Choosing what to watch on Netflix can be such a hassle. With its movie library continuously expanding, finding a feature that matches your viewing requirements can be challenging. To help its users lessen the burden of choice, Netflix came up with the Play Something feature.
It aims to assist users, who can't decide what to watch, to make that decision easier and faster. However, some have complained that the feature isn't working as well as it could have and has plenty of room for improvement.
Deciding What to Watch on Netflix Is a Nightmare
If you have some free time and decide to spend it watching Netflix, you face several choices before your leisure time can begin. What will you watch?
Do you feel like a movie, a TV series, something new or already seen, an old classic or blockbuster? You have a seemingly endless string of questions you have to answer before you press play on a title. If you already know what you want to consume after you open Netflix, that's excellent, but it's not always the case.
Most users have a hard time deciding what to watch, and Netflix launched the Play Something feature for them.
The Intent of the Play Something Feature
Netflix works on a ''the more, the better'' foundation. The more content you consume on Netflix, and rate it upon completion, the better suggestions it makes for you. By handing out likes or dislikes to the features you view, the streaming service gets to know your tastes better and can better cater to them.
When you select the Play Something feature, it uses the Netflix algorithm to play features it presumes you'll like. It plays titles that match your viewing preference.
Even if you skip the first, second, or third title, Play Something continues choosing features that match your likes.
If you fancy what the feature picked, you let it play out; if not, you keep going until you find a title that interests you. On paper, that sounds great, but in execution, it has its downsides.
The Wasted Potential of Play Something
The issue with the Play Something feature is that it bases what it plays for you on the Netflix algorithm. The same algorithm Netflix uses to fill your homepage with titles you might like to watch.
So, once you enable the Play Something feature, it plays you titles you already saw on your home screen. But if you've already scrolled past them, and they're the ones Play Something chooses to play you, what's the point of it? It's simply recycling titles from your home page. Do you need a dedicated feature for that?
It could have been an entirely different story if the feature wasn't confined so much by the Netflix algorithm.
How Could Netflix Improve Play Something?
What if Play Something showed you anything Netflix catalog? Yes, you might come across things you absolutely hate and don't want to watch, but what if you stumble on a hidden Netflix gem? Movies and shows you hadn't previously seen on your home screen, and are outside your usual viewing preferences, but could still interest you.
Alternatively, it could present you with a short questionnaire to narrow down what genre you want to watch or what mood you're in. Netflix could even use it to promote upcoming shows and offer themed categories.
Another missed opportunity is how the feature is only available on TVs and not other devices. If you want to watch Netflix on a laptop, for example, you can't use Play Something.
When Does Play Something Work?
The Play Something feature is perfect when you're simply indecisive. Sometimes there are too many fantastic things you can't wait to watch, and you just don't know where to start. That's the best time to enable the feature and let it pick for you.
It takes away the burden of choice, and you know it will offer up something that you'll like—a win-win.
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