How to tell if you’re OVERPAYING for Netflix – and instantly slash your bills
YOU might be paying over the odds for your Netflix account – but it’s easy enough to check.
Netflix pricing can be a little confusing, so make sure you’re on the right plan.
The cost of living isn’t getting cheaper, so many of us are looking at where we can cut back.
There are three different Netflix plans to choose from: Basic, Standard and Premium.
Each comes with its own pricing and perks, and fully understanding those is key to saving a big of cash.
For the Basic plan, you’ll pay £6.99/$9.99 a month.
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That gets you fairly low-res 480p video quality, plus viewing on a single device at any one time.
The Standard plan is pricier at £10.99/$15.49 per month.
You’ll now get Full HD 1080p viewing and the option to watch Netflix on two devices at the same time.
Then there’s the Premium plan, which costs a lofty £15.99/$19.99 each month.
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This gets you 4K Ultra HD resolution, the best available quality on Netflix right now.
You also get HDR (or High Dynamic Range), which better contrast and a wider range of colours.
And you’ll also be able to watch on four different devices at once.
Are you overpaying for Netflix?
To save money, you need to find out if you’re on the right plan.
For instance, if you only ever watch TV via the app on a small iPhone screen, you might be perfectly happy with the 480p resolution.
Similarly, if you don’t have a 4K TV and you never use more than two devices at once, you shouldn’t be paying for Premium when Standard will do.
And your internet might not be fast enough to stream 4K anyway. Netflix recommends a minimum download speed of 25Mbps.
To check, go onto Netflix and search ‘test patterns”.
Play one and look for “3840 x 2160” in the top-right corner: that means you’re getting full 4K.
It’s also possible that even if you have a hi-res laptop screen, you might not be getting the best quality.
Some browsers don’t support anything higher than 720p streaming for Netflix.
For instance, you can’t stream 4K Netflix in Google Chrome even if you’ve got a 4K laptop.
So you might be better off on a Standard or even Basic plan.
Interestingly, there could be some cheaper options later this year.
Netflix already offers mobile-only plans in some parts of the world.
And the company is expected to launch a cheaper ad-supported subscription later this year.
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This could slash your bills even further – but only if you’re willing to accept some advertising interrupting your viewing.
You can change your subscription tier at any time by logging into the Netflix website.
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