service to offer every movie and TV show ever made then you're setting yourself up for disappointment.



You're not just missing new-release content. Even going back to the 70s and 80s there are plenty of popular titles missing, you could search for dozens of your favourite movies and be lucky to find a handful. It's best to think of Netflix more like unlimited access to the weekly rentals shelf at your local video store, but with plenty of gaps -- don't bother searching for Star Wars: A New Hope, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark or Back to the Future.



Also frustrating is that TV shows and movies regularly disappear from Netflix, sometimes due to content owners wrestling their wares back from the streaming giant. Don't expect to find Game of Thrones or other blockbuster HBO content either, as Netflix and HBO are mortal enemies in the digital entertainment war.



Netflix Originals



It's easy to take a glass five-sixths empty approach to Australian Netflix, but if you look closer there are signs of promise. Firstly, Netflix assures us that its local library will grow with time, as we've seen when Netflix has launched in other countries. Netflix will also throw its hat in the ring as various Australians rights deals expire, plus it's reclaiming local control over its own Netflix Original titles.



Netflix's push to commission its own content like House of Cards is good news for Australians, because these shows will be released in Australia at the same time as the rest of the world. That includes other current Netflix Originals like Marco Polo, BoJack Horseman and Bloodline, along with upcoming shows like Marvel's Daredevil. After years of suffering at the hands of Australia's commercial free-to-air broadcasters, we'll finally be treated like equals.



Netflix has also expressed an interest in commissioning its own Australian content, although we'll have to wait and see whether this comes to fruition.



Swings and roundabouts



While it's great to have equal access to Netflix Originals content, House of Cards is the exception to the rule which highlights how much we're missing out on in other areas. Just to pick a few of my favourite shows at random, switching from the US library to the Australian library means forgoing Archer, Bob's Burgers, Star Trek, Futurama, The Twilight Zone and The X Files. According to Finder.com.au's analysis, of the 100 most-popular TV shows on Netflix US only 17 are on Netflix AU.



All is not lost though. You will find the IT Crowd, Firefly, Arrow and Doctor Who in the Australian library - but only the modern Doctor Who from Eccleston onwards and not the classic episodes offered to US viewers. Obviously your tastes might vary, but don't get your hopes up of finding all your favourites.



One reassuring thing is that Australia's Netflix library isn't merely a subset of the US library. Different rights deals mean we see some content the Americans don't. This includes Frozen, Happy Feet, The Matrix, Fight Club and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. International rights deals are a fickle mistress and it really is pot luck as to what you'll find in either country.



Netflix has struck a deal with Australia's ABC and you'll find content such as Jonah from Tonga, Around the Twist and Upper Middle Bogan. You'll obviously find plenty of ABC content on iView for free, but iView is a Catch Up service where content expires quickly. Netflix makes it easier to dip into the back catalogue, as you won't find any of these shows on iView right now.

But things don't stay on Netflix forever either.



It's important to understand that Netflix isn't a Catch Up service. For example, it has acquired the Australian subscription rights to Gotham but you won't see episodes the day after they screen on Channel Nine. Nine's JumpIn has Catch Up rights so it gets first dibs. Netflix can't offer Gotham in Australia until Nine has finished screening the entire series.



So what's the verdict?



If you've never used a subscription library before then Netflix is rather impressive, but if you've already tasted the US service then the first sip of Australia's smaller library can leave a sour taste in your mouth.

But don't write it off, as there are signs that the Australian offering will mature with age. For now you'll want to keep your VPN at hand to enjoy the best of both worlds, but Netflix is bringing us closer to the day when Australians are no longer treated as second-class citizens.